tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19433012060149942762012-02-16T18:31:45.383+05:30THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTION OF DEFENCE NEWS AND RELATED ARTICLESDefence Columnnoreply@blogger.comBlogger100031100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-31057853283602021782009-12-31T14:46:00.002+05:302009-12-31T14:49:23.097+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="TopLogoBar" id="TopLogoBar"> <div class="LogoInner" id="LogoInner-news"><img style="width: 136px; height: 42px;" src="http://www.island.lk/2009/12/30/island-inner.gif" />Three dissident UNP politicians from Sabaragamuwa on Sunday pledged support to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the forthcoming Presidential elections, saying that Rajapaksa was the better candidate who had provided the leadership to defeat the LTTE and liberate the country from terrorism.<span style="font-family:Verdana;"> <p align="LEFT">The dissidents were former Sabaragamuwa Chief Minister Jayatillake Podinilame, Kegalle Urban Council Chairman Jude Rukantha Perera and former Pradeshya Sabha Chairman N. Rupasena. <a href="http://www.island.lk/2009/12/30/news13.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></span></div> </div> </div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-3105785328360202178?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-83441233988946382372009-12-31T14:43:00.000+05:302009-12-31T14:45:56.871+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><table style="width: 780px; height: 41px;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr></tr><tr><td width="30%" bgcolor="#014e82" height="10" valign="top"><br /></td><td width="70%" bgcolor="#014e82" height="10" valign="top"><br /></td></tr><tr><td width="30%" height="41" valign="top"><a href="http://www.lankanewspapers.com/"><img style="width: 231px; height: 29px;" src="http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/images/lanka_newspapers_title.jpg" alt="Lanka Newspapers" border="0" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table>President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday when he came into power he introduced a people friendly manifesto Mahinda Chinthana and told the public if it could be successfully implemented, the benefits would be for the whole country.<br /><br />People accepted it and rallied round us with new vigour. We never forgot our election promises. Today I have come forward for re-election after completing 98 percent of my promises, he added. <a href="http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2009/12/52012.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full Text </span></a></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-8344123398894638237?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-44246538852278223642009-12-31T14:39:00.001+05:302009-12-31T14:42:32.317+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div id="lbologo"><img style="width: 79px; height: 51px;" src="http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/images/logo.jpg" alt="logo" border="0" />Dec 30, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank said it will slash lending rates for farmers with effect from January 1, 2010 barely a month ahead of crucial presidential elections.<br /><br />The interest rates on three types of loans mainly for cultivation and animal husbandry will be reduced by four percentage points to eight percent from 12 percent, the bank said in a statement. <a href="http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=464118568"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full Text</span></a><br /></div></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-4424653885227822364?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-2443738650095411262009-12-31T14:35:00.002+05:302009-12-31T14:39:29.386+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> <a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/afp/brand/SIG=ofqlv2/*http://www.afp.com" id="yn-prvdlink" class="provider-logo ult-section"> <img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/nws/p/afp_logo_51.png" alt="AFP" class="" width="51" height="27" /></a>COLOMBO (AFP) – The <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1262174728_0">Sri Lankan stock exchange</span> more than doubled in value in 2009, figures showed Wednesday on the last day of trading for the year. <p> Investors sent the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1262174728_1">Colombo</span> market soaring on the prospect of peace and investment after the government claimed victory over separatist Tiger rebels in May after 37 years of bloodshed, analysts say. <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091230/wl_sthasia_afp/srilankastocks"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/afp/brand/SIG=ofqlv2/*http://www.afp.com" id="yn-prvdlink" class="provider-logo ult-section"> </a></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-244373865009541126?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-587265361809004722009-08-06T22:48:00.000+05:302009-08-06T22:49:39.353+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"> <!-- control:print bar ends here --><!-- control:news headline item starts here --> </div><div id="newsItemComplete"><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="floatLeft"><img style="width: 246px; height: 321px;" src="http://www.adaderana.lk/news_images/338493936KP.jpg" alt="KP arrested in Bangkok, dream of Tigers’ TNG dashed" /></p> <p> </p><h2 class="completeNewsTitle">KP arrested in Bangkok, dream of Tigers’ TNG dashed</h2> <p class="newsDateStamp">August 6, 2009 10:29 pm</p> <div class="newsContent"> <p class="MsoNormal">The self-proclaimed Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Kumaran Pathmanaban alias KP has been arrested from <st1:city st="on">Bangkok</st1:city>in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Thailand</st1:country-region></st1:place>, says the Government Information department. This was confirmed also by the State media a short while ago.<o:p></o:p><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_JustifyCenter" title="Align Center" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 11);ButtonMouseDown(this);"><img src="img/blank.gif" alt="Align Center" class="gl_align_center" border="0" /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingham also known as Kumaran Pathmanathan or just KP (49) is a key LTTE leader who was in charge of weapons smuggling and believed to live in <st1:country-region st="on">Thailand</st1:country-region>and <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cambodia</st1:place></st1:country-region>. He is one of Interpol’s most wanted terrorists, wanted for participation in terrorism and the murder of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.</p> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: ´Times New Roman´;">Recently he proclaimed that he had been appointed leader of the Tiger outfit after the death of its leader V. Prabhakaran in May this year. He also stated that the outfit is to set up a ‘transnational government’ for the LTTE.</span> </div> </div></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-58726536180900472?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-82874130187995352242009-08-06T22:40:00.000+05:302009-08-06T22:41:24.806+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblAudio"></span> <span id="lblNewsBody"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><img alt="" src="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/ArticleImages/s4shrb55ejwhs23n01gnnza1_KP.60.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="5" />The new self appointed LTTE leader and chief arms dealer Kumaran Pathmanathan also known as KP has been arrested in Bangkok, Thailand the government information department said.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><strong>FACTS</strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" align="left"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Born - <st1:date month="4" day="6" year="1955">April 6, 1955</st1:date> (1955-04-06) (age 54)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Alias(es)-Selvarasa Pathmanathan<br />Kumaran Pathmanathan<br />and many others <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Motive - Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism<br /><br />Charge(s) - Criminal conspiracy, arms smuggling and for the violation of the Indian Terrorist Act and the Indian Explosive Act. Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Status - Arrested on <st1:date month="8" day="6" year="2009">August 6th, 2009</st1:date> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Occupation - Leader of LTTE (BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.........)<br /></span></span></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-8287413018799535224?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-31553149783556932652009-07-11T17:51:00.001+05:302009-07-11T17:53:04.431+05:30<div style="width: 300px;"><object height="110" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://media.imeem.com/m/r8sLynqBjI"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://media.imeem.com/m/r8sLynqBjI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="110" width="300"></embed></object><div style="padding: 1px; background-color: rgb(230, 230, 230);"><div style="padding: 4px 4px 0pt 0pt; float: left;"><a href="http://www.imeem.com/"><img src="http://www.imeem.com/embedsearch/E6E6E6/" border="0" /></a></div><form method="post" action="http://www.imeem.com/embedsearch/" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"><input name="EmbedSearchBox" type="text"><input value="Search" style="font-size: 12px;" type="submit"><div style="padding-top: 3px;"><a href="http://www.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=0&amp;ek=r8sLynqBjI" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/152/10/" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=1&amp;ek=r8sLynqBjI" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/153/10/" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=2&amp;ek=r8sLynqBjI" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/154/10/" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=3&amp;ek=r8sLynqBjI" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/155/10/r8sLynqBjI/" border="0" /></a></div></form></div></div><br /><a href="http://www.imeem.com/people/joiWPoc/music/5knk6ugt/ah-rahuman-rng-1-doth-nagam/">1. Doth Nagam - A.H. Rahuman - RNG</a><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-3155314978355693265?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-19127826133760814332009-06-05T23:35:00.002+05:302009-06-05T23:56:54.696+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Patriots(Sinhalese,Tamil,Muslim) Tamil Diaspora, Ealamists, this was an E mail I received. I have posted it here without editing. This is a must read.</span><br /><br />This was one of the best and most thought provoking pieces, written on the aftermath of the recent tragic events. It brings in an element of sober introspection and analysis, that was sorely lacking among the spate of wild accusations and hysteria that was sweeping the nation. I think it needs to be blogged! </span><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br />Of special interest was the fact that we knew a Mohan Sahayam a long time ago, and to see his name in this mail brought back many pleasant memories. I doubt, however, whether he will remember us. Mohan Sahayam's father was the Vice Principal of Trinity College.<br /><br />Mohan Sahayam was a handsome bloke and a crack rugby player for Trinity,CR&amp;FC and Sri Lanka. He was stand off and was quite a hero for many of us.<br /></span></b><b><u><span style="color: rgb(192, 0, 0);font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" ><br />I think Mohan has brought in an element of rationality and a sense of equipoise to the current situation! What he proposes is the only logical way forward</span></u></b><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >.<br /></span></b><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:6;" ><br />As Gandhi once said, an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.</span></b><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br />And we have to hope that the common sense that Mohan speaks of can help to make people see reason. It's also courageous of him to state what may be considered as unpopular by many, in the immediate scenario of the post-LTTE hurrah! He has not shied away from stating his views and I salute him for that! Lets all stand together with him and help to heal the grievious wounds of the last three decades.<br /></span></b><b><u><span style="color: rgb(0, 96, 191);font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:7;" ><br />The Letter</span></u></b><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /></span></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >Hi Friends,</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >I write this with a lot of sadness, relief and hope, from what has</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >happened in the past few months. As a Tamil, (and proud to be one) I</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >deeply feel that together, we can build the burnt bridges and pave a</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >path to peace, happiness, equality and prosperity for us and for the</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >future generations to come.</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >We cannot forget what happened for the past three decades, however we</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >need to put aside our emotions, despair and remember those lives,</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >which were lost in bloody war in the name of “equality”! We (Tamils)</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >have to now reconcile and win the trust of the nation. For decades, we</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >have been secretive, unpredictable and uncompromising. Sure enough, we</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >were discriminated in the past, deprived of our equal rights and</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >treated unfairly. Now we have to give the nation a chance to prove</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >that, it is not the case.</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >We have to let go of the past and not react to our feelings in an</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >irrational and selfish way. We talk about the 1953 era, of the riots</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >and how the Tamils were discriminated and treated badly. In 1953, the</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >whole world was a different place and had a different attitude.</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >In America blacks could not go in to a restaurant or a supermarket or</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >attend a white school, the aborigines in Australia did not have any</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >rights. Now America has a black president, and the Aborigines have</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >equal rights. We Tamils now have to give it a chance for change to</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >happen in our motherland. We are hanging on to views and ideologies,</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >which formed thirty years ago, which are not appropriate anymore. I</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >think that, in the past 20 years we have created a doubt in the minds</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >of the Sinhalese and the nation, making them wonder weather every</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >other Tamil is a Tamil Tiger or not?</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >Prior, to 1988, before I left to Australia, I remember after a rugby</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >game at Longden Place and a few (in my context) drinks at the club,</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >going home in the early hours of the morning, my only fear was whether</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >I will be stopped and breathalysed and charged for DUI. In the later</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >years in my many trips to SL, the fear was whether I would be subject</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >to harassment because of my Tamil name. Why do you think it is so? Is</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >it not because of the war, the suicide bombings? All of this distrust</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >of Tamils started after the war began. So, did we not create this for</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >ourselves?</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >This is not only happening to the Tamils, in fact if you</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >send money to the US or visit the US bearing an Arabic name, you are</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >scrutinised vigorously, which began after “9/11”! The Arabic world</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >calls it “discrimination”!</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >In 1983, the news of the death of 13 soldiers sparked an organised</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >riot, and over 2000 Tamils lost their lives and over 100,000 Tamils</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >were displaced. The nation soon realised that it should not have let</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >it happen, and the wider community shared the same sentiment. In 1996</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >a raid on a Military camp in Mullaitivu by the Tigers, 1,500 soldiers</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >were killed, yet there was no repeat of 1983, or for that matter since</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >1983, several thousands of soldiers have lost their lives and we did not</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >see a repeat of 1983.</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >We talk about “Genocide”, which is a very powerful and compelling</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >word. No doubt, that many women and children have lost their lives,</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >but one has to remember in every war, innocent people lose their</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >lives. There is blame on both the armed forces and the Tigers. Lets</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >not be the judge of that, let the appropriate organisations</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >investigate and report the findings.</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >The Tamil Diaspora and number of organisations are having protest</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >marches and their websites are relentlessly publishing calls for the</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >IC to intervene about the mistreatment and harassment of the</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >civilians. However much we are angry and anxious, we must have</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >patientce and let the government, UN and the other aid organisation to</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >embark on the huge task ahead of them to relocate, resettle and</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >reconcile the civilian casualties.</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >We have been having protest marches for decades around the world. Has</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >one head of state or a member of a parliament taken a flight and gone</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >to Sri Lanka and discussed the problem with the authorities? I do not</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >think so. The IC will mention our plea in their speeches, or talk</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >about it when the next election comes around.</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >Does the IC know the differences between Jayasinghe and Jayasingham?</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >It is up to us reconcile and rebuild friendships. What has happened</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >in the past has happened, we cannot turn back the clock. The truth of</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >what happened in the battle zones will only surface, if the victims</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >have no fear in revealing the truth. From this point, onwards it is up</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >to us to make sure that this is possible. We should regain the trust</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >and the sympathy of the greater community.</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >We Tamils started this war, this was never an option. For thirty years,</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >we have fought a bloody war with no results. Are we going to continue</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >this for another thirty years? No. We, have lost too much, the nation</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >has lost too much. It is time to take a step back and think sensibly</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >putting aside our emotions and pride.</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >The Tamil Diaspora and community leaders, spokespersons and</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >organisations are calling for the Tamil community to “re-group and</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >realise our leaders dream”, after three decades of war, is it not the</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >time now to wake up from that dream? They say now that the Tigers are</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >defeated that we will be systematically eradicated, as there is no one</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >to protect us. We should stop speculating of what the future holds for</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >the Tamils in Sri Lanka and need to get these myths out of our heads</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >and win the trust of the nation. We should responsibly publish and</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >circulate articles and news items, or even refrain from doing so until</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >the displaced civilians are settled. Now we need to concentrate and</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >work closely with those who are in SL to help the refugees.</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >In the past, few days there are reports that, during the celebrations</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >following the governments victory over the Tigers, that many Tamil</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >business were forced to give money towards the celebrations, and this</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >news is from “Reliable Sources”. This may be true - may not be true,</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >however when we hear such news we need to think rationally and</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >responsibly before we spread it around, Sometimes, in times of</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >sadness, desperation and anxiety the truth is often exaggerated and</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >taken out of context. We all remember, back in SL at a big match we</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >generally have a “hat collection” to pay for our celebrations. This</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >has been a culture.</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >Every Christmas, New-year, Vesak or during Vel</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >Festival, the garbage collectors, the posties etc go house-to-house</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >collecting money for celebrations. It is not an unusual thing to</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >happen. The people who have not experienced this should not be alarmed</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >and portrait such incidents as “ discrimination and harassment”.</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >I ask those who receive this mail, to support me in achieving a united</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >and equal Sri Lanka for all who were born there. One day I wish to</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >return to the country of my birth, and live as an equal citizen in</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >peace and harmony.</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >How can you help?</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >Tamils should reach out to the Sinhalese and speak</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >about the grievance you have, and ask them to help you achieve</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >security and equality. My Sinhalese friends should reach out to a</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >Tamil and unconditionally trust them and help them achieve security</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >and equality.</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >We, Tamils have to realise that this is the only nation that Sinhalese</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >is spoken and we should respect that, win their trust and respect in</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >return.</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >Cheers,</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >Mohan.</span></b><br /><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></b><br /><br /><u><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >Btw</span></u><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" > Mohan Sahayam presently lives in Sydney, NSW Australia..</span><br /><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" > - and in the words of the great </span><u><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:6;" >John Lennon</span></u><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" > - shall we all now chant</span><br /><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" > "</span><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:7;" >Give Peace a Chance</span><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" >"..</span><br /><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" > </span><i><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;" > </span></i><b><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:180%;" >'cos that's all he's sayin'...</span></b></div></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-1912782613376081433?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-19579923817093643332009-06-04T20:16:00.004+05:302009-06-05T21:49:43.622+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Finally <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Sri</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Lanka</span> has emerged victorious by defeating the brutal terror outfit the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">LTTE</span>. Defence Column was started with the intention of providing information regarding <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Sri</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Lanka</span> and it's effort to defeat the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">LTTE</span>, in one portal. Now that the war is over, 90% of the threats on our Mother Land is decimated. Although the threat of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Ealamist</span> forces are still there, they will never be allowed to raise their heads against <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Sri</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Lanka</span> again, as long as all of us <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Sri</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Lankans</span> stick together and focus on one common goal, which should be The development of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Sri</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Lanka</span>. We have lived through hell, but now we see a bright future for our country. Being <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">focused</span> on the common goal and being aware of the threats around us will not leave room for any <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">separatist</span> force to ever set foot in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Sri</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Lanka</span>. And also we should rally around the strong leadership we have in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Sri</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Lanka</span> and strengthen them further to ensure no repetition of the dark past <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">occur</span> again.<br /><br />My dear friends, time has come to call it a day to "Defence Column". I would have loved to continue providing links to all the new developments happening in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Sri</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Lanka</span>, but demands of life are such that I had to take a decision rather reluctantly.<br /><br />My <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">sincere</span> thanks to every one who visited "Defence Column" I hope "Defence Column" was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">help full</span> to you, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">and</span> I was really encouraged by the very positive feed back I got from all of you out there.<br /><br />I wish to convey my special thanks to "Defence Wire"(<a href="http://www.defencewire.blogspot.com%29/"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">www.defencewire.blogspot.com</span></span></a>) and "Defence Net" (<a href="http://www.defencenet.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >www.defencenet.blogspot.com</span></a>). They really helped in popularizing "Defence Column" through their comments pages. And also let me not forget all the fellow patriots in the blogger community who encouraged me. Sam, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Ananda</span>, Tropical storm, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Sujeewa</span>, Moshe, Kevin, Ali and all the fellow <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">bloggers</span>, Thank you, I enjoyed your company and encouragements.<br /><br />I will always be contactable through "defencecolumn@hotmail.com" and through my face <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">book</span> profile.<br /><br />I wish all of you PEACE, long life, and happiness.<br /><br />May we all be able to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">witness</span> Mother <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Lanka</span> growing from strength to strength over the coming years. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">JAYAWEWA</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">SRI</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">LANKA</span>!</span><br /><br />Defence Column.<br /></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-1957992381709364333?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-26303882837329139732009-06-03T22:55:00.001+05:302009-06-03T23:01:53.794+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> <p id="stand-first" class="stand-first-alone">• Lord's protesters call for Sri Lanka to abandon World Twenty20<br />• England accused of hypocrisy in light of ban on Zimbabwe</p><div id="content"><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div id="article-wrapper"><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="image"><div style="text-align: center;"> <img style="width: 301px; height: 180px;" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Sport/Pix/pictures/2009/6/3/1244043958893/A-demonstration-against-t-001.jpg" alt="A demonstration against the Sri Lanka cricket team outside Lord's" /> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="caption"><span style="font-size:78%;">Protestors against the Sri Lankan government's policies demonstrate outside Lord's during the cricket team's World Twenty20 warm-up game against South Africa. Photograph: Philip Brown/Reuters</span></p> </div> <p><strong></strong>(guardian)Not for the first time, Lord's has become the scene of a political protest. Sri Lankan protesters have been picketing the ground, calling for the country's cricket team to return home and for other nations to boycott matches against the side. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/jun/03/sri-lanka-human-rights-protests-tamils"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div></div></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-2630388283732913973?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-10152743552755474592009-06-03T22:33:00.000+05:302009-06-03T22:34:21.408+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><table width="730" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr align="justify"><td id="news_content">(Lanka-e-News, June 03, 2009, 9.45 AM) Tamil People’s Liberation Tigers (TMVP) sources say that the party will be dissolved and all members will join Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) after Eastern Province Chief Minister and party leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillaiyan returns from the foreign tour.<br /><br />Batticaloa Mayor and TMVP member Sivageetha Prabakaran said that the party members wished to join SLFP like Minister Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman. She said that her party would appreciate the President Mahinda Rajapakse’s initiative to unite Sri Lanka irrespective of religions, races and casts under one national flag. <a href="http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=7794"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></td> </tr> <tr align="justify"> <td height="3"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-1015274355275547459?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-59475465030505750052009-06-03T21:46:00.000+05:302009-06-03T22:33:13.124+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;">(Lanka-e-News, June 3, 2009, 8.45 PM) Seventy-seven T-56 weapons, eight magazines, five hundred rounds of T-56 ammunition, eleven hand grenades, two belt orders, five claymore mines weighing about 5 kg each, one claymore mine weighing about 12 kg, 250 m wire, one remote control, twenty-four day-night Bino, one parcel of C-4 explosive weighing about 12 kg, one claymore mine weighing about 2.5 kg, one paddle gun, one 12.7 weapon, one Thermo Baric weapon, three Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) launchers, one M-16 weapon, three Multi Propose Machine Guns (MPMG), four 40 mm grenade launchers, one FNC weapon, two MPMG tri-ports, six claymore mines of different sizes, two MPMG ammunition boxes, forty-two hand grenades, three 81mm mortars, one thousand MPMG rounds and two pouches were the latest to recover from Asikulam, Visuamadu, Putumattalan, Vellamullivaikkal and Mullaittivu areas during Tuesday (2) as the troops further intensified their search and clear operations. <a href="http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=7796"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-5947546503050575005?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-21196510013953578432009-06-03T21:30:00.000+05:302009-06-03T21:46:51.843+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><img style="width: 185px; height: 123px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3574/3446397524_60bf12e213.jpg" title="Tamil Tiger demonstration at Palais Chaillot - image by keepwaddling1, flicker" align="left" border="0" />Paris.</p>(TLN)Top LTTE fund collectors in France try to persuade Tamil diaspora to disbelieve KP’s acknowledgement that Prabhakara had died. While the top diaspora members fight over the future strategy of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Tamil professionals and commercial establishments in Europe have expressed disgust over ‘utterly selfish motives’ of the LTTE’s Department of Diaspora Affairs (DDA). They were referring to the DDA’s statement that the ‘LTTE leadership is safe and it will re-emerge when the right time comes.’ <a href="http://www.toplankanews.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=9:paris-tigers-try-to-hoodwink-diaspora&amp;catid=11:sri-lanka"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-2119651001395357843?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-15806888412866534982009-06-03T21:29:00.000+05:302009-06-03T21:30:05.397+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><b>United Nations, 03 June, (Asiantribune.com):</b> UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday reiterated his strong concerns over "unacceptably high" civilian casualties in the conflict between the Sri Lankan Government and Tamil rebels, while rejecting in the strongest terms any figure attributed to the United Nations.</p> <p>Briefing the General Assembly on his recent visit to Sri Lanka and other travels, Mr. Ban said media reports alleging that some 20,000 civilians may have been killed during the last phase of the conflict "do not emanate from the UN and most are not consistent with the information at our disposal." <a href="http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/18165"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-1580688841286653498?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-2782683737603486622009-06-03T21:26:00.000+05:302009-06-03T21:29:24.810+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="submitted"></span> <div class="content"><p style="text-align: center;"><span class="inline left"><img style="width: 222px; height: 333px;" class="image img_assist_custom" title="Sri Lanka President hoisting the national flag" alt="Sri Lanka President hoisting the national flag" src="http://www.asiantribune.com/files/images/14%20%282%29.img_assist_custom.jpg" /><span class="caption" style="width: 298px;"><strong><br /></strong></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span class="inline left"><span class="caption" style="width: 298px;"><strong>Sri Lanka President hoisting the national flag</strong></span></span></span><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Colombo, 03 June, (Asiantribune.com):</b> I am the proudest Head of State in the world for being able to hand over a unitary country to the future generation sans fear and mistrust. There is an unique value in the sacrifices made by our heroic troops. Those great sacrifices have not been in vain. You have lost your feet in enabling a nation to rise on its feet. You have lost your hands, eyes, flesh and blood in providing a pleasant and prosperous land to this world. Our responsibility is to honour those great sacrifices by joining to build a great nation" President Mahinda Rajapaksa said at the Victory Day Parade to pay the nation's tribute to the Security Forces following the defeat of terrorism at Galle Face Green, Colombo today (03).</p> <p>The Tri -Service Commanders ceremonially conveyed the conclusion of the war against terrorists to the Commander-in-Chief,President Mahinda Rajapaksa contained in a scroll(Sannasa). <a href="http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/18169"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-278268373760348662?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-65283192363719472122009-06-03T21:25:00.000+05:302009-06-03T21:26:32.779+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;">COLOMBO (UCAN) -- Parishioners of Colombo cathedral have been busy fundraising for war refugees by selling hot foods, home-made pickles and household items at an evening family fiesta here.<br /><br />Cries of "pancakes," "<em>kokis</em>," "<em>kevum</em>," "pot curries" and "country rice" resounded along the line of 15 stalls in St Lucia's cathedral as part of a Marian feast and procession on May 31, attended by about 5,000 people. <a href="http://www.ucanews.com/2009/06/03/catholics-raise-money-for-refugees/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span><br /></a></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-6528319236371947212?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-82002341405741646532009-06-03T21:24:00.000+05:302009-06-03T21:25:32.703+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;">June 3, 2009 (LBO) - Wars have always been fought with one objective. That is to take forced possession of economically valuable assets belonging to the enemy. The list may vary from time to time, but a typical set of such coveted assets goes on as follows: land including right to water; young women including children; treasure; and able-bodied men as slaves.<br /><br />Since it is ‘forced possession’, wars do not come within the ambit of standard economic theory which is based on ‘voluntary exchange’. It should rather be studied in a new branch of economics known as ‘economics of violence’. <a href="http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=231055530"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span><br /></a></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-8200234140574164653?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-60309548889723690422009-06-03T21:23:00.000+05:302009-06-03T21:24:35.097+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="g-section"><img id="hn-logo" src="http://www.google.com/hostednews/img/afp_logo.gif?hl=en" alt="AFP" />TOKYO (AFP) — Sri Lanka's trade minister on Wednesday sought Japan's help for its recovery from ethnic conflict, while reiterating his government's rejection of any probe into alleged human rights violations.</div><p>Colombo has faced allegations that thousands of civilians perished in the final battle last month against Tamil Tiger separatists, as the island starts its recovery from three decades of fighting. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g1riYmWcQldQ7pQgr7LGe-BXnVWA"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-6030954888972369042?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-12824541633646154382009-06-03T21:21:00.000+05:302009-06-03T21:23:35.963+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;">June 03, 2009 (LBO) - Two bilateral business councils promoting trade and investment between Sri Lanka and Canada have offered their support to revive the island's economy with the end of the ethnic war.<br /><br />The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, which represents the Sri Lanka-Canada business councils, said they had written to President Mahinda Rajapaksa offering support especially in infrastructure. <a href="http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=1908848042"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span><br /></a></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-1282454163364615438?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-90027239329754456582009-06-03T21:19:00.000+05:302009-06-03T21:21:09.809+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="byline"> <cite class="vcard"> by Amal Jayasinghe<span class="fn org"></span></cite><abbr title="2009-06-03T00:31:19-0700" class="timedate"></abbr></div><!-- end .byline --> <a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/afp/brand/SIG=ofqlv2/*http://www.afp.com" id="yn-prvdlink" class="provider-logo ult-section"> <img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/nws/p/afp_logo_51.png" alt="AFP" class="" width="51" height="27" /></a><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/afp/brand/SIG=ofqlv2/*http://www.afp.com" id="yn-prvdlink" class="provider-logo ult-section"></a>COLOMBO (AFP) – Sri Lanka's president called for a "new era" in foreign relations as the island staged a <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1244014544_0">military parade</span> to mark its victory over separatist Tamil Tiger rebels. <p> <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1244014544_1">President Mahinda Rajapakse</span>, whose government has been threatened with a possible <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1244014544_2">war crimes</span> probe over the manner of its military success last month, said it was time to launch a fresh diplomatic strategy. <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090603/wl_afp/srilankaunrestdiplomacy_20090603073223"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-9002723932975445658?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-64617076858949397042009-06-03T21:17:00.000+05:302009-06-03T21:19:10.415+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="byline"> <cite class="vcard"> By KRISHAN FRANCIS</cite><abbr title="2009-06-03T00:18:46-0700" class="timedate"></abbr></div><!-- end .byline --> <a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/brand/SIG=br2v03/*http://www.ap.org" id="yn-prvdlink" class="provider-logo ult-section"> <img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/nws/p/ap_logo_106.png" alt="AP" class="" width="106" height="27" /></a><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/brand/SIG=br2v03/*http://www.ap.org" id="yn-prvdlink" class="provider-logo ult-section"></a>COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka's president urged the military on Wednesday to win over the <span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1244013545_0">Tamil people</span> and to ensure they live without "fear or suspicion" in the wake of the army's victory over Tamil separatist rebels. <p><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1244013545_1">President Mahinda Rajapaksa</span> addressed a <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1244013545_2">military parade</span> and victory ceremony that commemorated the government's defeat of the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1244013545_3">Tamil Tiger</span> separatists last month after more than a quarter-century of conflict. <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090603/ap_on_re_as/as_sri_lanka_civil_war"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-6461707685894939704?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-68997958332019370962009-06-03T21:16:00.000+05:302009-06-03T21:17:32.536+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;">June 3, 2009 (LBO) - Sri Lanka should cut the budget deficit, drop popular politics and ideologies in meeting the challenge of developing the country, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.<br /><br />"Reducing the budget deficit, investment promotion and economic development is possible after defeating terrorism," President Rajapaksa said in a nationally televised speech at a ceremony in Colombo. <a href="http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=1766568578"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-6899795833201937096?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-8108620026711072742009-06-03T21:14:00.001+05:302009-06-03T21:16:43.983+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p>By Our Colombo Correspondent</p> <p><b>Colombo, 03 June, (Asiantribune.com):</b> Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa fresh from a historic victory over terrorism has turned down a proposal by a section of his cabinet to hold a referendum to extend the life of Parliament and to marry the second Presidential Election due in 2011 to that referendum as the people were now in favour of Rajapaksa following the victory over LTTE terrorism, highly placed authoritative sources disclosed today.</p> <p>Sources said that the President has told the proposers that he would not follow any undemocratic methods to extend the life of his government nor wished to hold Referendums instead of democratic elections."I know the people love the country and me and I don't fear to face elections', the President has stressed. <a href="http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/18170"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-810862002671107274?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-48562830001865740252009-06-03T21:14:00.000+05:302009-06-03T21:15:35.439+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="A_byline">Nadira Gunatilleke </p> <p>(DN)There are nearly 30,000 children under the age of 18 staying in welfare villages and transit centres. Around 850 have lost one or both parents. </p> <p>The Probation and Child Care Services Department and Provincial Departments hold the responsibility of caring for those children, Probation and Child Care Services Commissioner D.M.S. Abeygunawardana told the Daily News yesterday. Abeygunawardana said these children are staying in welfare villages and transit camps with their relatives. <a href="http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/03/news13.asp"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-4856283000186574025?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-91520769266391011032009-06-03T21:13:00.000+05:302009-06-03T21:14:31.175+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;">(WSJ)TOKYO (Dow Jones)--Sri Lankan international trade minister Gamini Lakshman Peiris said Wednesday that the government expects the International Monetary Fund to soon approve its application for an emergency loan. <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090603-703616.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-9152076926639101103?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-45501258912107900302009-06-03T21:09:00.000+05:302009-06-03T21:13:09.733+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica;font-size:100%;" >(MSF)"The current restrictions on access to the camps is limiting and slowing are ability to respond to the medical needs of the internally displaced persons,” said Severine Ramon, MSF coordinator in the MSF field hospital.</span> <br /><br />Over the last few weeks, while tens of thousands of people have emerged from the Vanni, the former conflict zone in northern Sri Lanka, MSF teams have been working alongside Sri Lankan Ministry of Health staff providing surgical and medical care to people who were caught up in the fighting. The situation remains extremely worrying inside the hospitals and among the 269,000 displaced people in Vavuniya District. <a href="http://www.msf.org/msfinternational/invoke.cfm?objectid=A5086FCD-15C5-F00A-251037496737FB08&amp;component=toolkit.article&amp;method=full_html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-4550125891210790030?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-79320224895586556042009-06-03T20:36:00.000+05:302009-06-03T21:13:18.717+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span class="style7"></span> <div class="preview"> <center> <p><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 166px; height: 134px;" src="http://colombotoday.com/english/getImage?imageID=1244026483170.jpg" onclick="toggleThumb(this)" id="img0" /> </p></center> </div> (CT)'Divaina' says there had been a conspiracy by Britain and other countries of the European Union to rescue LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran through a special session of the UN Human Rights Council on May 14. <a href="http://colombotoday.com/english/articles/NEWS/Conspiracy-EU-exposed---%27Divaina%27/3103.htm"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-7932022489558655604?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-86140079658726454332009-06-03T20:35:00.000+05:302009-06-03T20:36:24.386+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;">(news.lk)After an interval of 19 years, residents of Konarpannai in Mannar returned home yesterday (02). In 1990, LTTE separatists ordered them to leave their ancestral homes within 24 hours, and they fled. “Konarpannai village population numbers 155 persons from 55 households. And, dry rations are given for a period of two weeks, which gives them time to get back on their own feet,” Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Ministry told www.news.lk. <a href="http://www.news.lk/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=9968&amp;Itemid=44"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-8614007965872645433?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-3114057682186311992009-06-03T20:34:00.000+05:302009-06-03T20:35:44.850+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div id="byline"> <span> <a href="http://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/biog/17262"> By Jack Royston »</a> </span> </div>(HT)BUDDHIST and Tamil children will perform on the same stage at a Queensbury festival this weekend. <p> Organisers of the Queensbury Eco-Cultural Festival have brought together children from the Sri Saddhatissa International Buddhist Temple and the Tamil Cultural Arts Centre, based in Kingsbury High School, to perform on the same stage. <a href="http://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/4414163.Tamils_and_Buddhists_come_together_for_cultural_festival/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text </span></a></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-311405768218631199?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-40853058312311646712009-06-03T20:24:00.001+05:302009-06-03T20:34:54.120+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;">* Minister says Sri Lanka keeping close eye for foment<br /><br />* Says guarding against separatism key to aid initiatives<br /><br /> By Laura MacInnis<br /><br />GENEVA, June 2 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka is keeping a close eye for signs of separatism among the hundreds of thousands of people made homeless by its civil war, a senior government official said on Tuesday. <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL21017354"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span><br /></a></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-4085305831231164671?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-67159796914204897472009-06-03T20:24:00.000+05:302009-06-03T20:34:05.353+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="byline"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">The writer is a well known tiger sympathizer who is obviously working for the tigers blood money. Times online has also published some articles with blatant and irresponsible lies in an obvious move to discredit Sri Lanka. The reader is advised to keep these facys in mind when reading this article </span><br />Jeremy Page, South Asia Correspondent </span> <!-- END: Module - M24 Article Headline with landscape image (d) --> <!-- Article Copy module --> <!-- BEGIN: Module - Main Article --> <!-- Check the Article Type and display accordingly--> <!-- Print Author image associated with the Author--> <!-- Print the body of the article--> <div id="region-column1-layout2"><style type="text/css"> div#related-article-links p a, div#related-article-links p a:visited { color:#06c; } </style> <div id="related-article-links"> <!-- Pagination --> <p> (TOL)Sri Lanka is hampering international relief efforts by forcing dozens of British and other foreign aid workers to leave the country because it considers them sympathetic to the defeated Tamil Tigers, <i>The Times</i> has learnt. </p> <p> Aid organisations say that the policy is costing them tens of thousands of pounds of donors’ money as they struggle to help 280,000 Tamil civilians in internment camps. <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6418015.ece"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div></div></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-6715979691420489747?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-27097989245600429202009-06-03T20:20:00.000+05:302009-06-03T20:23:52.755+05:30<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eWI9Yds3IDA/SiaOR9R6krI/AAAAAAAAEiw/ZlQ8VTh-GHs/s1600-h/20090603_A44.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 107px; height: 160px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eWI9Yds3IDA/SiaOR9R6krI/AAAAAAAAEiw/ZlQ8VTh-GHs/s200/20090603_A44.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343114447080297138" border="0" /></a>(defence.lk)Sri Lanka celebrated her victory over terrorism with a grand Victory Day parade at the Galle Face Green today (June 3). Armed Forces ceremonially paraded before His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="A_news">The event was organized by the Public Administration and Home Affairs Ministry as the national celebration to salute the armed forces for historic victory over terrorism that ended with the defeat of the LTTE after three decades. <a href="http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20090603_01"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p><div style="text-align: right;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-2709798924560042920?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-50156098039809048652009-06-03T20:14:00.001+05:302009-06-03T20:25:03.332+05:30<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eWI9Yds3IDA/SiaOvP5a2oI/AAAAAAAAEi4/LVtd3bpLxXY/s1600-h/20090412_EP01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 114px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eWI9Yds3IDA/SiaOvP5a2oI/AAAAAAAAEi4/LVtd3bpLxXY/s200/20090412_EP01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343114950294035074" border="0" /></a>(defence.lk)His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces today (June 3) hailed the valiant forces who wiped out terrorism from the country, saying that they have made him the proudest head of the state in the World. Addressing the nation at the Victory Day celebrations held at the Galle Face Green, the President also stated that he has fulfilled his promise for the future generation by not leaving them with the burden of war.<a href="http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20090603_02"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Full text</span></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-5015609803980904865?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-19639569218318349942009-06-03T07:17:00.000+05:302009-06-03T07:20:52.024+05:30<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eWI9Yds3IDA/SiXWzDZx_fI/AAAAAAAAEio/wgYa1Dg25u4/s1600-h/MS.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eWI9Yds3IDA/SiXWzDZx_fI/AAAAAAAAEio/wgYa1Dg25u4/s200/MS.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342912705520074226" border="0" /></a>(defence.lk)The government of Sri Lanka have already in the process of finding a home-grown political solution for the ethnic issue while addressing more immediate problems at hand, said Hon Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights. Also , he said that international community has no reason to doubt Sri Lanka's capability in finding such solution as she has already overcome a challenge that the world was unable to achieve. He made this comments on Tuesday (June 2) addressing the 11th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council held in Geneva. <a href="http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20090602_05"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text </span></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-1963956921831834994?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-51667718001405279552009-06-03T07:03:00.000+05:302009-06-03T07:15:15.544+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><b>(LRRP)The Sri Lankan Army’s grandiosely codenamed ‘Operation Yal Devi ‘ (after yesteryears express train to Jaffna) was stopped in its tracks by determined resistance by the Liberation Tigers after four days of heavy fighting in late September/early October. </b></p> <p>The Sri Lankan offensive was launched at the crack of dawn on 28 September and was accompanied by indiscriminate bombing of civilian population centres in the Jaffna peninsula. (see back page: report on Eelam Tamil protest before the office of the European Parliament in London.) <a href="http://lrrp.wordpress.com/2005/08/04/operation-yal-express-derailed-october-1993/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text </span></a></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-5166771800140527955?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-78328044901859192162009-06-03T06:56:00.000+05:302009-06-03T07:17:08.935+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><table width="730" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td id="sub_hedding"><span style="font-weight: bold;">How the speaker in the picture got is pants down</span><br /><br />Sarath Fonseka should be punished for breach of discipline</td> </tr> <tr> <td height="3"><br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td id="news_content"><img style="width: 210px; height: 148px;" src="http://www.lankaenews.com/English/files/news/2124Mangala_Defence_Watch_J.jpg" vspace="5" align="left" hspace="5" />(Lanka-e-News, November 28, 2008, 9.30 AM) Defense Watch spokesman, Sri Lanka Freedom Party - People’s Wing leader Mangala Samaraweera says that Army Commander Sarath Fonseka is not suitable at least to command Salvation Army.<br /><br />He mad these remarks at a press briefing held yesterday morning (27) in Colombo by Defense Watch. <a href="http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=6754"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span><br /></a> </td></tr></tbody></table></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-7832804490185919216?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-32288945235136620942009-06-03T06:55:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:56:35.309+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="fullstory">(UN)2 June 2009 – </span><span class="fullstory">The United Nations refugee agency and its partners are working to ensure that the hundreds of thousands of people who were uprooted by clashes between Sri Lankan Government forces and Tamil rebels are able to return to their homes.<p> Last month, the Government declared that its military operation against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was over, ending more than two decades of fighting. <a href="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=30990&amp;Cr=Sri+lanka&amp;Cr1="><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-3228894523513662094?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-2415238474702655092009-06-03T06:51:00.001+05:302009-06-03T06:55:28.833+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p style="margin-left: 2pt;"> <span style="margin-left: 2pt;">(TH)Geneva (AP): Sri Lanka's human rights minister claimed on Tuesday his country's Army took over two months longer to defeat the Tamil Tiger rebels because it avoided using heavy weapons and aerial bombardments. </span></p><p style="margin-left: 2pt;"> <span style="margin-left: 2pt;">The Army suffered heavy casualties in the final phase of Sri Lanka's civil war because it was constrained to use light weapons, Mahinda Samarasinghe told the U.N. Human Rights Council. <a href="http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200906022311.htm"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text </span></a></span></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-241523847470265509?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-50873204073345246692009-06-03T06:51:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:54:32.976+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;">(irandaily)The Sri Lankan Cabinet has approved a plan submitted by Power and Energy Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne to launch rural electrification with financial assistance from Iran.<br />Addressing the weekly press briefing, Media and Information Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said Iran has provided $95.5 million for the promotion of rural electrification in Sri Lanka and this project would boost the rural community, Moj News Agency wrote. <a href="http://www.iran-daily.com/1388/3415/html/economy.htm#s383478"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-5087320407334524669?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-47669807904092048262009-06-03T06:48:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:51:17.590+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">By Anuradha Dutt</span></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">‘Liberal’ West weeps over LTTE’s decimation</span></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">(June 03, New Delhi, Sri Lanka Guardian)</span> Some in the British Government seem to believe that the sun has not set over the empire. How does one otherwise view British Foreign Secretary David Miliband’s officious attempt to meddle in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka, an erstwhile colony? Possibly in the same way that his lapse on Kashmir was condemned by Indian foreign office sources after he proclaimed that the Kashmir ‘issue’ needed to be resolved in order to curb Islamist terrorism. <a href="http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2009/06/colonial-mindset.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><span class="fullpost"><br /></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-4766980790409204826?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-48505437901561248202009-06-03T06:47:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:48:57.136+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"> <span class="inline right"><img style="width: 190px; height: 174px;" class="image img_assist_custom" title="Former President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney" alt="Former President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney" src="http://www.asiantribune.com/files/images/Bush%20Cherney.bmp" /><span class="caption" style="width: 267px;"><strong></strong></span></span><br /><span class="inline right"><span class="caption" style="width: 267px;"><strong></strong></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span class="inline right"><span class="caption" style="width: 267px;"><strong>Former President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney</strong></span></span></span><br /><span class="inline right"><span class="caption" style="width: 267px;"><strong></strong></span></span></div><span class="inline right"><span class="caption" style="width: 267px;"><strong></strong></span></span>Daya Gamage – US National Correspondent Asian Tribune <p><b>Washington, D.C. 02 June (Asisantribune.com):</b> Retired US Army Major General Antonio Taguba, who led a military investigation in 2004 into detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib in Iraq in the preface to a 2008 report on abuse of detainees in US custody in Afghanistan, Guantánamo and Iraq wrote: "Our national honor is stained by the indignity and inhumane treatment these men received from their captors... After years of disclosures by government investigations, media accounts, and reports from human rights organizations, there is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes. The only question that remains to be answered is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account." <a href="http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/18125"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a> </p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-4850543790156124820?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-34017482409805691002009-06-03T06:44:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:47:19.121+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p>The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam : Chapter Closed</p> <p>(AT)"This was a humanitarian mission, a mission where our soldiers went forth with gun in one hand and the Human Rights Declaration in the other, carrying hostages on their shoulders and with the unbounded love for children in their hearts. They were armed with compassion, kindness, equanimity and the ability to rejoice in the happiness of others."</p> <p><b>A road laced with landmines and flanked by suicide bombers </b><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/18141">Full text</a><b><br /></b></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-3401748240980569100?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-77857481177639366242009-06-03T06:43:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:44:25.442+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p>By Stephen Long - Los Angeles, CA</p> <p>(AT)History is a funny animal. Like a pet dog it can be loved, rubbed, groomed, fed, made to obey, ignored, forgotten, punished, or locked up – depending on the owner’s proclivities and prevailing mood. As long as the animal is fed, it is usually cooperative. In a rare moment, however, it can bite back if provoked or mistreated. I think this might be just one of those moments when the dog takes a nip out of his owner’s hide. Let me explain. <a href="http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/18151"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-7785748117763936624?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-61475925708803327142009-06-03T06:42:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:43:28.281+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: center;"> <span class="inline right"><img style="width: 442px; height: 295px;" class="image img_assist_custom" title="Sri Lanka’s Ambassador E. Rodney M. Perera presented his credentials to King of Norway Harald V at the Royal Palace in Oslo" alt="Sri Lanka’s Ambassador E. Rodney M. Perera presented his credentials to King of Norway Harald V at the Royal Palace in Oslo" src="http://www.asiantribune.com/files/images/Norway.img_assist_custom.jpg" /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Oslo, 03 June, (Asiantribune.com):</b> Career Diplomat E. Rodney M. Perera, the new Sri Lanka Ambassador to Norway, presented his credentials to King Harald V, at the Royal Palace in Oslo. At the simple ceremony, the new Sri Lankan Ambassador explained to the Norwegian Head of State the aim of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government to the timely and effective action of the security forces to launch the largest hostage rescue mission in history, to free civilians held captive by the separatist terror group. <a href="http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/18154"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-6147592570880332714?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-45009766339281606022009-06-03T06:40:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:42:17.952+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="submitted"></span> <div class="content"><p style="text-align: center;"><span class="inline right"><img style="width: 158px; height: 118px;" class="image img_assist_custom" title="" alt="" src="http://www.asiantribune.com/files/images/Archbishop%201.img_assist_custom.jpg" /></span><br /></p><p>Fr.Sangeewa Mendis reporting from Rome</p> <b>Rome, 03 June, (Asiantribune.com):</b> "The brutal war which suffocated our country for the last three decades is over and now is the opportunity to be reconciled and to be united under a one flag. Let us learn from the past mistakes and mishaps. We have to take the extremists in both sides to the middle path if we are really and truly interested in building a new Sri Lanka. There will be terrible and unprecedented repercussions if we do not make use of this golden opportunity to join hands". These were the sentiments expressed by Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith during his homily at vespers service conducted on the occasion of the Madhu feast at Santa Maria Dei Pellegrini church in Rome <a href="http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/18157"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></div></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-4500976633928160602?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-41100889891977265532009-06-03T06:39:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:40:34.349+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p>By Don Wijewardana</p> <p>(AT)The LTTE gave the world not only the suicide vest but also the art of perpetuating a lie until it becomes accepted as the truth. Now the "Times" has taken it to new heights.</p> <p>On 29 May the Times reported that evidence gathered by it has revealed that at least 20,000 Tamils were killed mostly by army shelling on the beach as the army closed in on the Tigers. The paper blamed the UN for underestimating the death toll. The interesting thing is the way they arrived at that figure and how they were able to make sure the army was responsible for most of the deaths. <a href="http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/18161"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-4110088989197726553?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-86884518792640853122009-06-03T06:33:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:39:36.835+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p style="text-align: center;"><span class="inline right"><img style="width: 168px; height: 111px;" class="image img_assist_custom" title="Dr. Harsha Kumara Navaratne" alt="Dr. Harsha Kumara Navaratne" src="http://www.asiantribune.com/files/images/Dr.%20%20Harsha%20Kumara%20Navaratne2.img_assist_custom.jpg" /></span></p> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span class="inline right"><span class="caption" style="width: 398px;"><strong>Dr. Harsha Kumara Navaratne</strong></span></span></span></div><p> <b> </b></p><p><b>Colombo, 03 June, (Asiantribune.com):</b>Sunil C.Perera in Colombo <span class="inline right"><span class="caption" style="width: 398px;"><strong><br /></strong></span></span></p><p>Despite allegations <span class="inline right"><span class="caption" style="width: 398px;"><strong></strong></span></span>on food scarcity among the Internally Displaced Peoples in the north, the Government of Sri Lanka is working together with local and international NGOs to provide cooked food for the IDPs.</p> <p>A number of local NGOs, like Sewalanka Foundation and Sarvodaya, and international NGOs, like ZOA, Forut, Norwegian Refugee Council, DRC, and others are feeding the IDPs daily. <a href="http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/18163"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text </span></a></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-8688451879264085312?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-71276921602578692812009-06-03T06:32:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:33:20.295+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">by HERMES</span></p> <span style="font-family:Verdana;"><b> </b> <p align="left">(TI)If Cicero had been living today, he would, without doubt have berated the journalistic morals of the UK newspaper "The Times",using the above maxim to show to what low depths even an erstwhile prestigious broadsheet like the Times has sunk by their blatant distortion of news of what goes on in the North of Sri Lanka. <a href="http://www.island.lk/2009/06/03/features8.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-7127692160257869281?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-59808020332050932412009-06-03T06:31:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:33:30.806+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><i>Rajiva Wijesinha<br /> Secretary General<br /> Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process </i></span></p> <span style="font-family:Verdana;"><i><b> </b></i> <p align="left">(TI)Last week the Times of London announced that 20,000 civilians had died altogether in the course of this year because of the operations in the North. This claim was not surprising since, as I had just pointed out, the British were determined to crucufy us and had already begun to inflate the figure. Six thousand had gone to seven and then to eight, in rapid succession, so more was inevitable, though the speed of the escalation was remarkable, even for the Brits. Predictably enough the new figure began to reverberate round the Western World, with reference not to the Times but to its presumed sources. <a href="http://www.island.lk/2009/06/03/features3.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-5980802033205093241?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-40711608861307128022009-06-03T06:27:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:30:59.904+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;">by Neville Ladduwahetty</span></p> <span style="font-family:Verdana;"><b> </b> <p align="left">(TI)According to the Washington Post of May 24, 2009, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon had warned that if the grievances of Sri Lanka’sTamil population were not addressed "history could repeat itself". In an editorial of May 19, the Post stated: "If he (President Rajapakse) is to ensure that Sri Lanka leaves behind the violence that has plagued it for so long, he will have to sponsor a political process that is fully inclusive and democratic and<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>that guarantees the rights of Tamils under a peaceful rule of law"<span style="font-weight: bold;">. <a href="http://www.island.lk/2009/06/03/features1.html">Full text</a></span><br /></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-4071160886130712802?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-83475849294150889082009-06-03T06:26:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:27:46.737+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">(TI)Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, and head of the Sri Lanka’s delegation to the 11th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) which commenced in Geneva on Tuesday (02), said that the Government was grateful to the countries which supported Sri Lanka’s resolution at a Special Session of the Council held last week. "We were humbled by the expression of support for the Resolution co-sponsored by Sri Lanka and 17 other countries last Wednesday. Those member states who supported Sri Lanka’s position, delivered a resounding message on behalf of the international community in recognising the primacy of the principles embodied in Articles 1 and 2 of the United Nations Charter and in requesting the larger world community to assist Sri Lanka in its efforts to’ recover from decades of conflict. Those who co-sponsored and supported the Sri Lankan Resolution also demonstrated a resolve to assist countries such as Sri Lanka." <a href="http://www.island.lk/2009/06/03/news25.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></span></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-8347584929415088908?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-6903617424371492482009-06-03T06:25:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:26:43.585+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;">by Ifham Nizam </span></p> <span style="font-family:Verdana;"><b> </b> </span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p align="left"> <img style="width: 241px; height: 180px;" src="http://www.island.lk/2009/06/03/muddara.jpg" align="left" border="1" hspace="3" />On a request by Labour Minister Mervyn Silva, the Philatelic Bureau of Department of Posts will shortly issue a First Day Cover honouring President Mahinda Rajapaksa for taking the bold decision to defeat the LTTE and eradicate terrorism in Sri Lanka. </p> <p align="left">The First Day Cover also portrays Defence Secretary Gotahabaya Rajapaksa, Army Commander Gen. Sarath Fonseka, Navy Commander Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, Air Force Commander Air Chief Marshal Roshan Goonatileke, Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Donald Perera and Inspector General of Police Jayantha Wickremaratne.<a href="http://www.island.lk/2009/06/03/news13.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Full text </span></a></p></span></div></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-690361742437149248?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-81640686665946483822009-06-03T06:24:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:25:40.483+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;">by Ifham Nizma</span></p> <span style="font-family:Verdana;"><b> </b> <p align="left">(TI)The National Patriotic Movement yesterday said that following the demise of the LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran, some Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have started directing their funds to a Cabinet Minister.</p> <p align="left">PNM Chairman Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekera, addressing a press conference in Colombo yesterday, accused a particular Minister who crossed over to the Government ranks of being behind the NGO funding and promoting separatism. He was earlier elected on the UNP ticket from a Southern Provincial electorate at the last general elections. <a href="http://www.island.lk/2009/06/03/news3.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-8164068666594648382?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-90633030023179477612009-06-03T06:23:00.002+05:302009-06-03T06:24:28.445+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;">by Shamindra Ferdinando</span></p> <span style="font-family:Verdana;"><b> </b> <p align="left">(TI)Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena yesterday challenged the UNP to canvass for the urgently needed USD 1.9 billion loan facility if it genuinely appreciated the armed forces’ triumph over the LTTE.</p> <p align="left">Addressing the press at the Information Department, the minister urged the UNP to throw its weight behind the SLFP-led coalition. Recalling an earlier UNP bid to block a USD 500 million loan from the HSBC, he asked the UNP to back Sri Lanka’s call for USD 1.9 billion facility from the IMF. <a href="http://www.island.lk/2009/06/03/news2.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-9063303002317947761?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-20716189781939583262009-06-03T06:23:00.001+05:302009-06-03T06:23:52.367+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;">by Shamindra Ferdinando</span></p> <span style="font-family:Verdana;"> <p align="left"><b>*Yapa says politicos, businessmen and journalists face terrorism charges</b></p> <b> </b> <p align="left">(TI)The government yesterday said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s recent pledge to implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution wouldn’t mean a re-merger of the Eastern Province with the North as envisaged under the July 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord.</p> <p align="left">Responding to our queries at the weekly press briefing at the Information Department, Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said though the government was committed to the implementation of the 13th Amendment there would have to be two separate Provincial Councils. <a href="http://www.island.lk/2009/06/03/news1.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text </span></a></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-2071618978193958326?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-17548159109112962202009-06-03T06:20:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:23:08.945+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> <p><span style="color:#800080;"><i> <img src="http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/03/Cdn-2009-tag---Back-to-basi.jpg" vspace="4" width="283" align="left" border="0" height="43" hspace="4" />(DN)The post victory euphoria over LTTE terror will soon fade. As our President stated more than once, the realities of national reconciliation and rebuilding will take priority over all else. His vision of building a Sri Lankan nation where there are no minorities, but only Sri Lankans will be on the front-burner. </i> </span></p> <p><span style="color:#800080;"><i>A long and hard road is ahead of us all. There is never a doubt that the political process must bring about a lasting solution as early as possible, to end the uncertainty of what that solution will be. <a href="http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/03/fea04.asp"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></i></span></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-1754815910911296220?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-36268548953423819072009-06-03T06:19:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:20:08.489+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p>(DN)I write this with a lot of sadness, relief and hope, from what has happened in the past few months. As a Tamil, (and proud to be one) I deeply feel that together, we can build the burnt bridges and pave a path to peace, happiness, equality and prosperity for us and for the future generations to come. </p> <p>We cannot forget what happened for the past three decades, however we need to put aside our emotions, despair and remember those lives, which were lost in bloody war in the name of ‘equality’. <a href="http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/03/fea03.asp"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-3626854895342381907?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-45464054516001593112009-06-03T06:18:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:19:32.555+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> <p> <img src="http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/03/z_p-08-Winning-02.jpg" vspace="4" width="146" align="right" border="0" height="144" hspace="4" />(DN)I take pleasure in addressing this august body for the second time in successive weeks, particularly at a point when my country ‘Sri Lanka’ is going through a process of renewal and hope for the first time in decades. Exactly 3 months ago, during the high-level segment of the 10th Session of this Council I said: <a href="http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/03/fea01.asp"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-4546405451600159311?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-86841891509966070272009-06-03T06:16:00.003+05:302009-06-03T06:18:28.168+05:30<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eWI9Yds3IDA/SiXIRwF6mqI/AAAAAAAAEig/boRy7qnamaw/s1600-h/cdn_edi.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 88px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eWI9Yds3IDA/SiXIRwF6mqI/AAAAAAAAEig/boRy7qnamaw/s200/cdn_edi.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342896740238006946" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:16;">S</span>ri Lanka has now recorded one of the lowest levels of unemployment in its post-independence history. The country’s unemployment ratio which stood at 8.3 percent in 2008 had come down to 5.2 percent. </div><div style="text-align: right;"><div> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">This is a very significant achievement, given that even some of the richest countries (and multinational companies) have been forced to retrench workers as a result of the current global economic meltdown.<a href="http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/03/main_Editorial.asp"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Full text</span></a><br /></p><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-8684189150996607027?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-36936553712974214512009-06-03T06:16:00.001+05:302009-06-03T06:16:57.736+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="A_byline">Shirley Wijesinghe </p> <p>(DN)The Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ministry has officially launched a project spending over Canadian $ 4.9 million to develop 80 fish landing centres located in 15 coastal districts including the Northern and Eastern Provinces. </p> <p>The project is being executed by the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ministry and implemented jointly by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in association with the Ceylon Fishery Harbour Corporation (CFHC). <a href="http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/03/news50.asp"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-3693655371297421451?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-28547763821047569922009-06-03T06:14:00.002+05:302009-06-03T06:16:06.763+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="A_byline">Lakshmi de Silva </p> <p>(DN)A special identity card will be issued to the IDPs in the welfare villages in Vavuniya from tomorrow and already sixty percent of the data needed to issue identity cards has been processed Resettlement and Disaster Relief Service Ministry Secretary U.L.M.Haldeen said. </p> <p>The identity cards for all IDPs over 10 years will be issued under the supervision of the Senior DIG Mahinda Balasuriya and the process is expected to be completed within three to four weeks. <a href="http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/03/news46.asp"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-2854776382104756992?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-42091646529692382412009-06-03T06:14:00.001+05:302009-06-03T06:14:51.340+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="A_byline">Lakshmi de Silva </p> <p>(DN)Another group of families were resettled in Konarpannai area in Mannar yesterday. They were chased out of their villages by the LTTE in 1990 giving them 24 hours to quit. </p> <p>There are 55 families including 155 persons and they were given dry rations for two weeks Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Ministry officials told the Daily News yesterday. <a href="http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/03/news45.asp"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-4209164652969238241?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-1390457038070287162009-06-03T06:12:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:14:18.682+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="A_byline">WALTER LIYANARACHCHI </p> <p>(DN)The Irrigation Department is in the process of drafting a masterplan to rehabilitate two partly abandoned major irrigation tanks in the Northern Province spending Rs. 635 million on the instructions of Ports, Aviation and Irrigation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa. </p> <p>The Government is moving ahead expeditiously to resettle the displaced families in their original places of living. Since the majority of the community displaced in the North are farmers producing paddy and agriculture-based products, the Government has planned to rehabilitate the identified irrigation tanks to cater to water needs of those farmers in the North, the sources said.<a href="http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/03/news33.asp"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-139045703807028716?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-23260582824551579822009-06-03T06:11:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:12:26.681+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="A_byline">Suharshi Perera in Beijing </p> <p>(DN)China firmly believes that the Sri Lankan Government and its people should be allowed to tackle its internal affairs and the international community can make concrete efforts to improve the humanitarian condition of the country, Assistant Foreign Minister of China Hu Zhengyue said. However, China will continue to support Sri Lanka in bringing in stability, peace and development,he said. </p> <div align="right"> <table style="width: 128px; height: 163px;" id="table1" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"> <tbody><tr> <td> <img style="width: 122px; height: 154px;" src="http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/03/z_p-01-Hu-Zhengyue.jpg" border="0" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <br /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div> <p>The Chinese Assistant Minister was addressing the press delegates of South Asian countries at the Foreign Affairs Ministry of China, Beijing, yesterday. </p> <p>“We do not interfere in the internal matters of Sri Lanka as peaceful coexistence, sovereignty and territorial intergrity are key ideas in the China’s foreign policy on South Asia. However, China will stand by the Sri Lankan Government in its future endevours in creating peace,” the Assistant Minister who is also the in-charge of the South Asian Foreign Affairs said. <a href="http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/03/news11.asp"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text </span></a></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-2326058282455157982?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-72106329431960223612009-06-03T06:10:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:11:28.922+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="A_byline">Irangika RANGE </p> <p>(DN)The Government welcomes international support to carry out development activities and humanitarian mission to rebuild Sri Lanka. But it does not welcome unnecessary interferences in our internal affairs, Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardana said. </p> <div align="left"> <table style="width: 121px; height: 160px;" id="table1" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"> <tbody><tr> <td> <img style="width: 115px; height: 151px;" src="http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/03/z_p-01-Lakshman-Yapa.jpg" border="0" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <br /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div> <p>The countries which voted against Sri Lanka at the Human Rights Council were compelled to do so as a result of false propaganda launched by the LTTE and diaspora supporting the LTTE, the Minister said yesterday. </p> <p>Addressing the weekly press-briefing, the Minister said the Government through Sri Lankan Embassies in these countries will launch international propaganda campaigns to reveal the country’s real situation and the humanitarian mission carried out by the Armed Forces. <a href="http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/03/news02.asp"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-7210632943196022361?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-52777506636321968172009-06-03T06:08:00.002+05:302009-06-03T06:10:27.302+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><i><span style="color:#ff0000;">A special unit -Nenasa Sathkaraya has been set up to promote education of these children under several stages</span></i> </p> <p>(DN)In a bid revive the education of over 60,000 children of displaced families in the North, the Education Ministry yesterday started the Nenasa Sathkaraya program under which a consignment of school textbooks, additional reading material, uniforms, stationery, desks and chairs for teachers and children worth over Rs. 137 million were dispatched to Vavuniya in 20 lorries. <a href="http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/03/news01.asp"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-5277750663632196817?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-57146895128868947942009-06-03T06:08:00.001+05:302009-06-03T06:08:35.201+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblAudio"></span> <span id="lblNewsBody"><img alt="" src="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/ArticleImages/humu11nvck1xvh2uxbrtu3j3_edited.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="5" />(DM)A senior United Nations official criticized the Human Rights Council Tuesday, saying the decision not to send a team to investigate war crimes allegations in Sri Lanka was worrying. "What happened at the Human Rights Council last week is more than troubling," said Marie Heuze, the spokeswoman for the UN </span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-5714689512886894794?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-60572019616248313882009-06-03T06:05:00.001+05:302009-06-03T06:08:12.898+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblAudio"></span> <span id="lblNewsBody"><img alt="" src="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/ArticleImages/flqhbh450eymbp45b2brb155_Jehan_Perera_Logo.jpg" vspace="3" align="right" border="0" hspace="3" />(DM)The human rights heartland of Geneva was the scene of the Sri Lankan government’s latest victory. The government staved off a determined effort by certain Western countries to launch a formal investigation into violations of human rights and possible war crimes in the last phase of Sri Lanka’s war. At the UN’s Human Rights Council, Sri Lanka was able to draw upon the support interest of the majority of country’s in the human rights forum to defeat the call for a human rights probe by a margin of 29 to 12, with 6 abstentions. Those countries that voted for Sri Lanka included the leaders from the continents of Asia, Africa and South America, the tri-continental world. <a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50631"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Full text</span></a><br /></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-6057201961624831388?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-14397451734574740572009-06-03T06:04:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:05:28.024+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblAudio"></span> <span id="lblNewsBody"><img alt="" src="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/ArticleImages/ftzabe45z14itqifqn5yin55_Upul_Joseph_Logo.jpg" vspace="5" align="right" border="0" hspace="5" />(DM)The formation of two new international alliances, one supportive and the other opposing the motion presented against Sri Lanka, was witnessed last week when it was taken up for discussion at the UN Human Rights Commission. Countries like India, Russia, China and Pakistan formed an alliance in support of Sri Lanka while the Western nations together formed an alliance that opposed the country. <p>Key among the two alliances was the one formed by India, Russia, China and Pakistan. <a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50753"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-1439745173457474057?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-10767377687892560122009-06-03T06:03:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:04:48.766+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblNewsBody">(DM)With the military decimation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a painful chapter in contemporary Indian and Sri Lankan history has come to an end. But the cost in civilian suffering has been enormous, as the UN has pointed out. At least 20,000 civilians have died and 300,000 displaced. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has wisely chosen to be magnanimous in victory and has already spoken of his protection for the island nation’s minority Tamils. <a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50752"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span><br /></a></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-1076737768789256012?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-56717215480959712052009-06-03T06:02:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:03:24.761+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblNewsBody"><strong><em>By Yohan Perera</em></strong> <p>(DM)Slippers has become an essential item in the IDP camps in the North as many adults and children have injured their soles by walking barefoot officials of Caritas Sri Lanka the social service arm of the Catholic Bishops conferences said yesterday. </p><p>A spokesman from Caritas told Daily Mirror that this was found out when a group of officials from the organizations visited the IDP camps in Vavuniya recently.<a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50779"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Full text</span></a><br /></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-5671721548095971205?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-59899740140862580962009-06-03T06:01:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:02:50.389+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblAudio"></span> <span id="lblNewsBody"><img style="width: 148px; height: 198px;" alt="" src="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/ArticleImages/ftzabe45z14itqifqn5yin55_Untitled-3.jpg" vspace="5" align="right" border="0" hspace="5" />(DM)A British woman who is being held in one of the displacement camps in northern Sri Lanka has been traced and may soon be released, officials say.<p>Damilvany Gnanakumar, 26, was working at one of the temporary hospitals inside Sri Lanka's war zone. </p><p>A local official told the BBC that efforts were underway to send Ms. Gnanakumar back to Britain. <a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50780"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text </span></a></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-5989974014086258096?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-88193239588928945752009-06-03T06:00:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:01:53.830+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblAudio"></span> <span id="lblNewsBody"><strong><em><img alt="" src="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/ArticleImages/ftzabe45z14itqifqn5yin55_Untitled-4.jpg" vspace="5" align="right" border="0" hspace="5" />By T. Farook Thajudeen.</em></strong> <p>(DM)Colombo Central Special Crime Investigation Bureau arrested and produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court several suspects over links with the LTTE movement.</p><p>The division arrested suspects Janaki Thavarasha, Kulandai Thavarasha, Sandanam Shanthi, Dikwella Vidhana Kankanamalage Chamila Priyantha, Hewa Liyanage Saman Ananda Weerasinghe, Mahamarakkalage Wipulasiri Ravi Tharanga, Weerasekera Badugama, Belin Priyantha Wijesekera, and Wanniarachchige Dayawansa sequel to information received by them. <a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50781"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-8819323958892894575?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-29901320508519566482009-06-03T05:59:00.000+05:302009-06-03T06:00:04.960+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblNewsBody"><strong><em>By Sunil S . </em></strong><p><strong><em>Thanthriarachchi.</em></strong></p><p>(DM)The Kalutara Chief Magistrate pronouncing the judgment on the killing of seven inmates allegedly when they attempted to escape said that it was evident that the jail guard had exceeded his limitations and had gone out of control in shooting at the prisoners.</p><p> The incident took place on April 15. The Chief Magistrate H. Anura Seneviratne further said that it has been determined that the said shooting had been committed violating the standing orders based on rights to self defense. He said although the most immediate reason for the said shooting had been the collective attempt by the inmates to escape.</p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-2990132050851956648?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-75024501944506504812009-06-03T05:56:00.002+05:302009-06-03T05:59:13.332+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblNewsBody">(DM)The Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) is positive in contesting the forthcoming Jaffna Municipal Council and Vavuniya Urban Council Elections, has still not decided whether it is going to contest the elections in alliance with another party or contest alone, the EPDP said in a statement.. <p>The EPDP says a decision on how it will contest the polls will be taken by its Central Committee shortly. <a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50783"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-7502450194450650481?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-32857593677650652132009-06-03T05:56:00.001+05:302009-06-03T05:56:50.999+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblAudio"></span> <span id="lblNewsBody"><img style="width: 61px; height: 205px;" alt="" src="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/ArticleImages/ftzabe45z14itqifqn5yin55_Untitled-5.jpg" vspace="5" align="right" border="0" hspace="5" />(DM)Elaborate arrangements have been put in place for today’s national celebration at the Galle Face Green to commemorate the historic victory over terrorism that ended a three decade old civil war. <p>President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is also the Commander-in-Chief of all Armed Forces as the chief guest at the event will address the nation on this memorable occasion which will also be attended by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the Commanders of the three forces, Inspector General of Police and the Chief of Civil Defence Force. <a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50785"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text </span></a></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-3285759367765065213?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-50216867451283539742009-06-03T05:55:00.000+05:302009-06-03T05:56:07.223+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblNewsBody"><strong><em>By T. Farook Thajudeen</em></strong> <p>(DM)A man who was suspected of bringing in high frequency electronic equipment for the LTTE was released by a Colombo court yesterday on the direction of Attorney General Mohan Peiris. </p><p>Eramba Moorthy Kajan a Canadian citizen is alleged to have supplied the LTTE with laptops, palm tops and other computer accessories. <a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50788"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-5021686745128353974?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-36102377644728580232009-06-03T05:54:00.000+05:302009-06-03T05:55:32.430+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblNewsBody"><p>(DM)With fighting now at an end in Sri Lanka's north, the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is working with the government of Sri Lanka and other humanitarian agencies to provide urgently needed aid to hundreds of thousands who fled the former conflict zone in the last several months, UNHCR said in a statement.</p><p>Some 300,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are accommodated in the 40 emergency shelter sites spread across the districts of Vavuniya, Jaffna and Trincomalee. UNHCR and partners are carrying out emergency shelter work, regular non-food distribution and protection monitoring. <a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50790"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-3610237764472858023?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-63036787318086442602009-06-03T05:53:00.000+05:302009-06-03T05:54:21.925+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblNewsBody">(DM)A Man from Totnes, London is on hunger strike in protest over human rights violations he claims are going on in the war-torn state of Sri Lanka.<p>Tim Martin has now gone without food for 15 days as he calls on the US president Barak Obama to intervene to force the Sri Lankan government to allow aid agencies and the media into the north of the island, which is currently a no-go zone for foreigners. <a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50792"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-6303678731808644260?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-18547830096177020602009-06-03T05:52:00.000+05:302009-06-03T05:53:42.916+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblAudio"></span> <span id="lblNewsBody"><img alt="" src="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/ArticleImages/ftzabe45z14itqifqn5yin55_Untitled-8.jpg" vspace="5" align="right" border="0" hspace="5" />(DM)United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has categorically rejected allegations that the world body had deliberately underestimated the death toll in the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka.<p>"I categorically reject -- repeat categorically -- any suggestion that the UN has deliberately underestimated figures," he told the UN General Assembly on Monday while reacting to media reports citing confidential UN reports that more than 20,000 civilians were killed by Sri Lankan army shelling. <a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50803"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-1854783009617702060?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-62325908205646734532009-06-03T05:49:00.000+05:302009-06-03T05:52:19.483+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblNewsBody"><em><strong>By Sandun A Jayasekera</strong></em><p>(DM)The Defence Ministry will frame charges against journalists, politicians, armed forces personnel and businessmen, who are alleged to have assisted the LTTE, the Media Minister said yesterday. Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardana told a news briefing the defence authorities and the CID were conducting investigations and would take appropriate legal action in the next couple of weeks.</p><p>“There is damning evidence against many of them. We know how the LTTE funded them and how even bombs were transported in vehicles belonging to certain politicians,” Minister Yapa said and added that there were many facets to this treachery. <a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50797"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-6232590820564673453?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-3923759998590292142009-06-03T05:47:00.003+05:302009-06-03T05:49:48.718+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span id="lblAudio"></span> <span id="lblNewsBody"><p><strong><em> </em></strong></p><table style="width: 212px; height: 325px;" align="right" border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img style="width: 211px; height: 292px;" alt="" src="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/ArticleImages/ftzabe45z14itqifqn5yin55_poddala.jpg" align="baseline" border="0" hspace="0" /></td></tr> <tr> <td><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;color:#0000ff;"><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><strong><em>By T. Farook Thajudeen and Elasian Amarasinghe.</em></strong><p>(DM)Two journalists who were alleged to have been involved in the assault on veteran journalist Poddala Jayantha were released on personal bail of Rs. 500,000/ each by Nugegoda Chief Magistrate Vasantha Jinadasa, yesterday. Poddala Jayantha, the general secretary of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association, had been assaulted Monday evening at Embuldeniya, Nugegoda.</p><p>The Special Investigation Unit of the Mirihana Police produced the suspects, Benette Rupasinghe (news editor of Lanka E News) and Sandaruwan Senadeera (its publisher), before the Nugegoda Magistrate yesterday. <a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50809"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></div><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-392375999859029214?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-36242761787859194852009-06-03T05:47:00.001+05:302009-06-03T05:47:55.583+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblNewsBody"><p>(DM)The government says the special session on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council last week was “unnecessary” and also expressed disappointment that the special session of the council was convened to discuss the human rights situation in Sri Lanka.</p><p>Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, in his address to the 11th Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva yesterday said the <span id="lblNewsBody">member states who supported Sri Lanka’s position at the session, delivered a resounding message on behalf of the international community in recognizing the primacy of the principles embodied in Articles 1 and 2 of the United Nations Charter and in requesting the larger world community to assist Sri Lanka in its efforts to recover from decades of conflict. <a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50812"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></span></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-3624276178785919485?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-77467227519026159452009-06-03T05:46:00.000+05:302009-06-03T05:47:10.803+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblNewsBody"><p><strong><em>By Sandun A Jayasekera</em></strong> </p><p><img style="width: 126px; height: 187px;" alt="" src="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/ArticleImages/ftzabe45z14itqifqn5yin55_pg-i-cartoon.jpg" vspace="5" align="right" border="0" hspace="5" />(DM)A summary report on the decisions agreed upon by the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) will be handed over to President Mahinda Rajapaksa during the next fortnight, APRC chairman and Minister Tissa Vitharana said. </p><p>The summary report comes after almost three years and 116 deliberations by 13 political parties represented in parliament, amidst hope that the APRC would come up with suggestions for a political package to resolve the ethnic conflict. <a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50813"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-7746722751902615945?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-2559720320766120452009-06-03T05:45:00.000+05:302009-06-03T05:46:21.230+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblNewsBody"><p><strong><em>By Sunil Jayasiri</em></strong></p><p><img alt="" src="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/ArticleImages/ftzabe45z14itqifqn5yin55_Maritime-boundry-sri-lanka.jpg" vspace="5" align="right" border="0" hspace="5" />(DM)Sri Lanka is hoping to acquire its own oil resources with the expansion of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the eastern part of the country which is now pending approval by the United Nations (UN), a top government official said.</p><p>A spokesman for the Fisheries Ministry which took part in formulating the report to the UN said the expanded sea area that Sri Lanka was now claiming contains sedimentation thickness from some 20 kilometres to four kilometres which will have hydrocarbon or oil. <a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50811"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-255972032076612045?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-81244505849717001112009-06-03T05:43:00.000+05:302009-06-03T05:45:38.996+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="lblAudio"></span> <span id="lblNewsBody"><p><img style="width: 98px; height: 173px;" alt="" src="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/ArticleImages/ftzabe45z14itqifqn5yin55_Adela.jpg" vspace="5" align="right" border="0" hspace="5" />(DM)Adele Balasingham, the widow of LTTE ideologue Anton Balasingham, is living in a London suburb and representatives of the Sri Lankan government are to meet Scotland Yard and the Home Office in the coming weeks for talks on her presence in Britain. </p><p>Sri Lankan intelligence officials believe Adele Balasingham, 59, is one of the most senior figures in the remains of the terror group which fought a 26-year war for independence on the island and was defeated last month, the Standard newspaper in Britain reported.<a href="http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50810"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Full text</span></a><br /></p></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-8124450584971700111?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-44135785684472349582009-06-03T05:42:00.000+05:302009-06-03T05:43:23.111+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;">(BL)I wish to broaden the scope of this column to include discussion about issues concerning the Sri Lankan Tamil problem raised by the readers. Till now I took note of the comments the readers mailed and dealt with them in the column. From now, I will interact directly/ Vipulanda Sivakumaran, a journalist from Bharain who called last week’s column excellent and timely hoped that decision makers would take note of it and build up the unity of the country, But another Tamil reader, he withheld his name, doubts whether the elated Sinhala Buddhists would allow President Mahinda Rajapaksa to accommodate Tamil aspirations. He says the situations that existed after the passage of the Sinhala Only Act and now, are similar. <a href="http://www.thebottomline.lk/2009/06/03/as_i_see_it_col.htm"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-4413578568447234958?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-51809258364852071372009-06-03T05:41:00.000+05:302009-06-03T05:42:11.940+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.thebottomline.lk/2009/06/03/Images/main7.jpg" width="410" height="226" /><br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="caption">(LB)Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka</span> Perhaps the most lucrative positions in Sri Lanka today, are those of politicians. Any person who rides a wave of popularity will, no doubt, turn that popularity to advantage, and not hesitate to enter politics. But, we found a person, an officer and a gentleman, who refuses to take the massive wave of popularity he currently rides, to entertain any political ambitions. He is none other than the Army Commander, the newly promoted General Sarath Fonseka. <a href="http://www.thebottomline.lk/2009/06/03/defence_col.htm"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a> </div></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-5180925836485207137?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-79338383351722926992009-06-03T05:40:00.000+05:302009-06-03T05:41:01.780+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;">(BL)The nation salutes it war heroes today – those who gave for the air of independence and freedom from terrorism that we breathe today. We are indebted to these valiant men and women for delivering the nation and the futures of its people from the clutches of terror. The sacrifices they made with life and limb are insuperable, and our appreciation must know no bounds.<br />That our armed forces are the most experienced and only successful military force in the world today is fact. The Sri Lankan military has been engaged in fighting what was undisputedly the most organised and ruthless terrorist group for three decades. With its international network for weapons smuggling and a formidable force on land, sea and air – the LTTE was seen by some as indestructible. The Sri Lankan conflict was expectedly a prolonged affair that would drag for generations to come. That expectation was effectively laid to rest with the annihilation of the LTTE’s leadership in the military and humanitarian offensive. Today the Sri Lankan army is the only force that has conquered in the global fight against terrorism; an example and an inspiration to its every counterpart. <a href="http://www.thebottomline.lk/2009/06/03/editorial.htm"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span><br /></a></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-7933838335172292699?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-35906702377107434312009-06-03T05:35:00.001+05:302009-06-03T05:39:29.786+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="byline">By Uditha Jayasinghe</p> (BL)On the eve of Victory Day celebrations, the government has extended an invitation to the main Opposition party UNP, to join in developing the country, assuring that an opening still remained for their support.<br />Insisting that the government’s top priority remained the resettlement of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and the establishment of democracy in the North, Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene reiterated the importance of a national effort, and urged for unity from Opposition ranks. <a href="http://www.thebottomline.lk/2009/06/03/news33.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-3590670237710743431?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-17923575084030603582009-06-03T05:33:00.000+05:302009-06-03T05:40:05.875+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;">(BL)Adele Balasingham who is known to have had strong links to the LTTE, is under the radar again, as international media claim that Sri Lankan officials are due to conduct talks with the British Home Office and Scotland Yard to request action to be taken against her, a claim that is denied by the government.<br />UK tabloids claimed yesterday that British officials were being requested by the government to extradite and hand over Adele Balasigham (59), the widow of former LTTE Political Strategist Anton Balasingham whom they alleged was behind the British protests and could emerge as the head of LTTE’s international operations. However, the government yesterday denied such claims. <a href="http://www.thebottomline.lk/2009/06/03/news6.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span><br /></a></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-1792357508403060358?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-5122979485950294212009-06-02T22:26:00.002+05:302009-06-02T22:27:36.252+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">(June 02, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian)</span> Sri Lanka is looking forward to a new boost for Tourism, which has for long been one of the major revenue earners for the country.<br /><br />The end of the thirty year long war, which saw many ups and downs in the tourism industry, and brought it to very low levels in the past few, has given considerable hope of an a new increase in tourist arrivals.<span class="fullpost"> <a href="http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2009/06/peace-brings-new-boost-for-tourism.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-512297948595029421?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-85064960295478960162009-06-02T22:26:00.001+05:302009-06-02T22:26:51.335+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">By Col R Hariharan </span></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">[Extracts of this article were included in a presentation the author had made at a panel discussion on “Sri Lanka after LTTE reverses” organised by the Centre for Asian Studies, Chennai and the Dept. of Political Science, Madras University, Chennai on May 26, 2009.] </span></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Macro issues </span></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">(June 02, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian)</span> Undoubtedly Sri Lanka, under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has scored an unprecedented military victory in the Eelam War IV with the near total elimination of the entire leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). After that the LTTE’s military struggle has been turned into an existential struggle. It will be a long haul for the LTTE to get back into some shape as the Sri Lanka war machine grinds on relentlessly in the name of taming the Tamil Tigers. <span class="fullpost"><a href="http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2009/06/sri-lanka-after-war-part-i.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-8506496029547896016?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-32000142347557425942009-06-02T22:25:00.000+05:302009-06-02T22:26:12.837+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">(June 02, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian)</span> The government has granted Rs.7 millions to develop the facilities of Catholic churches in the Kurunrgala and Kalutara districts under the programme to develop religious establishment.<br /><br />This grant was made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees, yesterday, (01). <a href="http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2009/06/govt-grants-7-million-to-develop.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><span class="fullpost"><br /></span></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-3200014234755742594?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-21829239246512656652009-06-02T22:24:00.000+05:302009-06-02T22:25:37.851+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span class="style7"></span> <div class="preview"> <center> <p><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 174px; height: 140px;" src="http://colombotoday.com/english/getImage?imageID=1243938662076.jpg" onclick="toggleThumb(this)" id="img0" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">(CT)The editorial of today's issue of 'Divaina' newspaper says death would be the penalty for journalists and professionals in Colombo, Sri Lanka who are in the LTTE's pay directly or indirectly. <a href="http://colombotoday.com/english/articles/NEWS/Death-penalty-treason%21---Divaina-editorial/3065.htm"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p> </center> </div></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-2182923924651265665?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-57011488426664061032009-06-02T22:18:00.000+05:302009-06-02T22:24:53.287+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> <img src="http://www.news.lk//images/stories/Multimedia_Gallery/Photo_Gallery/vavuniya_ltte_weapons-2009-06-02-1.jpg" alt="Image" title="Image" width="150" align="left" border="0" height="113" hspace="6" />(news.lk)The Vavuniya Police uncovered massive haul of LTTE weaponry following a confession made by four LTTE cadres who surrendered through the ICRC, Police said. <br />Among the detected items were 24 night vision cameras,8claymore mines,5 LTTe manufactures bombs, C-4 Explosives, Four T-56 assault rifles,1180 rounds of live ammunition,Penicillin injections and other medicines,12 Rifle Magazines, camouflaged military uniforms and other military implements. <a href="http://www.news.lk/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=9956&amp;Itemid=44"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-5701148842666406103?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-63527425472907819732009-06-02T22:07:00.000+05:302009-06-02T22:19:50.849+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><strong>The Chalai Confrontation</strong></p> <p>(LRRP2)Cdr Asoka Wijesiriwardane was a brave navy Commander who was a junior officer at the time the incidents from 26th to 29th March took place. It was one of the LTTE’s massive attacks to obtain complete control of Jaffna from land and sea. Cdr Wijesiriwardane was commander of the P490 FAC and was based at Kankasanthurai (KKS) in the North Attachment when he had to supress the LTTE on the sea.</p> <h3>Date: 26th March 2000<br />Time: 2100hrs<br />Location: Kankasanthurai <a href="http://lrrp2.wordpress.com/about-2/">Full text</a><br /></h3></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-6352742547290781973?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-34572445488585626852009-06-02T22:04:00.001+05:302009-06-02T22:07:03.456+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><strong>Inquiry nails Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe</strong><strong> for busting of secret army hideout</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">(llrp2)A Sri Lankan Presidential Commission, which inquired into the busting of a key hideout of the Army’s top-secret Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) in 2002, has blamed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the recently sacked ministers, and several police officers for the act, which it described as a “great betrayal”. Commissioner, retired Judge D Jayawickreme, fixed direct responsibility on Assistant Superintendent of Police, Kulasiri Udugampola, who, he said, behaved like a “Supreme Commander above the law.” But the Prime Minister, the ministers concerned, and two successive IGPs were also responsible, albeit indirectly, he said. ” They were simply powerless to prevent the illegal action of ASP Udugampola, even after they were apprised of the facts of this safe house and the activities of its personnel,” Jayawickreme said. <a href="http://lrrp2.wordpress.com/the-daming-report-the-politically-motivated-mellenium-city-raid/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-3457244548858562685?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-49069991040211136132009-06-02T22:03:00.002+05:302009-06-02T22:04:46.460+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;">(TI)In the aftermath of the annihilation of the LTTE, various individuals who were peripherally involved in the battlefield, reporting the progress of the war on the electronic media, have been felicitated with public receptions usually reserved for the gallant soldiers in combat. </span></p> <span style="font-family:Verdana;"> </span><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Amidst this hoopla, all seem to have forgotten the more sustained role performed over a protracted period of time by a few dedicated and committed professionals in journalism who reported the events on the battlefield, the progress of the war, analysis of strategic issues and international responses. This small group of dedicated men consistently and persistently worked on the theme that the LTTE is a horrendous outfit of terrorists who must and can be defeated militarily. They countered the myth of invincibility of the LTTE carefully orchestrated on behalf of the LTTE by NGOs INGOs, the international community and unfortunately by some of our own political leadership prior to 2005. They kept faith with our Defence capabilities and in no small measure sustained the Nation’s confidence in winning the war. <a href="http://www.island.lk/2009/06/02/opinion7.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></span></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-4906999104021113613?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1943301206014994276.post-5241361322367636652009-06-02T22:03:00.001+05:302009-06-02T22:03:48.757+05:30<div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="Story-byline" id="Story-byline"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">By Shamindra Ferdinando</span></div> <span style="font-family:Verdana;"> </span> <span style="font-family:Verdana;"> </span><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;">(TI)When the LTTE triggered Eelam War IV by taking over the Mavil Aru sluice in July 2006, the government accepted the Tigers’ military challenge. The army deployed in the Batticaloa –Ampara sector had to be relieved immediately to launch an operation at Mavil-aru. The absence of the army commander, Lieut. Gen. Sarath Fonseka, recuperating following an LTTE suicide attack had increased pressure on the government struggling to face up to Prabhakaran’s challenge. <a href="http://www.island.lk/2009/05/31/defence1.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Full text</span></a><br /></span></p></div><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumn.com/">Home</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://defencecolumnvideos.blogspot.com/">Videos</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4304628266651629"; /* */ google_ad_slot = "9223112017"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1943301206014994276-524136132236763665?l=defencecolumn.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Defence Columnnoreply@blogger.com0