News Archive for Dec 2009

Sarath Fonseka and the school for the blind
C. Wijeyawickrema, LL.B., Ph.D.
A famous black historian in USA mentioned in his autobiography an incident that took place when he was a young boy growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He helped a white old blind woman to cross a street. Half way on the street the blind woman asked the name and then the color (race) of the young helper and when she found it out, on the middle of the road she shouted, "You nigger leave me alone and get lost." While this was a true story, there is another fabricated story that I saw in an... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 31/12/09)

DEVOLUTION WILL LEAD TO THE PARTITIONING OF SRI LANKA
L. Jayasooriya
There is a lot of talk about devolution these days but please let me say this. If any form of devolution is granted it means our country will no longer be a unitary state and the Tamil politicians in those areas will not permit any Sinhalese to settle down there and those who are already there will leave voluntarily when they are subjected to harassment. In marked contrast the Sinhalese have never hated the Tamils or the Muslims or anybody else. When Tamils settled down among the Sinhalese there was not one word or deed or opposition... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 31/12/09)

THE GREAT SELL OUT , WHY HAVE AN ELECTION -Indian hegemony Of Sri Lanka continues
CONCERNED
In 1977 when Sri Lanka appointed JRJ to lead the country SL never imagined that the seeds of destruction of the Sinhala Nation was been planted. Ever since the servile JRJ started  his non productive relationship with the west it gave an excuse for India to destabilise Sri Lanka and interfere in the country to such a degree that politicians in spite of the arrogance with which they treat the Sri Lankans have been converted into a group of disgusting slaves. How else could you explain as to why Ranil W went to India to get support for... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 31/12/09)

Exposing Prof. Schalk as a Mercenary idiot
Ben Silva
I am referring to the derogatory remarks by made by you  Peter Schalk, ref. 'Mercenary Intellectuals', Tamilnet, Mon, 28 Dec 2009,  on great Sinhala academics’, who have been brave enough to tell the truth to the world. Many Sri Lankans would feel deeply offended  by  your  unwarranted  remark, and hence my response is given below. LTTE have carried out many murders and acts of destruction and violence in Sri Lanka with impunity. LTTE have taken away the basic human right of, right to life of many innocent people and created many orphans and disabled persons. LTTE have... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 31/12/09)

Repeating the Boycott of Presidential Election Once Again
By Dr D.  Chandraratna, Western Australia.
Once again that ghost of separatism is raising its ugly head. A number of Tamil organisations spurred on by the Diaspora are appealing to the Tamil voters to boycott Presidential elections. The LTTE used the same tactic to forcibly drive a wedge between the Tamil electorate and the rest. The Tamil people will lose a golden opportunity to join in the national agenda because pining for a separate state is like pining for the moon by the proverbial little boy. All that is pointless, unproductive and wasteful. Has the LTTE lost everything, the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 30/12/09)

Christmas Terror in Detroit! Deception continues
Ajit Randeniya
It is more than eight years since the ‘alleged’ terrorist attacks of 9/11 on America, and two wars are still raging in the Middle East and its neighbourhood under the pretext of bringing the perpetrators ‘to justice’. The war effort has only just been rejuvenated by none other than the ‘Great Black Hope’, against the wish of the great majority of American and British citizenry, and the civilised world in general. This is the background against which the latest scare story of the failed terrorist attack on US Northwest Airlines Flight 253, carrying 278 passengers and 11... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 30/12/09)

Let us hope for the best
S. Akurugoda
Just after a month since the end of the humanitarian operation against racial terrorism that continued for 30 years, both the electronic and printed media were full of various views, theories and dialogues from some Ministers and a diplomat appointed by the government, supported by notorious NGOs, in favour of the 13th amendment to the Constitution and many more on ‘solutions’. Cry for ‘solutions via 13th amendment’ died down after the President Mahinda Rajapaksa had requested those Ministers to refrain from making any statement on the political solution to the press as he is to take-up the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 30/12/09)

An Ura Kumara Calling Others Pig is Hilarious!
- Kumar Moses
In local language “ura” means pig. An Ura Kumara of the JVP must take a hard and close look at his own genre, including the name his parents gave him, before calling others pigs. Unable to face the challenge posed to Fonseka over his son-in-law’s Hicorp and other arms deals, An Ura couter challenges with terms describing own self. It is not just the name there is more to it than meets the eye.   The JVP has been split into two. They are basically the Wimal fraction and the An Ura Kumara fraction. There are... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 30/12/09)

Great News from Canadian Authorities to Sri Lankan to boost Travel and Tourism
By Walter Michel
It was a great decision taken by Canadian Authorities to relax its travel advisory to Sri Lanka for their Citizens traveling to Sri Lanka. We were very much aware that decision was instrumental by the newly appointed High Commissioner for Canada, Mr. Bruce Leavy. “Thank you Sir”. In a recent media interview, Mr.Leavy mentioned that he was looking for a very warm relationship with Sri Lanka and wants to travel around in Sri Lanka to explore its beauty. We are sure that he would have experienced himself the security situation in whole Sri Lanka after our... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 28/12/09)

4TH OPEN LETTER TO SARATH FONSEKA -YOU ARE NEITHER AN OFFICER NOR A GENTLEMAN
By Stanley Perera from Melbourne
My dear Sarath. You are neither an officer nor a gentleman. To be an officer of an army, he must be a fully disciplined officer with full allegiance to his country of birth with true patriotism free of corruption, nepotism, and fully loyal to his masters and would never ever betray his troops, masters or the country. You have broken all the norms of the concept of ÄN OFFICER’. In addition to be an officer one must be wealthy enough to feed his platoon for one month. AN OFFICER OF THE ARMY Sarath in... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 28/12/09)

ජනතා විමුක්ති පෙරමුණ දකින දූෂිතම රජය
චන්ද්‍රසේන පණ්ඩිතගේ විසිනි.
ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ බිහිවූ දූෂිතම රජය, මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතා ජනාධිපති ධූරය උසුලන මේ පවතින රජය බව වර්තමාන ජනතා විමුක්ති පෙරමුණ මේ රට පුරා ප්‍රචාරය කරමින් සිටී. මෙතෙක් කල් අප සිතා සිටියේ අපගේ ජීවිත කාලය තුලදී අප දුටු හොදම රජය අද පවතින රජය ලෙසයි. සමහර විට අපට වැරදිලා විය හැක. ඒ නිසා ජනතා විමුක්ති පෙරමුණ කියන නිසාම, ඒ පක්ෂයේ ක්‍රියාකාරිත්වය හා සම්පාතව සත්‍යය සොයා අපි යමු. ජනතා විමුක්ති පෙරමුණේ උපත 1965දී සිදුවිය. අපි එතනින් පටන් ගනිමු. 1965-1970 රජය හා ජනතා විමුක්ති පෙරමුණ. 1969 දී රෝහණ විජේවීර මහතා හා එවකට පොරමඩුල්ල මධ්‍යම මහා විද්‍යාලයේ විද්‍යා ගුරුවරයකු වූ සිරිවර්ධන මහතා... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 28/12/09)

THE WISDOM OF PROF. LAKSIRI FERNANDO
L. Jayasooriya
This is in response to a posting "Doctorate to Sarath Fonseka" appearing in the Asian Tribune of Monday the 28th December 2009. I am not responding to Asian Tribune because all what I send to it are returned with the message "Over quota". Also if I want to add any comment there is no provision of a ‘SEND’ button. Lanka Web has a similar problem in replying with the password. Sinhale Hot News is the most efficient and it has no password. I am not writing this in favour or against Gen. Sarath Fonseka but out of... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 28/12/09)

The Future of Sri Lanka
Chitra Sandanayake Sydney
With an open mind without malice and craving for material benefits  and accompanying hatred  towards others and thinking that  “I am always correct “  I decided to write these few lines for the sake of my birth country . Our nature is to criticise and vilify what we think is wrong.  However our thoughts if closely examined are very often prejudiced according to what we would like to think. It is like listening to only your own selected news media. More importantly it is crucial to get to listen to the other side and see any... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 28/12/09)

Fonsymorons are now targeting the Elections Commissioner
Ajit Randeniya
Fonsymorons (backers of Sarath Fonseka) getting desperate. Nothing seems to go right for them!  They are now convinced that the great challenger they decided to pitch against President Rajapakse suffers from an incurable case of the ‘foot in mouth’ disease. They are convinced that Fonseka’s pillow talk with Frederica Jansz, and its aftermath in particular, has been the final nail on his political coffin. Even the monk from Fonseka’s village temple in Ambalangoda has washed his hands off Fonseka!  Another major blow came from President Rajapakse’s assets declaration. The President’s honourable action in declaring the assets, with... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 27/12/09)

Who is the father of the war victory?
Ben Silva
Acknowledgement to Nihal Perera for his valuable contribution towards this article. There are number of reasons why we need to identify who is the father of the war victory. The main reason is that we need to know the leader who actually liberated the country from terrorism, and who stood firm when foreign forces wanted to divide the country to maintain their interests.. The other reason is to challenge those that are propagating false propaganda, that SF alone was responsible for the war victory. There is a need to show that the war victory was team effort... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 27/12/09)

Guttila-Musila Re-enactment
Dilrook Kannangara
The Guththila-Musila story is a popular Buddhist Jataka story. Guttila was a musician par excellence serving king Brahmadatta in the North Indian city of Benares. Musila was an ambitious young man keen on learning the Veena. But when Musila approached Guttila, he was refused. Undeterred, Musila stays in Guttila’s house and attends to his blind parents. Consequently, Guttila agrees to teach him. At first Musila faithfully learns. However, once he attained competency he challenges not only Guttila but also his career. Instead of performing at his native city of Udeni, Musila decides to perform in Benares,... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 27/12/09)

Making Sri Lanka Great
Aloysius Hettiarachchi Brunei
I watched the CNN program ‘Keeping America Great’ at lunch time on Christmas day during a recent visit to Singapore. It featured Bill Gates and Warren Buffet taking a range questions from students of varying backgrounds. It was a great affair with many students, including top business school students from different parts of the world, taking on two of the richest men of the world. Both Gates and Buffet were in agreement that the capitalist system the US has created will be responsible for keeping United States great and that their country will continue to dominate... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 27/12/09)

SWRD, the National dress and Gen. Fonseka
Dr.P.A.Samaraweera, Australia
Immediately after retirement, Gen. Fonseka (Rtd) donned the national dress as he had decided to contest the Presidential elections. There is nothing wrong in anyone having a go at the 'top job'. In fact there are 22 in the race.  In the same way the choice of dress is essentially a private matter and it is a valuable human right protected in Sri Lanka. Therefore, Gen. Fonseka's option to wear whatever dress is recognised as a private right. It is his prerogative. But now there is a valid basis for scrutiny as he has become a public... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 27/12/09)

White Flags, Crushing LTTE Terrorists, Love Gone Sour, Officer but No Gentleman! Hope for 2010:
Prof. Hudson McLean
White Flag waving Terrorists - Dead Terrorists Do Not Kill! History has proven that the LTTE Terrorists were adept at turning White Flag into a Flag with a Growling Angry Tiger Head, many a time. With their backs against a point of no return, even if the LTTE Terrorists waved a White Flag, the SLDF should have proceeded with their offensive. When the SLDF was only a few meters away from liberating Sri Lanka from the Terrorist Scum, there was only one way to go. No PoWs! Would the American Military lower their weapons if Osama... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 26/12/09)

ARJUANA: DON’T INSULT THE INTELLEGENCE OF PEOPLE WITH RUBBISH STATEMENT ABOUT CORRUPTION
By Customs insider
Speaking at the press briefing after joining SF in the Presidential election campaign Arjuna said that during the time he was with MR administration, he spoke about corruption but those who were responsible for frauds and corruption have neither punished, nor investigated. FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES It seems Arjuna Ranatunga has completely forgotten his past, where the evidence of his dishonesty is freely available in the public domain. During the budget vote in 2007 it was so critical that just one vote could have toppled MR’s government and at that sensitive hour Arjuna had the audacity... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 26/12/09)

The Travels of a Journalist—4 MORE OF IRELAND: THOOR BALLYLEE, COOLE PARK, ETC.
By Shelton A. Gunaratne©2010
Two days after the July 1990 Glencolumbkille episode (recounted in the preceding installment), I, “Weligama Podda” [the brat from Weligama] of yore, was eating dinner at the Dunguaire Castle in the seaport village of Kinvara (population 945) on the southeastern shore of Galway Bay. The castle’s 75-foot tower and its encompassing defensive wall stood majestically against the backdrop of the enchanting bay. Not that I was trying to hobnob with the siblings of surgeon and poet Oliver St John Gogarty, who purchased the castle, originally built in 1520 by the Hynes clan, in the early... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 26/12/09)

Only a few people with illusions of grandeur are daft enough to entertain his wishes
Henry. USA
A few days ago, I commented in a little observation I made about us Sri Lankans that we are literate, intelligent, rational and reasonable people, except for some politicians, who in additon to be devoid of any of the above qualities, are also just power-hungry and totally unreliable. Therefore we would neither be amenable, nor would it be necessary for us to have a military government, nor the kind of government the JVP showed us as their ideal in their  idiotic attempts to seize control over us in 1971, and again in 1988/89.    Now, I would like... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 26/12/09)

TO MINISTER MAHINDA SAMARASINGHE - Concerning the Sarath Fonseka Episode
L. Jayasooriya
The country thanks you for the way you handled that Arbour woman and the Pilli woman and others of that type. We also thank you for getting friendly countries to understand the real situation with regard to accusations of human rights violations made by the most sadistically brutal butchers of innocent men, women and children around the world in innumerable instances in many countries and in many places. The world will never forget My Lai, Agent Orange, Lumumba, Pinochet, mass murder of children in Iraq due to sanctions, now Afghanistan and many others but never forgetting how... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 26/12/09)

Please Come Forward to Save a Legacy, Our Beloved Party
  This is not an appeal. This is not a letter sent by a campaign office. This is a letter from the heart sent by a group of UNP members who are very saddened and worried.
    *Dear Friends of the UNP,* This is not an appeal. This is not a letter sent by a campaign office. This is a letter from the heart sent by a group of UNP members who are very saddened and worried. Read this letter. Listen to your heartbeat and then decide. We are not against Mr. Ranil... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 26/12/09)

VICTORY THAT WILL NEVER BE
By: Bassam Javed
Afghanistan has been the battle ground for many outside invaders since centuries but none could prevail therein. The resolute Afghans have always resisted foreign occupation and the respective misadventures turned into “graveyard of empires” over time. The latest in the list is the United States of America, the only super power that invaded Afghanistan in 2001 on the pretext that the planning of the attacks on the ‘World Trade centre’ was done here in Afghanistan. Afghanistan has been annihilated since despite the fact that none of the perpetrators of the 9/11 attack was from Afghanistan. The... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 26/12/09)

CAN US STRATEGY STABILISE AFGHANISTAN
By: Bassam Javed
Sequel to the policy speech on Afghan strategy, various opinions and comments have appeared in the US press indicating that Pakistan needs to expand war against terrorists and extremists to other areas in Pakistan. The New York Times reported in its edition of 8 December that the US has warned Pakistan that its forces would chase Taliban forces in Pakistan if Islamabad does not Then there have been other reports with some acknowledgements of the Pakistani Army’s efforts in confronting the Talibans in South Waziristan. All the reports tantamount to increasing US pressure on Pakistan to... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 26/12/09)

Sri Lanka tsunami aid misappropriated: watchdog
COLOMBO (AFP) – Nearly half a billion dollars in tsunami aid for Sri Lanka is unaccounted for and over 600 million dollars has been spent on projects unrelated to the disaster, an anti-corruption watchdog said Saturday. Berlin-based Transparency International demanded an audit of the money received by the Sri Lankan government to help victims of the Asian tsunami which hit the island on December 26, 2004, killing 31,000 people. The group's Sri Lankan chapter said the public have a right to know how the aid money was spent as the tropical nation marked the fifth anniversary of the tsunami. The... -Full Story- (Yahoo - 26/12/09)

Rupees Four Billion Claimed as Damages From Sri Lanka Guardian For False and Malicious News Items
Colombo, 27 December, (Asiantribune.com): Asian Tribune has sent letters of demand to the owners and publishers of the Sri Lanka Guardian website namely to Mr. Nilantha Ilangamuwa and Mr. Ishara Jayarathne , who are also Editor and News Editor respectively of the Sri Lanka Guardian website, demanding a payment of rupees two billion from each one of them for publishing two separate news items that contained allegations that are false and malicious. The said news items were dated 6th December 2009 and 14th December 2009. The first of them was under the headline "Rajapaksha funding a criminal world journalist" while... -Full Story- (asiantribune.com - 26/12/09)

'Lanka protected kin of LTTE leaders'-FONSEKA HAD JVP TIES WHILE IN SERVICE:
P K Balachandran
COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that the armed forces have protected the families of top LTTE leaders and not killed surrendering Tamil Tigers, as alleged by his rival in the upcoming Presidential election, Gen Sarath Fonseka. “Some are levelling allegations that those who raised white flags were shot and killed. But the troops rescued Prabhakaran’s parents. Even Thamil Chelvam’s wife and child are in a refugee camp. The children of the Sea Tiger leader, Soosai, are with his wife,” Rajapaksa said in Kandy on Friday. FONSEKA HAD JVP TIES WHILE IN SERVICE: The Lankan... -Full Story- (ExpressBuzz - 26/12/09)

Gen.Fonseka (Rtd), Chandrakanthan and the JVP
Dr.P.A.Samaraweera, Australia
One night during the 1987-89 Insurrection, some members of the JVP visited my brother, an army officer, who had come home for a short break after serving the terror stricken areas. He was blindfolded, tied his hands behind his back amidst screams from his wife and children and taken away. They were given strict instructions not to leave the house. Early next morning they received a note with the following burial conditions:  1. The funeral to be held by mid-noon the same day. 2. The coffin was not to be carried shoulder high 3. No decorations within the premises... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 25/12/09)

CIMOGG's fourteen presidential questions
C. Wijeyawickrema, LL.B., Ph.D.
Dr. A. C. Viswalingam (President, The Citizens Movement for Good Governance) asked fourteen questions from  presidential candidates (The Island, 12/20/2009). It is unlikely that anyone of them will come forward with yes or no answers as requested by him. More importantly, because the list includes some questions which are wrong, if answered, we would get wrong answers or irrelevant answers. For example, when that apple fell on his head Isaac Newton did not ask "Why did this apple fall on my head?" Instead, he asked the right question: "Why do apples fall?" Posing public questions... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 25/12/09)

ඇතුලාන්තය -වසන්ත කරන්නාගොඩ සමග-ස්‍වාදීන රූපවාහිනිය
... -Full Story- (video.itn.lk - 25/12/09)

Politics of hatred and vengeance
Political correspondent
The former Army Commander giving his first press conference gave two reasons for his resignation from military service. One was the refusal of the government to raise the Army strength by another 100,000 personnel. The other was the turning down of his request for more power or commanding power over the Armed Forces as Chief of Defence Staff. Both these issues were beyond his purview as they involved political decisions. Such decision-making, naturally is a matter for the political authorities. Had these powers and requests been granted he would not have resigned. This means reasons for his... -Full Story- (Daily News - 25/12/09)

Fonseka’s differing reasons for leaving army unacceptable – Govt.
by Zacki Jabbar
General Sarath Fonseka has been giving different reasons for leaving the army and none of them are tenable, the government said. Media Minister Anura Priyadharsahana Yapa, addressing the cabinet press briefing in Colombo, alleged that Fonseka as the then Chief of Defence Staff, was disappointed because "his request" to purchase military equipment worth US$222.4 million from China, three months after the war had ended, was turned down by Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa. Yapa also produced a copy of a weekly newspaper, where the former CDS is quoted to have said that the Rajapaksa regime was... -Full Story- (The Island - 25/12/09)

China to provide $410 m soft loan for Lankan projects
COLOMBO: China has entered into three framework agreements for providing concessional funding to Sri Lanka amounting to $410 million for infrastructure development, which includes an international airport. The agreements were signed by the Secretary to the Sri Lankan Treasury, Mr P B Jayasundera and Chinese Vice-Minister of Commerce, Mr Chen Jian, during the former’s three-day official visit to China, a Sri Lankan foreign ministry statement said here. Under this agreement, the Chinese government will provide concessional funding for various projects including the country’s second international airport at Mattala in the south east. An annual grant agreement was also signed with... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 25/12/09)

A plot against Sri Lanka in the backyard of the UNP leaders
By K.T.Rajasingham
Colombo, 26 December, (Asiantribune.com): Asian Tribune reliably learnt that a few Ambassadors from the European Union countries and the American Embassy diplomats are meeting secretly with the opposition presidential candidate on a regular basis. It is not known why these Ambassadors and diplomats are meeting this particular presidential candidate. Asian Tribune learnt that these ambassadors are meeting the opposition candidate at the house of a UNP stalwart. The purpose of these secret meetings by some EU country ambassadors and American diplomats including the Madam Ambassador is said to be intriguing.... -Full Story- (asiantribune.com - 25/12/09)

While Fonseka is barking the wrong tree the Navy seize Prabhakaran's escape ship
Dr.P.A.Samaraweera, Australia
 Gen.Fonseka's (Rtd) statement levelling charges against the Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse had led to his condemnation from various quarters.  It had sparked the UN thereby asking Colombo to explain the circumstances of the death of 3 LTTE cadres, who in the eyes of the Sri Lankan government are terrorists. But to the west they are 'good terrorists' due to LTTE funding.  The west is envying Sri Lankan victory as they are still battling with the anti-west terrorists such as Al-Qaeda, Hamas etc. A couple of weeks ago the US President announced his decision to send 30,000 more... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 24/12/09)

An Open letter to all Political Parties and Politicians who wish to govern this Country in the Years to come. (Some Random Thoughts on Good Governance and Democracy in Sri Lanka)
Dr. Sudath Gunasekara President Mahanuwara Senior Citizens Movement
Everybody these days is talking about ‘good governance’ and ‘Democracy’ although none of those who alternatively come to power, pledging for good governance and democracy is least concerned about them after assuming power. They are only empty political slogans used as catch words and baits to hook the voters. They all promise sun and moon at the elections but conveniently forget about the promises so made immediately after they come to power and carry on the governance for their own convenience. Good governance means different things to different people. But for... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 24/12/09)

Sri Lanka: Sarath Fonseka's allegations of War Crimes
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1 . Canada
Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1 . Canada Christmas Eve, 2009  Prof.  Phillip Alston U.N. Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Execution   United Nations Human Rights Council   Geneva, Switzerland  Dear Prof. Alston: I don’t envy your job trying to make the world a better place to live and in the process trying to unravel and understand the vindictive story-tellers trying to implicate their opponents with unsubstantiated war crimes, and get your good-self involved to get their dirty work accomplished. The allegation made by Sri... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 24/12/09)

Re Letter to Government of Sri Lanka, Dec.18,2009 - Deaths of Three LTTE Terrorists
Ira de Silva London, Canada
Mr. Philip Alston Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland. Dear Sir:  Reference your letter of December 18,2009 to the Government of Sri Lanka regarding the circumstances of the deaths of three senior members of the LTTE namely Nadesan, Pulidevan and Ramesh as well as their family members in the night of May 17 to 18 May,2009, I have to commend you on your prompt action. With regard to the LTTE it appears that your reaction is immediate. There are still no reports on any action or response from... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 24/12/09)

OPEN LETTER TO PHILLIP ALSTON - I SAID “KILL THE BASTURDS”
By Stanley Perera from Melbourne
My dear Phillip, You are calling for an explanation from my country Sri Lanka for killing THREE HARD CORE TAMIL TIGER TERRORIS LTTE LEADERS WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE OF KILLING 75000 UNARMED INNOCENT CIVILIANS based on an unfounded hear say gossip monger’s loose talk. If UNO takes serious action on the gossip, there must be a hidden motive and UNO is being manoeuvred by somecorrupt officers of the UNO. ALAN ROCK. UNO ambassador Alan Rock submitted a report to the UNO against Sri Lanka government purely based on hear say information. Patriotic Sri Lankans from... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 24/12/09)

Sri Lanka Government makes arrangements for IDPs to vote
Source: Government of Sri Lanka
Date: 23 Dec 2009 Provision of facilities for internally displaced persons to cast their votes at a different polling station Section 119B of Act No. 15 of 1981 for the election of the President Internally displaced persons who are scared to go to his or her polling station in view of the prevailing security situation in the area can request to make arrangements to enable him or her to cast his or her vote at another polling station. Since a considerable number of applications have not been received so far for this facility... -Full Story- (Relief Web - 24/12/09)

Varsity to start study centre in Sri Lanka
Special Correspondent
CHENNAI: The University of Madras will start study centres for the benefit of Tamil students in Sri Lanka, Madras University Chancellor G. Thiruvasagam has said. The draft plan to commence classes from July, 2010, was mooted during a discussion with Vadivel Krishnamoorthy, Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in Southern India. Mr. Krishnamoorthy had called on the Vice Chancellor on Thursday to discuss the modalities of establishing study centres in the vicinity of the refugee camps in the Northern Eastern and Central regions of Sri Lanka.... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 24/12/09)

We Look Back with Sadness, But We Look Forward with Hope
Mahinda Rajapaksa
This time of year is a period for reflection for many people around the world. For the people of Sri Lanka it brings back acutely painful memories, but also for the first time in many years, a genuine sense of hope. On December 26, 2004, one of the worst natural disasters in modern times befell our country and we required aid and other support from the world on an unprecedented scale. The tsunami that struck the length of Sri Lanka's eastern coast and enshrouded the island had a devastating effect. In a matter of moments, over 40,000 people... -Full Story- (Yahoo - 24/12/09)

Lanka seeks investments in IT, auto parts sectors
Our Bureau
Chennai, Dec 24 Indian investors could look at their neighbour Sri Lanka for investments in a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, dairy, fisheries and manufacturing sectors, according to Mr Vadivel Krishnamoorthy, Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka. After nearly three decades of strife, peace has come to Sri Lanka which is now looking to fully exploit the benefits of a liberalised economy Mr Krishnamoorthy said. Sri Lanka was among the earliest in South Asia to open up its economy in the 1970s. It now has a lot of catching up to do. The North and the... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 24/12/09)

Letter on U.N. queries withdrawn: Colombo
B. Muralidhar Reddy
COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan government on Thursday announced that the letter sent by Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights Rajiva Wijesinghe in response to questions raised by U.N. Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Summary or Arbitrary Executions Phillip Alston, on charges made by the former Army Chief Sarath Fonseka against Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa about the sequence of events in the last phase of Eelam War IV (May 16 to 19), should be treated as withdrawn. The letter and its withdrawal have embarrassed the Mahinda Rajapaksa government as the ruling combine and the... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 24/12/09)

Sarath Fonseka is sliding fast to the dustbin of Sri Lankan history
Ajit Randeniya
Philip Alston is a very busy man. Since 2004 he has been occupying one of the UN ‘Special Rapporteur’ positions, a la Radhika Coomaraswamy and other ‘pets’ of those who run the world from their US, EU and UN bases.  Alston’s job description emphasises the need for ‘visits’ to countries around the world to investigate allegations of all those horrible crimes the ‘non-white’ world is renowned for, and has to be saved from. He has been ‘crying out’ for a visit to Sri Lanka for quite a while; his latest plea was on 31 August 2009 when... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 23/12/09)

මාධ්‍ය සාකච්ඡාවක්
සම්බන්ධීකරණය චන්ද්‍රසේන පණ්ඩිතගේ
ප්‍රශ්නය: මහත්මයාණෙනි, ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ජනාධිපති මැතිවරණයට ඇත්තේ ඉතාමත් කෙටි කාලයක්, මේ මැතිවරණය හා බැදුන ගැටලු රාශියක් රට පුරා පැන නැගී තියෙනවා, මේ ගැටලු වලට පැහැදිලිව පිලිතුරු දිය හැකි අයෙකු අද ජනතා විමුක්ති පෙරමුණ නම් වූ දේශපාලන පක්ෂයෙන් සොයා ගැනීම අසීරු කරුණක්, එකම ප්‍රශ්නයට එක එක නියෝජිතයින් විවිධ පිලිතුරු සපයනවා, මෙය මාධ්‍යවේදීන්ට මහත් අපහසුවක්, ඒ නිසයි අප ඔබ හමුවට පැමිණියේ. මේ වනවිට ජනතා විමුක්ති පෙරමුණ ජෙනරල් සරත් ෆොන්සේකා මහතාට සහය දීමට තීරණය කර හමාරයි; ඔබ මේ තීරණය සම්බන්ධව දරන ආකල්පය කුමක්ද? පිලිතුර: මේ සමාජය මහා සංකීර්ණ සමාජයක්; මේ සමාජය තුල පවතින වැදගත්ම ඒකකය මිනිසායි. අපට පෙනෙන මිනිසා... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 23/12/09)

FROM HERO TO A ZERO!
JAY PATHBEY - USA
When the leader of the UNP requested that people should carry a massive; 1) Poster Campaign 2) Break Kala Gedi (pots) 3) Blow car horns to bring down President Rajapaksa, he showed his political acumen and the methods he has up his sleeve to bring down the Presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa. That was not too long ago.  Then the UNP leader used Fonseka, a General with good soldier credentials but no political brain or brawn, to make stupid and foolish remarks that has far reaching consequences in the world arena for Sri Lanka by stating... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 23/12/09)

Colombo may move against Fonseka
B. Muralidhar Reddy COLOMBO: A Cabinet meeting presided by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake on Wednesday took serious note of the recent allegations made in the media by General (retired) Sarath Fonseka and the consequences arising from it. It announced that it was contemplating “whatever action necessary including legal” against the retired General and presidential contender. General Sarath Fonseka recently levelled charges against Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa on events of the last phase of the war against the LTTE. It is immediately not clear if the contemplated action against the former Army Chief would have any repercussions on his... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 23/12/09)

S.Lanka threatens legal action over war crimes claim
COLOMBO (AFP) – Sri Lanka threatened on Wednesday to take legal action against its former military chief over his claims that troops had committed war crimes against Tamil Tiger rebels. Former army chief Sarath Fonseka claimed this month that Sri Lankan troops shot dead surrendering Tamil leaders on the orders of the defence secretary during the final stages of 37-year conflict in May. "We are looking into taking some sort of legal action against general Fonseka in line with the constitution and the laws of the country," Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told reporters. His remarks came a day after... -Full Story- (Yahoo - 23/12/09)

Seized ship was for Prabhakaran escape
T.V. Sriram Colombo Dec. 22: Tamil Tigers may have kept ready MV Princess Cristina — a cargo ship seized by the Sri Lankan Navy — as a getaway vessel for its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and others from the northern war zone during the last phase of the 30-year-old civil war. The cargo ship, which is suspected to be the largest Tamil Tiger arms smuggling ship, was seized by the Sri Lankan Navy from an undisclosed port abroad based on information given by detained LTTE leader Selvarasa Pathamanathan. "It is also learnt that the vessel had been kept ready to make... -Full Story- (Asian Age - 23/12/09)

Weapons-carrying cargo plane headed for Sri Lanka
BANGKOK – A plane seized in Bangkok with a cache of North Korean weapons wasn't headed to Iran, a senior Thai police official said Wednesday, contradicting a report from arms trafficking experts. Separately, the five-man crew insisted their final destination was Sri Lanka and not Iran, their lawyer said after visiting the jailed men. Defense attorney Somsak Saithong told The Associated Press the crew also denied any knowledge of accused international weapons trafficker Victor Bout, who is in the same prison battling extradition to the United States on terrorism charges. There has been much speculation since the plane was impounded... -Full Story- (Yahoo - 23/12/09)

Sri Lanka stocks hit record high, have doubled this year
COLOMBO, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan shares .CSE hit a record high of 3,337.85 in the first 40 minutes of trade on Wednesday, surpassing a previous record set on Tuesday. Analysts said that investors were positioning ahead of Jan. 26 presidential polls and the New Year. The bourse has more than doubled this year. Analysts said net foreign buying last week of about 2.3 billion rupees boosted sentiment that has carried into this week. Net foreign inflows from the end of last year to Dec. 22 stood at 367.6 million rupees.... -Full Story- (Reuters - 23/12/09)

Fonseka and Ranil deserve each other
H. L. D. Mahindapala
Never in the annals of military warfare has an army commander led his forces successfully against the enemy and then turned around and fired indiscriminately on his own forces. But Sarath Fonseka, whose chest is overloaded with medals earned by the blood and sweat of his foot soldiers, will be remembered forever for doing just that. By accusing the forces of committing crimes they had never done, as stated by him, he has brought dishonour to himself, his army and the nation that stood by him all the way for him to claim the glory... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/12/09)

Nadesan, Pulidevan and Ramesh were terrorists
Malin Abeyatunge
Sarath Fonseka's most devastating statement saying that Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa illegally ordered Major-General Shavendra Silva to kill LTTE cadres who wished to surrender, has given ample ammunition to the western block of the international community. Following it, the UN has already started to probe his statement seeking clarification from SLUN Representative in Geneva. According to latest reports in the media (The Island, 22/12/2009) quote "The UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary and Arbitrary Executions, Philip Aston, has asked the government to provide explanations with regard to the circumstances leading to the deaths of three senior LTTE... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/12/09)

AN OPEN CAUTIONARY LETTER TO SARATH FONSEKA -BEST REMAINING SERVICE SARATH FONSEKA CAN DO TO THE NATION TODAY
Shripal Nishshanka
Dear Sarath Fonseka, You can boast till you die that you are the sole owner of the victory of eradicating the brutal terrorism from my motherland Sri Lanka. You were definitely a 'Part' of it, no doubt, but now your part of participation in that historical victory has been nullified, diminished and destroyed by nobody else but by yourself. Now the best of the best service which you can do to the country which you were born is to be silent, resign from the presidential race without degrading the victory which our bravest armed forces and civilians... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/12/09)

UN probe into possible war crimes
Dr.P.A.Samaraweera, Australia
In an interview to the Sunday leader (13 Dec.) Gen. (Retd.) Fonseka had alleged that 3 LTTE leaders who came to surrender with white flags during the final stages were shot dead by ground troops and this had now led to a UN probe.  Based on Gen. Fonseka's allegation against the heroic forces the UN Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Summary, Philip Alston, has demanded an explanation from the government on his statement.  In this connection it would be interesting to note the UN Rapporteur's reference to 3 LTTE surrenderees when thousands of LTTE fighters had surrendered and were... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/12/09)

IT IS TIME TO ACT
Janaki Chandraratna, Western Australia
The forthcoming Presidential election in recent times has unearthed a heavy load of sludge and morass as expected. The allegations and slander broadcast in the media are patently bewildering to the unsuspecting electorate. The opposition candidate’s (SF’s) actions and utterances are more akin to that of a chameleon rather than a retired army commander. It is very apparent that the motives and the impact of SF’s actions are indeed a threat to the integrity and sovereignty our country. His allegations on the conduct of the terrorist war, although denied later, have given much awaited opportunities... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/12/09)

OVER MY DEAD BODY
Ranjit Wickremeratne
Not even six months passed after the liberation of our motherland the murderous LTTE is trying again to raise their ugly head with the help of our Sinhala traitors. Can we allow as a free nation these ruthless killers or their Sinhala cowards to take our freedom back? While Tamil diaspora make so much noise hiding behind their white masters in the western countries to have a seperate land on their own our traitors Ranil and Sarath company with the help of LTTE calaborators Mano and Alles going around the country telling lies and lies to tarnish... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/12/09)

OPEN LETTER TO UNO GENERAL SECRETARY BANKY MOON -UNO MUST BE FAIR AND RESPONSIBLE
BY STANLEY PERERA FROM MELBOURNE
UNO representative in Colombo. Please ensure that this open letter is delivered to General Secretary Banky Moon. Dear Sir, The UNO is calling for an explanation from Sri Lanka on a statement made by the retired army commander Sarath Fonseka regarding the killing of three hard core Tamil Tiger LTTE Terrorists leaders. THREE HARD CORE TAMIL TIGER TERRORIST LEADERS who are responsible in killing 75,000 innocent and unarmed civilians. The UNO is acting on hear say news broadcast by a news media. There is no complaint made by any single individual. Hence UNO is... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/12/09)

Drone’s Phobia & Obama’s Strategy
I A Khanzada
President Barack Obama has finally announced his long-awaited new US strategy on Afghanistan after extensive consultations with his advisers: some wanted to increase 30,000 additional troops so that they could concentrate their effort in the south and southeast, in the provinces that border Pakistan, while others advocated at concentrating on the strongholds from where the terrorists are launching their attacks including areas in Quetta, Pakistan. While spelling out the new US Strategy for AfPak on December 2, 2009, President Obama said “we cannot tolerate a safe haven for terrorists whose location is known and whose intentions... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/12/09)

Combating Terrorism
By Alam Rind
There is no doubt about the fact that we are at war. A war which is no more confined to borders rather it has altered its form to accommodate fragile nuclear hangover prevailing in the Sub-continent. In this war soldiers, civilians, women and children are being targeted by terrorists with out any discrimination. They would target any place they can reach out to with total disregard to its sanctity or who their victims would be. Religious scholars have already pronounced them as non-Muslims, because none of the sects of Islam allows self mutilation or killing of... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/12/09)

Pak-India Dialogue: The Third Party Window
Momin Iftikhar
There is no force so powerful as an idea whose time has come – Victor Hugo Notwithstanding the fact that Simla Agreement makes no concession to India on the issue of Kashmir nor compromises Pakistan’s Kashmir stance based on UN resolutions, the Indian obsessive insistence on ‘bilateralism’ has become a major stumbling block in achieving a breakthrough in a host of bilateral issues that need to be resolved immediately. Indian moribund insistence is not only beginning to have ramifications that are giving a fillip to the wave of terrorism engulfing Pakistan and Afghanistan but is also exponentially... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/12/09)

Lanka asks UN to withdraw war allegations
P KBalachandran | ENS
Sri Lanka has asked Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial killings and Arbitrary Executions, to withdraw his letter seeking clarifications on the alleged killing of three top LTTE leaders who had approached the Sri Lankan army lines to surrender as per prior arrangement in the final days of Eelam War IV. In a video interview to Ada Derana news website, Rajiva Wijesinha, Secretary to the Ministry of Human Rights, said that the letter was based only comments made by Gen.Sarath Fonseka in a newspaper interview, comments which he disowned the same day. Wijesinha said... -Full Story- (ExpressBuzz - 22/12/09)

US & Indian reports expose anti-national Ranil
H. L. D. Mahindapala
Even before the presidential election could get into first gear Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Vice President of the International Democratic Union (IDU) -- a club of the right-wing Christians of the West including Bush, Blair and John Howard of Australia -- is dodging the critical issue that is before the nation: Is he with his right-wing Christian leaders in the West pressing for tribunals to try Sri Lankan forces that waged a successful war against the Tamil Tiger terrorists or not?  When he was asked in India what his stand was on the allegations made by... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 21/12/09)

Bandit Queen Chandrika Joins Bandit King Chandralal
Kumar Moses
Gardihewa Sarath Chandralal Fonseka is joined by Chandrika Kumaratunga in their latest attempt to loot the country. Chandrika claimed that she would not join murderers and thieves but she has joined the same people she called murderers and thieves. This has raised eyebrows of the concerned public. Contrary to the popular belief Sri Lankans have short memories, they in fact have good memories. They remember how Chandrika called the UNP government where Ranil was the Prime Minister, corrupt and murderous. She blamed Ranil for hundreds of murders that took place in a place called ‘Batalanda’. She even... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 21/12/09)

Two claimants to be Executive PM., Ranil and Fonseka !!!
Dr.P.A.Samaraweera, Australia
The Sunday Leader of 20th Dec. reported that Ranil had said, "...Sri Lanka's opposition party is supporting the cadidature of Gen.Fonseka in order to abolish executive presidency in the country..." He had also added that, "... In a caretaker government he hopes to function as Executive PM..."  The opposition leader having failed to field a candidate from the UNP for the first time in its entire history is bragging about being the Executive PM, obviously using Fonseka as a cat's paw.  Against this, apart from ideological differences between the JVP and the UNP, the former had voiced... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 21/12/09)

99.8 percent say yes to Tamil Eelam in Canada referendum
Jay Pathbey - USA
It is quite interesting to note Tamilnet's claim that 99.8 percent in Canada say yes to Tamil Eelam. What it states is that of all the people who voted for the so called referendum, in Canada 99.8 percent said yes to Tamil Eeelam. In a similar story last week 99 percent of those voted in Paris, France for a similar referendum voted yes to Tamil Eelam.  The irony is that in the case of Canada out of 265,00 tamils eligible to vote in Toronto only 48,583 turned out to vote and in the case of... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 21/12/09)

Fonseka's venom fuels UN probe
Editorial Island -Courtesy The Island 
When the UNF government infamously committed the treacherous act of having a safe house of the army long rangers raided in 2002, exposing their identities and causing them to be eliminated by the LTTE, people called it the biggest ever betrayal of the Sri Lanka army. But, former Army Commander Gen. (Retd) Sarath Fonseka has done something equally bad. He has levelled a serious war crimes charge against the Sri Lanka army and the government and given a turbo boost to the on-going international human rights witch-hunt against this country. The UN has called... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 21/12/09)

Sri Lankan Civilians Use Highway Closed for 24 Years During War
By Paul Tighe
Dec. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Sri Lanka let civilians use the main highway to the northern Jaffna peninsula for the first time in 24 years as the government tries to rebuild the region after defeating the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in May. “Any citizen can now travel on the A-9 road using either private transport or public transport with no restrictions whatsoever,” senior presidential adviser Basil Rajapaksa said yesterday, according to the Defense Ministry Web site. Security forces seized the highway from the LTTE in January. The army began using the road in March for... -Full Story- (Bloomberg - 21/12/09)

Sri Lanka bourse hits record highs
COLOMBO, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's main stock index .CSE hit a record high on Monday, as investors stepped up their buying ahead of the year end. "Market is back on its feet and running," said Prasanna Chandrasekara associate director at Asia Securities stockbrokers in Colombo. "People are getting in to positions before the elections and ahead of new year." The All-Share Price Index was up 0.9 percent at 3,216.44 after touching the all time peak of 3,216.44 earlier.... -Full Story- (in.reuters.com - 21/12/09)

Asylum seekers blackmailed Rudd: Abbott
The granting of asylum to two Sri Lankans involved in the Oceanic Viking stand-off shows the government had been "blackmailed into giving people what they wanted", Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says. Mr Abbott, who was the guest of his deputy Julie Bishop in Perth on Monday, said Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had shown he was "too ready" to give away Australia's sovereignty. The federal government has revealed that a Sri Lankan pair involved in the Oceanic Viking stand-off have been sent to Australia on the recommendation of the UN High Commission for Refugees.... -Full Story- (news.smh.com.au - 21/12/09)

UN asks Sri Lanka to explain alleged Tamil
executionsLast Updated: 16 hours 18 minutes ago The United Nations has asked Sri Lanka to explain allegations by a retired army general that surrendering Tamil rebel leaders were killed in cold blood. The Sri Lankan presidency says the U-N wants an explanation of what had happened to three rebel leaders and their families who wanted to surrender in mid May. The government says it is "making a careful study" of the U-N request.... -Full Story- (radioaustralianews.net.au - 21/12/09)

Lakhs of Lankan Tamils may not vote election
P K Balachandran
COLOMBO: Lakhs of Tamils of North Sri Lanka may not cast their vote in the upcoming preside­ntial election because of lack of identity cards or due to la­ck of interest, given the trauma they underwent during the war and as refugees in ca­mps ringed by barbed wire. As per official estimates maximum 10,000 Tamil refugees have registered to vote and this is far below the total refugee voting population of 200,000. “We did distributed application forms to the refugees in the camps and also instru­cted the local authorities to distribute them among the refugees, who are... -Full Story- (ExpressBuzz - 21/12/09)

LTTE arms ship seized: Navy
B. Muralidhar ReddyCOLOMBO: The Sri Lankan Navy on Monday seized what they said was a ship used by the LTTE for arms smuggling in the waters of an undisclosed country. The ship, Princess Christina, was escorted to the Colombo Navy shipyard. “The ship is 89 m in length and had been utilised for arms smuggling and human trafficking. Under directions of the Defence Secretary Mr. Gothabaya Rajapaksa, the assets that belonged to the LTTE are now being acquired by the country,” said the Defence Ministry. It quoted the Defence Secretary as saying all LTTE assets would be utilised for the... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 21/12/09)

India to fund rail projects in Sri Lanka
COLOMBO: India on Monday extended a line of credit of $425 million to Sri Lanka for three rail projects to be executed by IRCON International, a company under the Ministry of Railways, in the war-ravaged northern province.... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 21/12/09)

UN presses Sri Lanka over Tamil Tiger killings
The Sri Lankan government says the UN has asked it to explain allegations that Tamil Tiger rebel leaders were executed as they tried to surrender. The president's office said it was studying the request and would take any action necessary. The claims - rejected by the government - were first made in a Sri Lankan newspaper and attributed to Sri Lankan ex-military chief Gen Sarath Fonseka.... -Full Story- (BBC - 21/12/09)

A ‘President’ Fonseka in February 2010 would be ‘boiling snow’
Ajit Randeniya
The saga of Sarath Fonseka’s Presidential campaign is proving to be a farce that will easily outdo that of the 2008 campaign of Sarah Pelin . The possibility of a future ’President Fonseka’ taking office has already become a logical inconsistency similar to ’boiling snow’. The simple reasons are that the man is corrupt; dishonest; and has no ability or experience required for such a high position. Fonseka’s anti-corruption platform has no credibility following his acceptance of the offer of a new residence owned by a Colombo businessman who is a known LTTE and UNF financier, and... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 20/12/09)

මහින්ද චින්තනය- දෙවන භාගය
චන්ද්‍රසිරි විජයවික්‍රම
හැඳින් වීම
        මහින්ද ච්න්තනයේ ප්‍රථම භාගය 2005 නොවැම්බර් මාසයෙන් ඇරඹී 2009 දෙසැම්බර් මස අවසාන වීමට නියමිතය.  විදේශීය බලවේග හා එකතු වුන ජාති විරෝධී කොටස් වලට එරෙහිව ජය ගත් එම මැතිවරණයේ මූලික පොරොන්දුව වූයේ රට දෙකඩ වීමෙන් ගලවා දී මය. අවුරුදු 40 ක් පමණ කාලයක් තුබූ හිඟන්නාගේ තුවාලයක් ඇලඩින්ගේ පුදුම පහණක් බවට හරවා ගැනීමටත්, කවදාවත් ම දිනන්න බැරි යැයි කී යුද්ධයක් අවුරුදු 3 කටත් අඩු කාලයකින් නිම කිරීමටත්  මහින්ද රාජපක්‍ෂ ජනාධිපතිතුමාට හැකි වූයේ  රටේ දේශපාලන ක්‍රමයේ (රාමුවේ) පවතින කට්ට කයිරාටික කම් මෙන්ම යහපත් ගතිගුන ගැනද ඔහුට අවුරුදු 40 ක අත්දැකීමක් තිබුණ නිසාය.          මේ නිසා 2005... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 20/12/09)

REJECT PARTY POLITICS AND VOTE FOR THE PERSON YOU THINK BEST.
RANJIT WICKREMERATNE
Dear Friends and collegues this coming Presidential elections is very important to all of our citizens because this is the first time in thirty yeras we are having a free elections all over the country under one proud lion flag. Now the current government 's duty is to have a free peaceful elections without any violence or intimidation. We need to have an elections in a carnival atmosphere with both sides enjoy the freedom we got after the brutal war with LTTE terrorists. This is our land and everything we do is for us not for any conspirators... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 20/12/09)

INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL EXPERT- Validates Channel 4 tape depicting execution of Tiger prisoners
L. Jayasooriya
We all thought that the government has proved beyond doubt that the channel 4 tape was a fake and on the refusal of the BBC to admit it the government has gone to Courts in UK on this matter but Tissaranee Gunasekere writing to the Asian Tribune on Sunday the 20th December 2009 tells us that the Channel 4 tape depicting the execution of Tiger prisoners by Lankan soldiers has been validated by an independent international expert. The following is a quote from her posting “Threats from within and Spectres from the Past” Begin quote …Sri Lanka... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 20/12/09)

Sustainable Leadership
By Manisha Fernando
Watching  the recent socio-economic developments in the country, I kept wondering whether we Sri Lankans were indeed cursed to always “miss a golden opportunity” for becoming the most developed nation in the region having vanquished the most ruthless terrorist outfit in the world! No doubt, it was leadership, courage, dedication and supreme sacrifices that won the three decade long war that previous governments failed to win as a result of poor leadership during those eras. The victory was not limited to defeating the terrorists but also other forces that were hell bent in destabilizing this island... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/09)

The Dirty Politics Of The UNF Camp Could Trigger Off A Rajapaksha Landslide!
Insight By Sunil Kumar
Dec.19th 2009  The desperation in the Sarath Fonseka power grab attempt at any cost casting aside his loyalties to his former CEO the President of Sri Lanka seems to be growing and the Nation needs to be made aware of it emphatically. It could however work out favourably for The President in the long haul!!  Retd. Gen. Sarath Fonseka ~ Presidential aspirant seems to be possessed of a rabid determination towards acheiving his goal, one which many analysts beleive is doomed to failure based purely on the disloyalties he has already shown towards the administrators... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/09)

Fonseka's Myopia
 Sanjaya Somasiri - Courtesy defence.lk
Management Expert Alec McKenzie once wrote "errant assumptions lie at the root of most failures". Presidential candidate, S. Fonseka has made a wrong assumption when he decided to join hands with the forces that were acting against Sri Lanka. His recent statement to a Sunday newspaper, in which he accused Sri Lankan soldiers of killing surrendered LTTE cadres, is the first omen of his failure in politics. Retired General S. Fonseka gained popularity for his involvement in the successful humanitarian operation that brought the end to the three decades of bloodshed. Perhaps he did... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/09)

Politics In Sri Lanka & The Hypocrisy That Goes With It
By Darmitha
The upcoming Presidential Elections have taken a twist which came quite suddenly on Sri Lankans due to the bankrupt politics of the JVP and the UNP whose leadership finally discovered that they did not have a strong enough candidate to pose a challenge to President Mahinda Rajapakse. True to their nature, they cornered General Sarath Fonseka into joining hands with them as their common candidate.  Whatever the reasons may be, for the forthcoming Presidential Elections we see many faces and many facets surfacing as a challenge to President Mahinda Rajapakse which goes to show, that anti-national forces... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/09)

SARATH FONSEKA IS A VERY POOR MAN
L. Jayasooriya
Judging by the assets that SF has declared as given in the front page of the Island on Saturday 19th December he is a pauper compared to even some provincial councillors, never mentioning others. SF has also said that he has no assets other than what he has now made public. His total assets are 6.4 lakhs in his bank account and a 15 perch land at Piliyandala which he has mortgaged to obtain a loan. He has also pledged to declare his assets annually. If that is so, how is he paying one million rupees a... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/09)

ARJUNA ATTARCTS TO SARATH FONSEKA AS GARBAGE ATTRACTS TO TRASH
Shripal Nishshanka Fernando
The Sinhalese proverb "Kunu Godata Kunu Ekathu Wey" is recently proven again by the latest member of ‘The Club of Traitors of Sri Lanka’ Arjuna Ranatunga. Although he was a good cricketer his most indecent and selfish behaviour demonstrates his unsporting character. He is very lacking of sportsman qualities as one does not qualifies as a true sportsman just because he plays the game well. A good sportsman thoroughly believes in manners and always leads with exemplary behaviour. It is true that Arjuna protected the interest of Sri Lanka in few occasions in cricket and captained... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/09)

Arjuna…Another Case of Vendetta against President Mahinda Rajapaksa
Malin Abeyatunge
The reasons for Arjuna Ranatunga’s decision to support Sarath Fonseka (SF) as reported in the print media were that SF is honest and has a vision to re-establish democracy and eradicate corruption. Let us discuss each of his reasons. He will be honest until SF declares his assets both here and overseas. He says SF has a vision to re-establish democracy and the question is whether has he got any vision other than what has been borrowed from UNP and JVP? Further, what’s there to re-establish democracy? We already have a flourishing democracy with all elections held... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/09)

GOVERNMENT GETS TOUGH WITH EU
L. Jayasooriya
MR gave us pride and self respect when Milliband and his friend came to order him to stop the war so that they could make use of Prabakaran to do all their dirty work in South Asia. MR did not even meet with them. They had to go to some remote place and meet with him under a tree.  These two were the emissaries from America the same as our famous Akashi who transited the Eastern meridian a total of 36 times (18 coming and 18 going)  to get us to accept 4.5 billion dollars that never... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/09)

Is Sri Lanka a failed State?
By Mario Perera, Kadawata
I refer to the enlightened article by Mr.J.Jayasundera. The writer must be congratulated for his courageous depiction of the ‘despicable state’ of things in Sri Lanka. The time has come to call a spade a spade. Holding pujas of whatever nature to whomsoever would not only not help Sri Lanka’s cause but will also precipitate the ultimate decadence. This situation gives the forthcoming presidential elections an absolutely vital importance. The question however to be asked is, “is this decadent trend beyond salvation?”  Let us consider the executive presidency which has become such a focal point.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/09)

The Travels of a Journalist—3 AN IRISH ESCAPADE IN GLENCOLUMBKILLE
By Shelton A. Gunaratne©2010
I created adventure out of my global peregrinations even after I turned 50.  I was thinking as if I were a man of half that age when I got engrossed in jogging along the towpaths of the canals of London, the alleys of Tianjin, the footpaths of Happawana or around the golf course in Moorhead, where I live.   My sense of adventure and my proclivity to explore in relative solitude put me in a situation of unexpected danger during a two-week tour of Ireland involving some 1,262 km of travel in July 1990. After... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/09)

THE REAL TERRORIST
ALI SUKHANVER
 Some times the hunter becomes the hunt and the gunner himself becomes a target. A few weeks back an international conference on terrorism was organized at Vigyan Bhavan, India. Most of the speakers were well known scholars and lawyers from all over the world. Everything was going smooth but suddenly it all became very bitter and tense when the former Union Law Minister and senior lawyer, Ram Jethmalani, alleged that ‘Wahabism’ was responsible for terrorism throughout the world. In his address, Mr. Jethmalani, who is president of the All-India Senior Advocates Association, said: “Unfortunately in the 17th... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/09)

SAVE OUR SOULS FROM ‘AFSPA’
ALI SUKHANVER The writer is a Pakistan based bilingual analyst on international defense and strategic affairs.
Human rights violation is one of the most grievous problems of today’s modern and so-called civilized society. Every year so many innocent people have to be a victim of human rights violations throughout the world. The system of the law enforcing agencies tries to shelter and safeguard these rights to the maximum extent but sometimes the situation becomes very painful when these agencies themselves prove a fatal weapon against these rights. Recently the Asian Human Rights Commission has released a report with the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/09)

Copenhagen climate summit ends with a deal
Nava Thakuria in Copenhagen
The world witnessed for almost two weeks how the negotiations went on during the UN global climate conference in the freezing cold Danish capital. The conference, the biggest in the history of mankind for the cause of environment, witnessed the participation of over 130 heads of government and states from around the globe, where every one initially remarked that the summit must not be failed. But the latest series of negotiation and discussion proved that the division between the developed and developing remained intact. The repeated opposition and adjournment of the meetings delayed the acceptance... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/09)

Lanka mulls legal action if EC suspends GSP trade concessions
Colombo: The European Commission (EC) has temporarily suspend the GSP plus trade concession to Sri Lanka because of its poor human rights record prompting Colombo to consider legal options. The Sri Lankan threat comes as its garment industry to a great extent is dependent on the GSP Plus facility for its survival and it is estimated that the fate of over 100,000 jobs and over USD 2 billion in export earnings hang on country getting the facility extended for 2009-2011.... -Full Story- (zeenews.com - 19/12/09)

Gothabaya seeks damages
B. Muralidhar Reddy
COLOMBO: Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa has demanded rupees one billion in damages from the English weekly Sunday Leader if it fails to apologise for publishing two allegedly defamatory articles. In a letter to the Publisher and Editor of the weekly, a lawyer acting on behalf of Mr. Gothabaya Rajapaksa, pointed out that a District Court had already restrained the publication from publishing such news in two earlier cases. According to a Defence Ministry statement, the letter said the news articles published in collusion with retired General Sarath Fonseka were defamatory and breached an undertaking... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 19/12/09)

The International Conspiracy
By Garvin Karunaratne, Ph.D.Former Government Agent, Matara District.
What were  the Superpowers doing when  our armed forces were defeating  the terrorist LTTE at Nandi kadal and Mullativu?  Japan had even sent a team of “tsunami experts” who unknown to the Government  did  build “a channel to launch underwater craft-a 360 ft. long, 25 ft. wide tunnel and a 300 ft. long and 30 ft. deep dock” .( The Island 4/9/2009. It was done to help the terrorists to get armaments and when  required to escape, which they could not do because of the very effective naval blockade. That... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 18/12/09)

EU and Miliband play key roles in Swan Lake
Lucian Rajakarunanayake Courtesy Daily News
As the Presidential Election campaign progresses, the election will have to make a clear choice between the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who led the nation to victory against terror, and the so-called Common Candidate Sarath Fonseka, the former Army Commander who shed his uniform to run against his immediate Commander-in-Chief. Twenty-two candidates being in the fray is significant proof that representative democracy remains very much alive in Sri Lanka, after 78 years since universal franchise was introduced under British rule in 1931, making this the oldest democracy in Asia. The coming weeks will... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 18/12/09)

CAN WE TRUST CONTRADICTORY AND DOUBLE TOUNGUED SARATH FONSEKA FOR PRESIDENCY?
Malin Abeyatunge
Sarath Fonseka (SF) is not the only hero in the defeat of LTTE as he claimed. He was only one among the others like Chiefs of Navy, Air force, STF, Police and Hasalaka Gamini and all personnel from the tri forces who fought gallantly and valiantly. It is sad to see the war hero Sarath Fonseka gradually turning out to be the biggest betrayer of the nation .He pointed out at Gotabaya Rajapaksa and said in an interview with Leader paper that Gotabaya has given orders to kill the Tiger leaders who surrendered with a white flag... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 18/12/09)

Sarath Fonseka, economics and the betrayal
Ben Silva
I am referring to the media reports indicating that Mr Fonseka would increase the pay of public servants by Rs 10000. I have respected the retired General like many in the county for taking a key role in liberating Lanka. However without political leadership of MR , he would have achieved nothing. In fact when the political leadership was in the hands of his political associates RW, the country was nearly given to the terrorists on a plate.  Now I am concerned if Mr Fonseka has even a rudimentary knowledge of economics. With such increase in pay... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 18/12/09)

President Rajapaksa visits Kandy to take part in religious observances after his nomination
By Janaka Alahapperuma

President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited Kandy to engage in multi religious activities just after handing over his nominations for the upcoming Presidential election which will be held in January 2010. President Rajapaksa visited Sri Dalada Maligawa first and paid homage to the most sacred Tooth Relic and received blessings from Maha Sanga. Around 3000 Buddhist monks headed by Asgiri and Malwathu Chief Prelates, gathered at the Magul Maduwa of the Temple of the Tooth and chanted Seth Pirith to bless the President. Later he visited Sri Selva Vinayagar Kovil in Kandy and engaged in... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 18/12/09)

Sri Lanka’s Economy Grows at Fastest Pace This Year
Dec. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Sri Lanka’s economy expanded at the fastest pace this year as the end of a civil war and five-year low interest rates spurred consumer and company spending. Stocks rose to a record. Gross domestic product rose 4.2 percent in the three months ended Sept. 30 from a year earlier after gaining 2.1 percent in the previous quarter, the statistics department said in a statement in Colombo today. The defeat of Tamil Tiger rebels in May this year after 26 years of war has encouraged some of the island’s biggest companies including John Keells Holdings Plc and... -Full Story- (Bloomberg - 18/12/09)

SRI LANKA: Landmine clearance a long-haul effort
MANNAR, 18 December 2009 (IRIN) - Progress is being made in clearing landmines to allow internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sri Lanka’s north to return home, but clearance will ultimately be a long-term process with no fixed deadline, agencies say. The random placement of mines, a lack of mapped information about their location, not enough mine flail machines, which safely detonate mines, and the speed at which IDPs are returning all add to the challenge, they say. In recent weeks, the government has expedited the resettlement of IDPs from camps in Sri Lanka’s north. They numbered nearly 280,000 at the... -Full Story- (irinnews.org - 18/12/09)

World bank gives $ 182 million aid
Sri Lanka late on Thursday received a fresh financial boost of $ 182 million from the World Bank (WB) for reconstruction efforts in the war-ravaged north, to rehabilitate the lakhs of Tamils displaced by conflict and to develop infrastructure in other parts of the country. Financial aid and material assistance have been pouring into Sri Lanka since the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ended in May. India for one has pledged Rs 500 crore for reconstruction and rehabilitation. The new WB package is divided into two parts. Of the total, $77 million package was approved for... -Full Story- (Hindustan Times - 18/12/09)

Sri Lanka invites Russia to participate in oil exploration
26-10-09 Sri Lanka has invited Russia to explore for oil off its north-western coast, Sri Lanka's foreign minister said after a meeting with his Russian counterpart. Sri Lanka, after a quarter-century war with the Tamil Tiger separatists, is now keen to rebrand itself as an attractive investment destination, and to commercially exploit resources that were largely untouched during the war. It has eight oil and gas exploration blocks in the north-western Mannar basin, two of which have been granted to the governments of China and India. Cairn India, a unit of Britain's Cairn Energy, also has one and has earmarked... -Full Story- (gasandoil.com - 18/12/09)

Sri Lanka's Colombo to boost onshore tank storage
12-11-09 Plans are going ahead to add 5,000 tons of onshore storage capacity in the Sri Lankan port of Colombo. State-owned Jaya Container Terminal (JCT), with 35,000-tons of storage capacity, is expected to start construction work on the expansion by the end of this year, according to Zafir Hashim, CEO of Lanka Marine Service (Pvt). Local bunker suppliers have pressed the port authorities to allow more onshore storage tanks. They say the extra capacity would help the bunker sector realize its potential for growth. Work on the 5,000 tons storage facility was disrupted in 2008 following a court ruling that... -Full Story- (gasandoil.com - 18/12/09)

Channel 4 Fake Video Footage: At last the Original has Emerged
Colombo, 18 September, (Asiantribune.com): ‘Original’ of Channel 4 fake has just appeared on an internet portal. This video footage punctures all claims to originality, clearly, categorically. It establishes that footage has come from a video camera and not from a mobile phone camera, as it was initially presumed. No Sinhala words were spoken by the gunmen seen in the video. Sinhala was heard in the background though. Also the sound of wind blowing at high velocity. All this indicates two things. One it was filmed in an open area. Second the camera used was a Video Camera. Microphone (MIC) of... -Full Story- (asiantribune.com - 18/12/09)

Sri Lanka Contradicts The Times (UK) Report
Colombo, 19 December, (Asiantribune.com): Sri Lanka Government has one more time contradicted the Times newspaper (in the UK) article dated 15 December 2009 and titled “Sri Lankan war crimes video is authentic, Times investigation finds.” Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry in its statement said: “The Government of Sri Lanka rejects the contents of the news item while reiterating that it stands by the position made known following the first telecast of the video under reference by Channel 4 in August this year, namely that the investigation carried out by a panel of experts appointed by the Sri Lankan authorities clearly establishes... -Full Story- (asiantribune.com - 18/12/09)

Sri Lanka’s economy expands post-war
Peace is a key factor that drove the economy during this quarter’ COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s economic growth accelerated at its fastest clip this year after the end of a bloody civil war, boosted by new investment and low interest rates, data released Friday showed. The economy grew by 4.2 percent during the third quarter to September, double the 2.1 percent growth it posted in the second quarter. “Peace is a key factor that drove the economy during this quarter,” deputy statistics director Nalini Kumarasinghe told reporters, adding that lower interest rates also helped, boosting consumption and investment.... -Full Story- (dailytimes.com.pk - 18/12/09)

WHILE THE COUNTRY BLEEDS The Ministers Play Dry Jokes
L. Jayasooriya
Amanpour of CNN put the question to Palitha Kohona on Monday the 14th December as to why the army was firing at the surrendering LTTE troops when they were coming towards them with white flags raised. Only a person who saw the depth of feeling and emotion with which she spoke could realize what all those who saw it around the world think of us, our army and our country.  To the best of my knowledge Amanpour is not a person of hate like most BBC people are hell bent to distort facts and present us to... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 17/12/09)

COURT MARTIAL SARATH FONSEKA; DIS-HONOURABLY DISCHARGE FROM ARMY; SF AN ENEMY OF THE NATION, WORSE THAN PRABHAKARAN!
By Dr M D P DISSANAYAKE
General Sarath Fonseka has betrayed the country in style. Living in a dreamland to become the President, he has spoken out of turn, conducted himself to bring disgrace to the entire Army, its serving men, women and breached the Oath as an ex-Army Officer, He has divulged the most sensitive information and thus need to be disciplined forthwith. The Court Martial proceedings against this ex-Army Officer must begin immediately. There has been several such Court Martial proceedings world wide, including India, against ex-Army Officers for breach of conduct and the Oath. SF is... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 17/12/09)

WHY I DESPAIR FOR MY COUNTRY
J Jayasundera
When I left Sri Lanka in the early 70s I left because the politicisation of every sphere of Sri Lankan life was interfering with my way of life. However at the time our own Buddhist value systems of simple living, honesty and integrity was intact, the public services were relatively efficient. In the recent past I have had the opportunity live in Sri Lanka for about 3 months which revealed to me a despicable state which has provoked me to write this article. To ensure a stable future for any country there has to be good governance.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 17/12/09)

LTTE Referenda Pose a Grave Danger to Unitary Sri Lanka
- Kumar Moses
 Many brushed aside LTTE referenda held in Norway and France as hoaxes. They ridiculed those efforts as trying to create Tamil Elam away from Sri Lanka. However, little that they realise this is a very dangerous move by the new LTTE to get world opinion on their side to force Sri Lanka accept ‘Tamils’ right of self-determination. Tamil Elamists plan as many referenda around the world as quickly as possible. Whereas the first referendum was held while the LTTE was alive, they held 2 already and there will be totally 4 within 12 months. Another referendum... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 17/12/09)

Protest and uncertainties loom large on Copenhagen climate summit
Nava Thakuria in Copenhagen
Hectic negotiations among the climate negotiators from different countries, never ending protest and demonstrations carried out by various activists in the freezing cold winter and unbelievable busyness of the environment NGO workers and also the media persons inside and outside the historic Bella Center at the Danish capital remained some important highlights from the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009. With formal negotiation process starting from December 7, the climate summit is going to culminate on December 19 though the probable outcome is yet to get assured as the divide between the developed (western) and... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 17/12/09)

CAST YOUR VOTE FOR PEACE & PROSPERITY
Ranjit Wickremeratne
We have thirty eight days to decide our future and the nations future. As some twenty odd politicians join the fray to be elected as our next President of Sri Lanka we must act as responsible citizens to select the best individual who can bring prosperity and peace to our nation. Nineteen of the candidates will lose their deposits before the days over on 26 January for sure. Out of the two leading candidates you need to chose the winner and the loser. In simple hero and the traitor. I am sure the best will win and we all... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 17/12/09)

Gen. Fonseka falls on his sword
H. L. D. Mahindapala
Gen. (retd) Sarath Fonseka thought he was hurling a deadly missile when he accused Maj-Gen. Shavendra Silva of carrying out the orders of the Defence Secretary, in his absence, to eliminate the top LTTE leaders in Nanthi Kadal as they were coming out with white flags. But his missile hung in the air for a while and instead of hitting his opponents it swung violently and boomeranged on him, knocking him down and exposing him as a man not fit to wear the Sri Lankan Army uniform, it is sad to say.  It is not... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/12/09)

Either Pawnseka or Jansz is lying: both foreign agents should be held accountable
Ajit Randeniya
The current political situation in Sri Lanka is reminiscent of the situation during the first-half of 2009, leading up to the last days of Prabhakaran. The foreign hordes led by Milibands, Kouchners, Hilary Clintons and the EU, and their local agents, were doing their best to try and save Prabhakaran through ‘pressure tactics’ (allegations of violations of Human Rights and other norms they prescribe for us). As to be expected, those ‘God chosen’ people will never give up on their sinister conspiracies aimed at ‘dividing and ruling’ the world. Their plots are a real test of endurance... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/12/09)

WHAT MR SHOULD REALIZE
L. Jayasooriya
What MR should realize is that this is not a contest between him and SF but a contest between him and Ranil Wickramasinghe (RW) in which SF is the symbol instead of the Elephant.  Though during these few weeks SF has demonstrated that he can speak like a seasoned politician credible to the masses (and that is what matters) he has also proved with his many contradictions (that do not matter to the masses) that he has no credible policy but instead of him fading away he seems to be gathering momentum. The latest to join him... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/12/09)

NORWAYNEWS.COM & ELANKAI.COM EDITOR TO SUPPORT PRESIDENT MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA
Sri Lanka News
The Norway News Editor Mr.Nadarajah Sethurupan would arrive in Sri Lanka during the Christmas Season to convey his support to President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Having a sizeable Tamil diaspora support Mr.Nadarajah has pledged to support President Rajapaksa at the forthcoming Presidential elections. Mr.Nadarajah is scheduled for a series of media interviews to address the Tamil community of the issues. In this connection, Mr.Nadarajah Sethurupan has confirmed with Dr.Levins T C Rajaratnam, a Senior Member of the SLFP and the UPFA by email and telephone calls.  Dr.Levins T.C.Rajaratnam confirmed to Lankaweb that Mr.Nadarajah has pleaded to support President... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/12/09)

RW a ‘gifted individual’ ‘born to rule’
Nanda Kodi
It is apparent that the UNP is now in total disarray thanks to RW the ‘gifted leader’ with totalitarian policies. RW’s Hitler Führerprinzip policy, installed in the party as the basic principle, has compelled ardent party stalwarts to leave; RW has centralised the party far worse than it was under JRJ and Premadasa and he asserts his authority whilst demanding unquestioning obedience from inferiors. His disdain for democracy is apparent all over the party where power and authority devolved from the top down. This is the sort of a person crying for democracy in the government business.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/12/09)

U N F O R G I V E N
RANJIT WICKREMERATNE
It is unfortunate and sad to hear from someone who was decorated as a war hero by the president of my country not long time ago to give a statement to the press accusing one of our greatest war heros Gotabaya and Shavindra Silva for giving orders to kill the most ruthless killers from LTTE while they were coming forward to surrrender with a white flag. This is absured. Pure crazy from a menatally disorder man. A sick man only will utter those kind of crazy words.It's a betrayal to the whole country and to the Sinhala... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/12/09)

Bash Sri Lanka Campaign by Pro-Terrorist Tamil Propaganda
Stanley Perera.
17th December 2009 Stanley Perera Noble Park. Vic. 3174   To:  The Director Audience & Consumer Affairs of ABC GPO Box 9994 Melbourne Vic.3000. Dear Sir/Madam, Re-Bash Sri Lanka Campaign by Pro-Terrorist Tamil Propaganda It is now been revealed that ABC in conniving with pro Terrorist Tamil propaganda are to launch a campaign to pressure authorities to take action against Sri Lanka on war crimes. Peace loving Sri Lankans were concerned about the ABC, SBS and the BBC in the past carrying out biased against Sri Lanka campaign sponsored and supported by the pro-Terrorist LTTE Tamil propaganda. ... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/12/09)

'Top Tigers ditched LTTE chief'
P.K.Balachandran
COLOMBO: In the last phase of Eelam War IV, many of the top leaders of the LTTE foresook Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran, and preferred to surrender to the Sri Lankan forces rather than attain martyrdom by fighting to the finish or consuming cyanide, the latest report of the University Teachers for Human Rights-Jaffna (UTHR-J) reveals. “Dissent was strong even amongst the leadership. Sea Tiger Leader Soosai had walked out of the last leaders’ meeting disagreeing with Prabhakaran. Pottu Amman too felt that military resistance was doomed and wanted another way out, but did not confront Prabhakaran openly as Soosai had... -Full Story- (ExpressBuzz - 16/12/09)

Pak paper blames India for Fonseka’s ouster
Sutirtho Patranobis, Hindustan Times
Did India manipulate Sri Lanka to remove its former army chief general Sarath Fonseka within days of defeating the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)? If the Pakistani newspaper, The Nation, is to be believed then it took Prime Minister Manmohan Singh merely one late night telephone call to convince the Lankan political leadership that Fonseka had become too powerful after leading the Sri Lankan army (SLA) to victory against the LTTE and a military takeover of the civilian government was imminent. The LTTE was defeated in May; In July, Fonseka was appointed as the... -Full Story- (Hindustan Times - 16/12/09)

Two UNP leaders defect
B. Muralidhar Reddy
COLOMBO: Two prominent parliamentarians from Sri Lanka’s main opposition party have defected to the ruling side on the eve of filing of nominations for the January 26 presidential election. United National Party (UNP) parliamentarians Johnston Fernando and Indika Bandaranayake were unhappy over party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s decision to field General (retired) Sarath Fonseka instead of a party candidate in the presidential poll. They were awarded ministerial berths by President Mahinda Rajapaksa within hours of them pledging to work for his success in his bid for a second term.... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 16/12/09)

Lankan Govt should explain Fonseka's charges: Ranil
Press Trust Of India
Sri Lanka's main Opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinghe on Wednesday sought an explanation from Colombo on former army chief Gen Sarath Fonseka's allegation that some surrendering LTTE leaders were killed on the orders of the government. "Government must say... we have already asked the government to tell us the background of this," Wickramasinghe, who held talks with External Affairs Minister S M Krishna in Delhi, told reporters here enroute to Colombo on winding up his three-day visit to India. Replying to a question on the charge by opposition Presidential election candidate Fonseka, which he has later subsequently... -Full Story- (Hindustan Times - 16/12/09)

United States charges billionaire hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam with securities fraud crimes
By Finfacts Team
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (Manhattan), announced on Tuesday that that the Sri Lankan born billionaire hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam and Danielle Chiesi, were charged with a seventeen count indictment involving conspiracy and securities fraud crimes stemming from their alleged involvement in the largest hedge fund insider trading case in history. Rajaratnam was the Managing Member of Galleon Management and Chiesi was an employee of New Castle Funds, formerly the equity hedge fund group of Bear Stearns Asset Management - - a unit of the collapsed investment bank... -Full Story- (finfacts.ie - 16/12/09)

Toronto Tamil Tiger supporter describes how group murdered his father
By Stewart Bell, National Post
A Toronto man who will be sentenced in the United States next month for procuring weapons for the Tamil Tigers rebels described in court documents how those same rebels murdered his father. Thiruthanikan Thanigasalam, 43, said in a sentencing memorandum in U.S. District Court that he fled to Canada after the Tamil Tigers took away his father and shot him eight times for refusing to give them money. Mr. Thanigasalam did not explain why, while living in Canada years later, he would take part in an illicit conspiracy to buy black market weapons for the... -Full Story- (vancouversun.com - 16/12/09)

More Canadians plead guilty in Tamil terror trial Tried to buy missiles, rifles for terror group
By Stewart Bell and Adrian Humphreys, National Post
The trial of three Canadians accused of travelling to New York in 2006 to buy anti-aircraft missiles and assault rifles for the Tamil Tigers guerrillas ended on Tuesday following two more guilty pleas. Sahilal Sabaratnam, 29, and Thiruthanikan Thanigasalam, 41, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to support a foreign terrorist group and conspiracy to buy missiles. Their co-accused, Sathajhan Sarachandran, 29, had already pleaded guilty on Monday. They each face a minimum sentence of 25 years with a maximum of life imprisonment after admitting they were part of a Canadian-based arms procurement cell... -Full Story- (vancouversun.com - 16/12/09)

EU gives six million euros to help Sri Lanka refugees
— filed under: SriLanka, aid, refugees
(BRUSSELS) - The European Commission on Wednesday granted more aid for tens of thousands of people who fled fighting between Sri Lankan forces and Tamil fighters, voicing concern for their lack of protection. The commission is "concerned by the lack of protection for the internally displaced, especially for female-headed households and single women returning alone to their villages as well as for the disabled", said EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Karel De Gucht, announcing six million euros (8.7 million dollars) of fresh aid. "I urge the government of Sri Lanka to enter into a... -Full Story- (eubusiness.com - 16/12/09)

Swift measures to assist flood victims
Source: Government of Sri Lanka Date: 16 Dec 2009 The National Disaster Management Center (NDMC) had taken swift measures to assist the flood victims in the Eastern Province. NDMC has set up several camps in Batticaloa to provide shelter for the victims. Around 50,000 families were affected due to the floods in the Eastern Province resulting from heavy rains. Arrangements have been made to distribute dry rations and provide temporary accommodation to the flood victims and the Grama Niladharis of the area have been advised to organize relief measures to the affected people. National Disaster Relief Services Centre has released... -Full Story- (Relief Web - 16/12/09)

From War Hero to a Fallen Idol
By Gomin Dayasri- Courtesy The Island  [The writer voluntarily defended the Army, Navy and the Air Force as their lawyer in all the actions against the Tri Forces on War Crimes]
 From a War Hero to a Fallen Idol.Is Sarath Fonseka engaged in a ritual of self-immolation when he accuses the army of killing the surrendering terrorists on instructions? Fact or fiction, the retired Commander is accusing his own army under his command of war crimes. Is Fonseka disqualifying himself before nomination day by displaying he is not fit to be a Presidential candidate! Will he as the President... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 15/12/09)

Gota says battlefield excesses charge exposed Opp. strategy
by Shamindra Ferdinando
In his first public comments on last week’s The Sunday Leader lead news item "Gota ordered them (read as surrendering LTTE cadres) to be shot," on the basis of an interview given by former Army Chief turned Opposition presidential election candidate, General Sarath Fonseka, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa told The Island that a section of the international community, hell bent on undermining the Sri Lankan State, would take advantage of this situation. Although General Fonseka had later claimed that the broad sheet misquoted him irreparable damage was done, he said. International wire services had zeroed-in on... -Full Story- (The Island - 15/12/09)

The General
Henry
The recent antics of the Ranil/JVP-terrorists of yesteryear-and the retired General-who got irritated because he was not declared the sole liberator of the country-and their cronies, typical of those who will do anything to gain power, are painting themselves into a corner with never-dry paint. The General is obviously not fit to govern a country when he is capable of making utterly irresponsible claims which have done irreparable damage to the heroic armed forces, and the country itself. Retracting his statements, and declaring them as taken out of context is a step too late. He should have known... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 15/12/09)

MR and SF – Your duty to be honest and truthful to the people -Part 1
Visvamithra
[Thoughts of a professionals living in the Europe recently visited Sri Lanka at the invitation of the President Rajapakse]  At this crucial hour, the primary objective of this series of writing is not to promote any prospective presidential candidate but to promote democratic rights of the people of Sri Lanka as setout in the Constitution. And to draw the attention of all the candidates of their fundamental duty to respect and honour the democratic rights of the people.  The second objective is to educate the people of their own rights enshrined in the Constitution and to mobilize... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 15/12/09)

Sri Lankan Ambassador in Korea receives special commemorative medal from ICC
Press Release issued by: Embassy of Sri Lanka, Seoul, South Korea
The President of the Korea Cricket Association Mr. Shane Kennedy presented Sri Lankan Ambassador Asitha Perera who is invited as the Chief Guest for the Presentation Ceremony of the Korean Cricket Association with a special medal awarded by the ICC in recognition of the special services rendered to the game of cricket and the Korean Cricket Association by Ambassador Perera. This special medal was provided by the ICCF in celebration of a Century of Cricket.  Teams from the countries that participated in the Cricket tournament included Sri Lanka,... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 15/12/09)

USA in Sri Lanka for the much publicised UNA’s Puppet Show
by Charles.S.Perera
Sri Lanka Guardian with its doubtful connections has “sponsored” Robert Blake the former Ambassador to Sri Lanka, while the Asian Tribune carried a series of very interesting article by Daya Gamge US Natonal Corrspondent to the Asia Tribune. These series of articles of Daya Gamage will certainly not find their place in any of our National Journals including the Island the Editorial of which at least is “ objective and progressive ” ,while you find inside the likes of Jehan Perera, Kath Noble, or Lynn Okersz with his ethnic problem. The Sunday Times of the 13 December,... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 15/12/09)

Who are the real enemies
Herold Leelawardena
In contrast to the bygone days of Jesus and Judas, the history of European colonialism during the last five hundred years is rather well written. Scholars tell us that the Spanish and the Portuguese were the first explorers that sailed across the world. Leave out that jargon; they had gone in search of loot. Soon most other Europeans followed suit. No wonder all Europeans like to call that era the period of their renaissance. For us though it is a period of repression and oppression. Christian missionaries such as Dominicans and Franciscan not just blessed the bandits... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 15/12/09)

3rd OPEN LETTER TO SARATH FONSEKA
Stanley Perera Melbourne, Australia.
My dear General Fonseka, I addressed you with open letters on two previous occasions. In both those letters I gave you my sincere advice to retire in graceful manner and enjoy your life in the twilight with the family and the grand children if you have any. But your desire was to become the President of Sri Lanka. My sincere advice to you was also not to become a political pawn. But you decided to take advice from the corrupt politicians with a secret agenda. My advice to you was sincere and unbiased politically un-affiliated.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 15/12/09)

Women key beneficiaries of innovative rural road project in Sri Lanka
Source: Asian Development Bank (ADB) Date: 15 Dec 2009 MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Isolated rural villages in Sri Lanka will be connected to provincial road networks through an innovative project that will work closely with local governments to employ poor villagers, particularly women, to rehabilitate and maintain rural access roads in their area. The ADB Board of Directors approved a $3 million grant from the Japan Fund For Poverty Reduction - funded by the Government of Japan and administered by ADB - to finance the project in more than 60 villages in the Eastern and North Central provinces.... -Full Story- (Relief Web - 15/12/09)

Tamil legislator to contest presidential poll in Sri Lanka
COLOMBO, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- A legislator from Sri Lanka's main Tamil party Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on Tuesday handed over his deposit to the Election Department for contesting the forthcoming presidential election to be held on Jan. 26, 2010. M. K. Sivajilingam told reporters that he will contest the election as an independent candidate. The TNA, having 20 seats at the 225-member parliament, has split into three factions on the matter as the party was unable to reach an unanimous decision on whom to support. TNA leader R. Sampanthan and another TNA legislator are engaged in discussions on extending... -Full Story- (Xinhua - 15/12/09)

Dirty secrets -“Fonseka is being parsi-monious with the truth.”
Sri Lanka’s former Chief of Staff, General Sarath Fonseka, has accused Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s brother, of issuing orders to ground commanders involved in the final phase of the fighting against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to execute all Tiger leaders who surrendered to the military. If true, it confirms rumours that swirled in the aftermath of the discovery of the bodies of LTTE leaders that the latter were not killed in the fighting but were executed by the Sri Lankan armed forces. If the LTTE leaders had indeed surrendered, the government should have tried... -Full Story- (Deccan Herald - 15/12/09)

Sri Lankan panel to counter Fonseka’s charges
B. Muralidhar Reddy COLOMBO: The Mahinda Rajapaksa government on Tuesday announced that a committee of representatives would be appointed to clarify and counter the statement made by the former Army commander, General Sarath Fonseka, to the Sunday Leader newspaper making serious charges against Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. Media Minister Lakashman Yapa Abeywardena told media that the reported statement of the former Army Chief, who is the main opposition parties’ common candidate in the January 26 presidential poll, was highly derogatory in nature and caused irreparable damage to the image of the country.... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 15/12/09)

A Sri Lankan born British psychiatrist says Fonseka’s behavior shows symptoms of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a severe anxiety disorder common among soldiers returning from combat
Ratnapala de Silva
A Sri Lankan born British psychiatrist says Fonseka’s behavior shows symptoms of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) a psychiatric problem common among soldiers returning from combat. After careful observations of the events that has caused considerable uproar in the political arena in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan psychiatrist said he is positive that Fonseka shows some kind of anxiety disorder with symptoms of anger, hypervigilance, problems with work and/or relationships, all common to PTSD. The US Army’s first study of the mental health of troops who fought in Iraq found that about one in eight reported symptoms... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 14/12/09)

Fonseka denies soldiers shot Tiger rebels
Colombo: General Sarath Fonseka, who is challenging President Mahinda Rajapakse in a January election, denied Monday having said government soldiers shot surrendering Tamil Tiger rebels, adding no such incidents happened. The Sri Lankan government had earlier denounced reported comments by the general, carried in an opposition newspaper, that senior rebels who were to surrender with white flags on May 17 were ordered to be killed by the government. No surrender Fonseka at a special media briefing yesterday said the pro-opposition Sunday Leader had reported remarks of his out of context. He said senior rebels had not sought surrender with white... -Full Story- (gulfnews.com - 14/12/09)

Fonseka, You Said You are a Traitor
Dilrook Kannangara
A traitor would not wear a badge calling him a traitor. Even a sex worker would not call herself as such. It is own actions and words that classify someone. A person who agrees to provide sex on a commercial basis becomes a sex worker by whatever name she is called. Similarly a person who betrays another or the nation becomes a traitor. According to the dictionary meaning a traitor is a person who betrays another, a cause, or any trust or a person who commits treason by betraying his or her country. Clearly Sarath Fonseka... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 14/12/09)

SF betrays the Mother Lanka and sadly disqualifies
Nanda Kodi from London
Nowhere in the world, patriotic leaders betray their motherland with disparaging statements made to the world media. Tony Blair knows he got it wrong when invade Iraq misleading the British public and insulting their intelligence with falsehood. In the illegal war in Iraq millions of innocent people killed and still being killed. True that he is being ridiculed in the UK press. Yet, no British pointed a finger at Blair and betray the United Kingdom’s interest in the world stage. What about politicos in Sri Lanka, and their behavior in the world stage?  Do they... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 14/12/09)

Gen. Sarath Fonseka
Rohana Arambewala
Mangala was the first one to assess Sarath Fonseka as not even good enough to command the Salvation Army. Now Mangala wants the man who can't even command the Salvation Army to rule Sri Lanka. I am confused. Now SF is giving orders to Mangala as his spokesperson. I am getting more confused. According to Leader newspaper, quoting SF, it is Gotabhaya who has given orders in the last phase of the war against LTTE but I thought SF was the one who was in command until the end, according to SF's boasting in the last few weeks. Oh! My God... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 14/12/09)

The Monkey & The Two Organ Grinders
Prof. Hudson McLean
In the early days at most public festivals, carnivals, one inescapable attraction was a Monkey, dressed in a comical costume, tethered to a music box, more like a "Puppet on a String", entertaining the kids and punters, to the monotonous metallic noise of the Organ Grinder. After an act or two, the Monkey would take a bow and walk around with an empty biscuit tin collecting coins, thrown into the collection tin by the satisfied audience. When the collection tin is returned to the Organ Grinder, the Monkey is rewarded with a nut or two, or... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/12/09)

Leash this Despicable Traitor and Rip His Medals
Kumar Moses
Fonseka becomes desperate every passing day. His hatred for the Motherland is now in graphic display. His latest low is to implicate the Sri Lanka army, its Defence Secretary and one of its best commanders in war crimes. Sunday Leader on 13th December 2009 carried an interview with Fonseka where he despicably alleges “Gota ordered them to be shot”. In his own dirty words, “Later, I learnt that Basil had conveyed this information to the Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa – who in turn spoke with Brigadier Shavendra Silva, Commander of the Army’s 58th Division, giving orders not... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/12/09)

Guess mangala was right, this guy is not suitable to lead even the salvation army!
J Wickramasinghe
When people like Jagath Jayasuriya, Shavendra, Prasanna Silva, Jagath Dias, Kamal Gunarathne retire, we will call them true patriots !
General SF, what a lousy loser you are!
Why are you talking about these now, and accusing the Defense Secretary? You are a shameless, power-hungry, brainless idiot of a man. You would have been good as an army commander, but I will not trust you to run the country. You are as big-mouthed and loose-tongued as Ranil Wickramasinghe. No matter what you proclaim about your great military strategies, you would have achieved nothing without the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/12/09)

AMATEUR IN POLITICS AND A GREEDY ONE TOO
Ranjit Wickremeratne
He is not Barak Obama or Dimitri Medvedev.He is just a retired Army Commander with high hopes and dreams. He is a dreamer for power and wealth like any other greedy human being. Instaed of serving the country after the great victory against the Tamil Tigers unitedly with the same team which won the war,he chose the wrong path by joining the traitors and losers in our political drama. Anybody has the right to come to politics or contest any elections in a democratic society but this guy after getting so much accolades from the President,... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/12/09)

SARATH FONSEKA'S COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE POLICY; WILLRANIL BE READY WITH HIS OWN NOMINATION PAPERS TOO? CAN RANIL TRUST SF?
Dr M D P DISSANAYAKE
I have read with great interest the article by Dr Anura Weeraratne, former Chairman of Ceylon Ceramics Corporation and the founder of Noritake Sri Lanka. Dr Weeraratne was a Chairman of very rare qualities, some may have disliked him, but he has inspired and rejuvenated the Ceramics Corporation from its bankruptcy. His contributions were admired by many of us at that time at the Ceylon Steel Corporation. His latest comments on GSF are very valid, perhaps SF is making the single biggest mistake in his life. But it is now quite clear that... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/12/09)

B E T R A Y A L BY A BOGUS HERO
RANJIT WICKREMERATNE
My sincere wish is that this hero cum traitor should die from a car accident or lightning or heart attack for giving false statement to Sunday leader newspaper regarding our most distinguished defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa ordered the killing of pilliyan and Nadesan the most ruthless terrorists in the world during the last stage of the war after waving white flags to surrender. Does any one in my peaceful homeland can believe such rubbish talk from a hero who became a General after the war.Thanks for the President for giving him that position and make this dirty... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/12/09)

21 Questions to Sarath Fonseka for straight replies and to clear his name
By K.T.Rajasingham
... -Full Story- (asiantribune.com - 13/12/09)

Greatest betrayal -Eclipses Millennium City sell-out -Attempt to take war heroes to Int’l Tribunal
Sandasen Marasinghe Courtesy Daily News
National Freedom Front Leader Wimal Weerawansa yesterday referring to statements made by Opposition Presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka said he had become part and parcel of an international conspiracy to bring President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and other war heroes before an International War Tribunal. Weerawansa made this observation at a press conference held at the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) with reference to General Sarath Fonseka’s interview published in the Sunday Leader yesterday. Weerawansa said Fonseka was just a contractor in an international scheme to defame the image of our war... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/12/09)

Gen. Fonseka has committed the greatest betrayal to the nation and troops - Mahinda Samarasinghe
Sri Lanka news
Human Rights and Disaster Management Minister, Mahinda Samarasinghe today described a statement by retired Gen. Sarath Fonseka to the "Sunday Leader: newspaper making a claim that Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa ordered then Brigadier Shavindra Silva to execute the killing of LTTE frontliners, Pulidevan and Nadesan who had reportedly surrendered with white flags in hand, was the greatest ever betrayal based on the untruth, ever made in the history of this country. Minister Samarsinghe was addressing newsmen at a media briefing held at the Media Centre for National Security,Colombo. Media and Information Minister, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa chaired... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/12/09)

The cult can’t have enough of Sarath Pawnseka!!!
Ajit Randeniya
Robert ‘Oh’ Blake has come and gone. While in Colombo he made quite a number of observations favourable to the government, and made reassurances and promises that the US will be with us ‘all the way’. But the ‘esteemed’ Sunday Leader, mouthpiece of the Assembly of God cult, and of Adigar Pawnseka, nearly missed the important occasion!!! The reason may well be that they are displeased about all the ‘sickeningly corny’ compliments the fraudster offered to the government. But the more likely reason is that their pages a simply ‘choc-a-block’ with Fonseka’s photos, interviews and campaign news,... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/12/09)

Sri Lankan govt denies surrendering Tamil leaders were slaughtered
Colombo - The Sri Lankan government Sunday denied claims by a former army commander turned presidential candidate that orders had gone out not to spare rebel leaders who were willing to surrender during the final phase of the civil war which ended in May. The final phase of the bloody war, which killed tens of thousands, concluded on May 18 after the rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was killed. But other senior members were killed in the final week. Since then diplomats, Tamil politicians and foreign journalists have said that some of the rebels in a desperate attempt contacted them to... -Full Story- (monstersandcritics.com - 13/12/09)

Report Of The Huge Arms Shipment from North Korea To Sri Lanka Put Into A Logical Perspective
LankaWeb Weekly Editorial Dec.13th 2009
The Reuters Report that a plane headed for Sri Lanka loaded with heavy artillery which was detained and its crew taken into custody at Thailand's International Airport at Don Mueang may have dire ramifications for whoever is found to be a direct link from within Sri Lanka and there will in all probabilities be such despite only foreign names presently being offered perhaps as a cover up as there seems to be a deeper plot to it all!  This will surely be revealed if the investigations are carried out meticulously and all those connected... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/12/09)

HE. PRESIDENT MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA, PLEASE LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF A CONCERNED MUSLIM.
By Noor Nizam, Sri Lankan Peace Activist, Political Activist and Freelance Journalist – Canada , Dec.12th., 2009.
The present presidential elections should have the freethinking participation of all Sri Lankans, be the Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers and othersThe President has stated that he wants the minority votes added to the majority votes to win this presidency.  Every community has its strength and weakness. Every community has members within who support the various political ideologies. They also support the different political parties.  For what do they do all these? To get the legitimate share of their RIGHTS and to contribute... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/12/09)

The Travels of a Journalist—2 -LONDON ESCAPADES: COLOR-BAR MISHAP MARS JOY OF JOGGING
By Shelton A. Gunaratne©2009
The “strangest thing” that could happen to a traveler struck me at about 4.45 p.m. on Friday, July 20, 1990. It shattered the image of London that my father had impressed on me as the “greatest” city in the world. I purchased a few groceries from  Marks & Spencer in Hammersmith and was about to leave the store to  walk toward the tube station along King Street when a security guard (later identified as George Cox of Storewatch Ltd.) pounced on me to search my waist for “shoplifted goods.” It had never occurred to me... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/12/09)

Official: Thais detain plane with weapons from North Korea
Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Thai authorities seized a cargo aircraft carrying tons of weapons from North Korea during a refueling stop in Bangkok, a government official said. The pilot told Thai authorities the aircraft was headed to Sri Lanka, but its final destination was unknown, according to Panitan Wattanayagorn, a spokesman for the Thai prime minister. It contained about 35 tons of weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades, shoulder-launched rockets and tubes that may be missile components, the spokesman said.... -Full Story- (edition.cnn.com - 13/12/09)

OBAMA’S CYNICAL ACTION WAS UNCALLED FOR
Reflections by comrade Fidel
In the final paragraphs of a Reflection entitled “The Bells Are Tolling For the Dollar,” published two months ago, on October 9, I mentioned the climate change problem brought on humanity by imperialist capitalism. With regards to carbon emissions I said: “The United States is not making any real effort but accepting just a 4% reduction with respect to the year 1990.” At that moment, scientists were demanding a minimum of 25 to 40 percent by the year 2020. Then I added: “In the morning of this Friday 9, the world woke up to the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/12/09)

An Open Letter to General Fonseka
Dr Anura Weereratne, Barrister Australia , Advocate Sri Lanka, Ex Secretary Ministry of Industries, Ex Secretary Ministry of Fisheries, Former Chairman Ceylon Ceramics, Founder Chairman Noritake Sri Lanka, Founder Chairman Lank Wall Tiles, Ex Chairman Fisheries Corporation and the Sri Lankan Industrial Development board.
Dear General  We from overseas have followed the progress of the war against the Tamil Terrorists.  We congratulate our armed forces from the three services in addition, members of the Si Lankan Police force for this victory. His Excellency the President ably guided the forces with his able Secretary of Defence.  The Sri Lankan army... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 12/12/09)

Open Letter to ICG
Ben Silva
Attention of Mr Robert Templer Dear Sir, ICG comments US Senate report on Sri Lanka I am referring to the report with the title ‘Senior HRW, ICG staff slam US Senate report’ that appeared on the TamilNet on Friday, 11 December 2009. The US Senate report on Sri Lanka, now shows that USA is now getting a balanced view on Sri Lanka and is able to filter out, to a certain degree, the influence of LTTE agents.  ICG has to be given credit for understanding the link between bogus refugees and funding of the terror war in... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 12/12/09)

RCMP-Toronto footing down to deal with Pro-LTTE fronts after the successful Meeting with Peace loving citizens of Canada
By: Kamala Chandrakurana (Ajex-Pickering Special Investigation Journalist)
The meeting with RCMP National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) and Toronto Police unit commander Director Mark Pugash and nearly 100 peace loving Canadian-Sri Lankan citizens took place on 5th December at “Party Room” at 301 Prudential DR, Scarborough. Toronto, was a “volunteer cooperation” from Canadian Citizens and “alert call” for enforcement officers to deal the Banned Terrorist organization LTTE in Canada. This was a significant turn from Canadian-Sri Lankan citizens after 3 decades who were divided and misguided by LTTE and some Pro LTTE organizations to support and finance their terror organization... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 12/12/09)

The story of a Puppet who has no policies
Garvin Karunaratne, Ph.D. Former Government Agent, Matara District, 
For a long time Sri Lanka had two major Political Parties, one of which secured the majority to rule depending on the decision of the people at the polls. In 1970 it was the socialist SLFP led coalition. In 1977 it was Jayawardena who moved to embrace the West and the IMF. In 1995 Kumaranatunge came back with the socialists and again Ranil Wickremasinghe established a Government in 2001. Mahinda Rajapaksa became the President in 2005 on a socialist card. In all these elections the contenders for the presidency had... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 11/12/09)

What chances has Sarath Fonseka to win the Presidential elections ?
By Charles.S.Perera
From the look of it none. To begin with he is handicapped not having a political party of his own to support him. The UNP is already split about a wholehearted support to the retired General. JVP has its own reasons , and not that of the Presidential candidate in offering their support. JVP is trying to evaluate to what extent it is popular among the voters for a future come back into the Parliament with an increased number of JVP Parliamentarians. JVP therefore cares less whether the retired General is elected or not. It is not... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 11/12/09)

Leading an army of the deserted
by Lucien Rajakarunanayakeb
As nomination day approaches for the Presidential Race there is hectic activity on both sides to demonstrate popularity. The challenger Fonseka is no doubt having an uphill task which he would have known when he decided to take on winner in the last round. But the situation is not something what can be described as strategically advantageous when looked at from the point of view of a military strategist, which is noticeably the tone of the Fonseka campaign. There are very reliable reports that General (Rtd.) Sarath Fonseka who, in the view of some who... -Full Story- (The Island - 11/12/09)

Foreign Minister Bogollagama meets his counterparts on the sidelines of BIMSTEC Ministerial meeting in Myanmar, 9-11 December 2009
Media Release Ministry of Foreign Affairs Colombo – 01
Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama who is currently in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar to participate in the 12th Session of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Ministerial Meeting had bilateral consultations with the Foreign Ministers of Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand.  During his meeting with Mr. Nyan Win, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Union of Myanmar, Minister Bogollagama reviewed the status of bilateral relations with Myanmar. Minister Win recalled with gratitude the recent visit to Sri Lanka by the Chairman of the State Law... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 11/12/09)

An Open Letter to Mr. Susil Premjayantha-Minister of Education and Mr. Wiswa Warnapala Minister of Higher Education.
by Charle.S.Perera
Some time back I posted an article in Lankaweb, “ Where every Blake, Chilcott and Hogg, talks of Human Rights of terrorists, nobody speaks of the Human Rights, Grievances and Aspirations of Unemployed Graduates. », which was about the unemployed graduates and the ridiculous masquarade of giving some of them a grueling physical training under a scheme with the imposing title of Yovun Diriya, with the false promise of giving them government employment.  After the army style training imposed upon about 2088 youthful unemployed graduates of both sexes, they were sent away without any guarantee of employment.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 11/12/09)

SERIES OF INVALUABLE DHAMMA CONFERENCE IN SINHALA - BUDDHIST GUIDELINES FOR A HEALTHY LIFE
Shripal Nishshanka Fernando
The most popular weekly telephone Dhamma conference in Sinhala which takes place on every Saturday evening in USA time corresponding to Sunday early morning in Sri Lanka has emerged into a new trend by adopting a series of invaluable Dhamma talks starting this Saturday. “Identifying Illness and Health in our Body and Mind” is the part one of the series of three Dhamma talks comprising “Buddhist Guidelines for a Healthy Life” which will be conducted by most Venerable Soorakkulame Pemarathana of Pittsburgh Buddhist Center of Pennsylvania, USA. This is an open invitation to all Dhamma friends... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 11/12/09)

Release child soldiers, UN envoy tells Lanka
UN special envoy Patrick Cammaert meets nearly 300 children who were forcibly recruited by the defeated Tamil Tiger rebels A top United Nations envoy asked Sri Lanka yesterday to release detained Tamil Tiger child soldiers and urged the authorities to re-unite them with their families. Retired Major General Patrick Cammaert, the UN special envoy on children and armed conflict, said children who had been conscripted by the Tiger rebels should be allowed to return to their families. “Hundreds of children are still missing or separated from their parents. They must be reunited as soon as possible,” the Dutch UN official... -Full Story- (Gulf Times - 11/12/09)

US envoy discusses Lanka’s northeast development
A top US official has discussed with Sri Lankan business leaders ways to rebuild the war-hit northern and eastern parts of the country. The American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) and the US embassy here co-hosted a roundtable discussion on reconstruction and rehabilitation in the northeast and new development opportunities there. The event took place on Wednesday, a US embassy statement said yesterday. Business and chamber leaders told US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake that there had been many improvements in the eastern region of Sri Lanka since the defeat of the Tamil Tigers there in 2007.... -Full Story- (Gulf Times - 11/12/09)

Sri Lanka: No effort should be spared for the children affected by conflict
Source: Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Date: 11 Dec 2009 Colombo, 11 December 2009 – "Now that the dust is settling in post conflict Sri Lanka, we have to seize all opportunities to help children affected by the conflict to move forward, heal their trauma and resume their precious childhood. Everyone has a role to play," stated General (ret) Patrick Cammaert at a press conference concluding a five-day visit to Sri Lanka. The United Nations Special Envoy of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict was visiting the... -Full Story- (Relief Web - 11/12/09)

SHOULDN’T THE CENTRAL BANK TRACK THE FUNDS COMING INTO PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Malin Abeyatunge
Now the race has begun and how Sarath Fonseka’s election campaign WILL BE FUNDED may be an interesting thing to wait and watch.  As Sarath  Fonseka claims himself to be Mr. CLEAN and Mr. INTERGITY and  contesting the presidential election to weed out corruption and nepotism,  no one thinks that he has enough funds on his own to run the presidential race. Being Mr. Clean Mr. Integrity , I don’t think he would have accumulated so much of wealth whilst being the Army Commander. So, who is funding his race? Are the five stooges Ranil, Mangala, Somawansa,... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/12/09)

Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is under threat from the cults
Ajit Randeniya
One of the more interesting phenomena about the current political situation in Sri Lanka is the sudden and inexplicable ‘change of heart’ of the Christian fundamentalist cults and their representatives towards General (retd.) Sarath Fonseka’s candidature for Presidency. A man who was  allegedly to be behind murders of journalists and unexplained disappearances, giving rise to the ‘culture of impunity’ in Sri Lanka is currently their favourite candidate!     The explanation is that the cults who are represented by The Sunday Leader Group are repeating a ‘trick’ they have been deploying in America for several decades; their financiers... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/12/09)

S.B. Dissanayake: Sri Lanka’s Electoral System Must Change
By Ranjit J. Perera
Abolishing the executive presidency will not be enough to ensure stability in Sri Lanka, says S.B. Dissanayake, former national organizer for the United National Party (UNP) and former opposition leader of the Central Provincial Council. “Even more than the system of the executive presidency, there is a bigger problem in this country and that’s with the parliamentary electoral system,” Dissanayake says. “Both these systems have to work together. If we abolish the executive presidency and continue with the same electoral system, there will never be a stable government in Sri Lanka.” The executive president of... -Full Story- (srilankanewsnetwork.com - 10/12/09)

S.B. Dissanayake: A Century of Suffering for Minorities
By Ranjit J. Perera
S.B. Dissanayake, the former national organizer for the United National Party (UNP) and the opposition leader of the Central Provincial Council, held a press conference Dec. 7 and announced that he will relinquish all affiliations with the UNP and rejoin the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to support President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the upcoming election. In an exclusive interview with SLNN the same evening, Dissanayake spoke on a range of issues including minority rights. The audio excerpt of the interview is in Sinhala and its English translation follows.... -Full Story- (srilankanewsnetwork.com - 10/12/09)

Selling news space culture concerns journalists
Nava Thakuria
Rapid commercialization of the mainstream media, degradation of media ethics and practices in the country and the subsequent eroding public trust and support to the entire media community were some of the relevant issues those were discussed in a media conference held in Mumbai on December 5 last. The speakers in the annual general meeting of South Asian Free Media Association (India chapter) were also unanimous that the media in the entire region must come forward for paving way for an atmosphere for better understating among the people from different countries. Though admitted about the limitation and... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/12/09)

President Rajapaksa visits Chettikulam IDP Welfare Centres
By Janaka Alahapperuma
Pix By: Sudath Silva During his official visit to the northern region on 9th December, President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited the IDP welfare centres in Chettikulam. President met internally displaced people those who were temporally accommodated in Chettikulam and inspected the welfare of the inmates. He also instructed the officials to provide all facilities they needed without fail. People thanked the President for visiting them and all the facilities were provided for until they are resettled in their villagers. The President’s personal visit to the camp brought a smile to the faces of the people and said... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/12/09)

Head of State pays homage to Madhu Church after three decades of absence
By Janaka Alahapperuma
President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited the Madhu Church in Mannar and breaks the three decades absence of the Head of Sri Lankan State to the Catholic Holy Shrine on 9th December 2009. He paid homage to the Madhu Matha on his way back to Colombo after unveiling the victory monument for the valiant war heroes in Nandikadal lagoon at Pudumathalan.  President met the religious dignitaries of the holy church and a special religious ceremony was conducted by the Mannar Bishop Rev Rayappu Joseph to bless the President. A picture of Madhu Matha was presented to the President... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/12/09)

Lankan war memorial at Prabhakaran’s death site
In an act of tremendous political-military significance, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday ceremonially opened a national war memorial at Pudumattalaan, near the site where LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran was killed. The memorial is located near the mangroves in Nanthikadal lagoon where Prabhakaran fell to the bullets of the Sri Lankan forces in the third week on May. The “Victory Monument” was unveiled before a galaxy of military officers. The President was accorded a Guard of Honour by the Commando Regiment. Minutes later, the President hoisted the National flag and the Tri-Service Commanders simultaneously hoisted the flags of their... -Full Story- (ExpressBuzz - 10/12/09)

Cairn launches Sri Lanka Mannar basin seismic
By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Dec. 10 -- A unit of Cairn India has begun a 3D seismic survey on Block 2007-01-01 in the Mannar basin in the Gulf of Mannar off Sri Lanka. CGG Veritas AS is to complete acquisition by the first quarter of 2010 using the SR/V Viking II seismic vessel. The 3,000-sq-km block is in 400-1,900 m of water northwest of Colombo. Drilling is to start in the first half of 2011. Cairn India holds 100% participating interest in the block. The exploration phase one commitment includes 1,450 sq km of 3D seismic, reprocessing 5,700... -Full Story- (ogj.com - 10/12/09)

‘Resettlement by end of January’
Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka has assured India that it would resettle all internally displaced persons (IDPs) of Tamil origin by the end of January. It also agreed on establishing an institutional mechanism to resolve issues relating to fishermen. Although External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna was pessimistic about Sri Lanka settling all the IDPs within the assured time frame during his statement in Parliament last week, the high-level Sri Lankan delegation visiting India “indicated its resolve to resettle all of them by the end of January.” The three-member delegation consisted of Senior Adviser to the President, Basil Rajapaksa;... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 10/12/09)

LTTE Powers the Fonseka Campaign
Dilrook Kannangara
Tiger financier Rajaratnam paid US$ 3,000,000 to the Fonseka campaign giant Ravi Karunanayake, MP. The Fonseka camp said this money is to be used to buy shares in Union Bank of Sri Lanka. However, nothing of that sort happened and it is illegal to invest foreign funds without approval from the Central Bank. Simply, this money is for the Fonseka campaign! That is not all. LTTE is channelling millions of dollars to the private coffers of the Fonseka camp to run the election campaign of Fonseka through its reliable agents like Mano, Jayalath, Ranil, Mangala and... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 09/12/09)

President Rajapaksa unveils a monument to commemorate the final battle in Nandikadal lagoon at Pudukudirruppu
By Janaka Alahapperuma
President Mahinda Rajapaksa unveiled a monument in Nandikadal lagoon at Pudumathalan, Pudukudirruppu this afternoon on 9th December in honour of the war heroes who engaged in the final mission on eradicating terrorism and its leadership. The monument was also erected to commemorate the valiant soldiers who laid down their valuable lives for the noblest of all causes at the victorious site of the final battle in Pudumathalan. After opening the monument, the President addressed the ceremony and said that the government is now carrying out a successful programme to develop the country and he believes... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 09/12/09)

LAW PROFESSOR DON ROTHWELL SEEMS TO HAVE MISSED THE LAW POINT IN HIS STATEMENT
By Noor Nizam, Sri Lanka Peace Activist, Political Activist and Freelance Journalist – Canada, Dec. 8th., 2009.
In response to the so-called allegations made by the U.S report that Dr.Palitha Kohona then Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was involved in orchestrating the killing of the two LTTE political figures after they had negotiated to surrender, Professor Don Rothwell has expressed his opinion that diplomatic immunity should be wavered and investigations carried out on the role played by Australian dual citizen and former Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary who is presently holding office as the permanent representative for Sri... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 09/12/09)

US urged to engage Sri Lanka
* By Jim Lobe
WASHINGTON - Despite ongoing concern about the country's human rights situation, the United States should seek a more positive relationship with strife-torn Sri Lanka, primarily for geopolitical reasons, according to a new report released here on Monday by the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The 18-page report, which was released on the eve of a two-day visit to the island by Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Affairs Robert Blake, calls for a "more multifacetedUS strategy" that would use the resumption of military aid, among other tools, to gain influence in... -Full Story- (atimes.com - 09/12/09)

Migrant links to Tamil Tigers ruled 'probable' Immigration and Refugee Board declares that terrorism guru's warnings are credible
JANE ARMSTRONG VANCOUVER
A Singapore-based terrorism expert who warned that Tamil Tigers were among the 76 migrants who arrived in a boat nearly two months ago has been given a stamp of credibility by an Immigration and Refugee Board adjudicator. Rohan Gunaratna, who was grilled for hours under cross-examination by lawyers for the migrants, is "credible and trustworthy," Lynda Mackie said in a nine-page ruling released yesterday. Mr. Gunaratna heads a terrorism think tank at Nanyang Technological University and has advised the Canadian government on the thorny issue of how to proceed with the Tamil migrants.... -Full Story- (theglobeandmail.com - 09/12/09)

Rajapaksa assures new life for Tamils
B. Muralidhar Reddy
COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday made an unannounced visit to Puthukkudiyirippu, the scene of the final battle between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan security forces, and dedicated a monument to the memory of the soldiers who died fighting the Tigers. He also reached out to the Tamil community with a visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu and addressing war displaced Tamil civilians at the Manik Farm complex in Vavuniya.... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 09/12/09)

Sri Lanka Says 94,000 Tamil War Refugees Remain in Transit Camp
Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Sri Lanka says 94,000 civilians remain in the main transit camp in the north as the government tries to meet a January deadline to settle all displaced people held since the defeat of Tamil Tiger rebels in May. The refugees, held at the Menik Farm center near Vavuniya, were visited yesterday by Robert Blake, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia and a former ambassador to Colombo, the Defense Ministry said on its Web site. More than 15,000 people are returning to their home towns and villages each week, according to the... -Full Story- (Bloomberg - 09/12/09)

Maoist leader spills the beans
MUMBAI: The revelations by the surrendered Maoist leader Rainu to Maharashtra Police that Philippine cadres and the LTTE cadres used to train the Maoists have added a new angle to the operations of the outlawed movement. According to Rainu, it was way back in 2001 that a Philippine man had come to India to train the Maoists. Two LTTE men also came to India for the same purpose. The revelations have baffled the security agencies as they were pondering how could a Philippine national carry out such a clandestine operation in the country.... -Full Story- (ExpressBuzz - 09/12/09)

Sri Lankan president opens war memorial in north
COLOMBO, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse opened a war memorial in the north on Wednesday to remember the government soldiers who were killed in the island's 30-year long civil war concluded in May with the defeat of Tamil Tiger rebels. Officials from the president's office said Rajapakse ceremonially opened the war memorial at Puthukudiyiruppu, where the last battles between the troops and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were fought early this year. The president's northern trip also brought him to Puthumathalanarea where LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was killed on the bank of Nandikadal... -Full Story- (Xinhua - 09/12/09)

U.S. Says More Hard Work Ahead In Post - War Sri Lanka
COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka has made good progress in its post-war efforts at resettling people, but hard work remains on press freedom and human rights, the top U.S. envoy for south Asia said on Wednesday. Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake is on a three-day trip to the Indian Ocean island nation to discuss political matters and reconciliation after the end of a 25-year war with the Tamil Tiger separatists in May. "The United States welcomes the recent progress by the government of Sri Lanka," Blake said, referring to the return of hundreds of thousands... -Full Story- (nytimes.com - 09/12/09)

Sri Lanka to prosecute or release former rebels
COLOMBO, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government said Wednesday that it will speed the process of prosecuting or releasing former Tamil Tiger rebels now in the custody of the government. Human Rights and Disaster Relief Services Minister Mahinda Samarasing he told reporters that though excessive caution was needed in dealing with the issue during the active conflict to safeguard national security, the post-conflict phase provides a more conducive environment to expedite due process. The government said over 11,000 Tamil Tiger rebels, including 2,000 women, are being rehabilitated at 17 centers including three permanent detention facilities with the defeat... -Full Story- (Xinhua - 09/12/09)

U.S. appreciates resettlement of war displaced people in Sri Lanka
COLOMBO, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake said here Wednesday that he appreciated the resettlement process of the Tamil civilians who were displaced by the final battles of the civil war between the government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels early this year. Blake, who is also a former U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, told reporters that the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has created a tremendous opportunity for the people of Sri Lanka. For the first time in over a generation, Sri Lankans live in... -Full Story- (Xinhua - 09/12/09)

Ranil has done it again – all by himself
H. L. D. Mahindapala
Each time Ranil Wickremesinghe tries to lift the UNP up it sinks a foot or two deeper in the mud in which it is located right now.. Each time he tries to raise his head he is knocked on the head by his own stupidity. Each time he thinks that he has stitched up the best deal for himself, the party or the nation every stitch comes apart at the seams. Each time he blunders it has diminished the image of the UNP and prospects of recovering from repeated defeats at the polls.  The latest... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/12/09)

Obama's 'openness' policy is a scam, Here's why:
Robert Brown
  In the past few months, Tamil expatriates in the U.S. who supported the Tiger terrorists are meeting regularly with the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asian Affairs, Mr. Robert Blake to force Sri Lanka to allow terrorists hiding within the internally displaced persons to be released. Their intentions are to let these terror fighters regroup, unearth hidden deadly weapons and restart the terrorist war against Sri Lanka and its people. These Tamil expatriates are also using our State Department to force Sri Lanka to give unfair and racist advantages to just the Tamils... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/12/09)

“People’s Liberation Army emerges in Eastern Sri Lanka- Report”
Herold Leelawardena
“People’s Liberation Army emerges in Eastern Sri Lanka- Report” says the Braking new in The Times of Sri Lanka on-line. I feel that is not the core news they want to spread out as 'braking new'. What they really want to disseminate is; ‘Sinhala vote is divided and therefore Sinhalese themselves are divided.’ Soon after The Times published this news item many other agencies and media houses started reporting it with their own added flavours the world over. One such paper ‘Deccan Herald’ had gone even so far as to warn our government. It says; “...  there... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/12/09)

A NEW MUDER COMMITED AIDED BY THE ‘LICENCE TO KILL’
Mahinda Weerasinghe
On 24 November another victim was claimed by a collapsing mine in the greater Teldeniya area. This time it was one Maneluwa Putuhapuwe Gedara Monasinghe (56 years) of  Maneluwa, Putuhapuwe of greater Teldeniya area. After fighting several days for his life, Monasinghe took his last breath on the 5th of December. Good thing he died when he did, for if he survived, he would be utterly handicapped and be a burden to the family and the society at large.    Indeed environmental ministry agents who issued these ‘LICENCES TO KILL’ and which are being used to murder... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/12/09)

US change of heart towards Sri Lanka
A New York Times report from New Delhi has triggered fresh ripples in the stormy political pool of Colombo. Ripples (as yet) because clammy Colombo is already a whirlpool of elections, defections and political slandering. Quoting from a to-be-released Senate Foreign Relations Committee report, NYT said that US was to adopt a ``less confrontational approach’’ towards Sri Lanka. “While humanitarian concerns remain important, U.S. policy towards SL cannot be dominated by a single agenda. It is not effective at delivering real reform, and it shortchanges U.S. geostrategic interests,’’ was one reason. The second: “SL is located at the nexus of... -Full Story- (Hindustan Times - 08/12/09)

U.S. May Lose Sri Lanka as Ally, Senate Report Says
By Paul Tighe
Dec. 8 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. risks losing Sri Lanka as an ally unless it changes its relationship after Western criticism of human rights abuses prompted the country to seek closer ties with China, Myanmar and Iran, a Senate committee said. The U.S. “cannot afford to ‘lose’ Sri Lanka,” the Committee on Foreign Relations said in a report. Relations won’t change overnight and the U.S. won’t ignore its concerns about the South Asian island nation’s political and humanitarian record, it said. While the U.S., China and India share an interest in securing maritime trade routes in... -Full Story- (Bloomberg - 08/12/09)

First stage of Colombo Outer Circular Highway starts construction
By Janaka Alahapperuma
President Mahinda Rajapaksa inaugurated the construction of the first Phase of Colombo outer Circular Highway from Kaduweal to Kottawa with financial assistance from JAICA on 7th December. He ceremonially opened the plaque and inspected the road development project and sites closer by. Later President Rajapaksa attended the publicity rally organised by the local politicians for the upcoming Presidential election at Kaduwela junction. After he addressed the large crowds gathered at the meeting, one old mother look like SLFP life time supporter wearing blue colour saree walked on to the stage and blessed him.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/12/09)

New Building and a Swimming pool for the Defence Services College
By Janaka Alahapperuma
Pix By: Chandana Perera President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared open the common facilities building and a new swimming pool for the Defence Services College on 7th December 2007. He promised to provide more facilities to bring up the standards of the Armed Forces in the future and appreciated the valiant service they did for the benefit of the nation by defeating brutal terrorism. Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Defence Secretary Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa and principle of the college Mr Pramuditha Wickramasinghe were present. Army Commander Major General Jagath Jayasuriya, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe and Air Force commander... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/12/09)

Clearing operations continue, more LTTE military hardware found - Mullaittivu
Troops of Task Force-2 (TF-2) have uncovered LTTE military items while conducting clearing operations in general area Puthukkudiyiruppu yesterday, 6 December.... -Full Story- (defence.lk - 08/12/09)

US Senate urges more engagement with Sri Lanka
WASHINGTON: A US Senate report has urged more engagement with Sri Lanka as it recovers from war, warning that Washington risks "losing" the island to China and Western adversaries. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in a bipartisan study, said the United States should be firm on human rights concerns including treatment of journalists and said a "culture of fear and paranoia" had permeated Sri Lanka. But the report worried the United States was alienating Sri Lanka as the island, historically friendly to Washington, boosts ties with China along with states such as Iran and Myanmar. "The United States cannot afford... -Full Story- (channelnewsasia.com - 08/12/09)

S.Lanka ex-general fears rebel attack
COLOMBO (AFP) – Sri Lanka's former military chief who led troops to victory over Tamil separatists in May said he fears fugitive rebels will try to assassinate him during his presidential election campaign. Sarath Fonseka, who is trying to unseat President Mahinda Rajapakse in the January 26 elections, told AFP that about 1,000 Tamil Tiger fighters may have survived the end of the decades-long war. Fonseka said that although the Tiger leaders had all been killed, renegade suicide bombers remained a serious risk. "The Tigers still have an international network and about 1,000 cadres who are mingling with the IDPs... -Full Story- (Yahoo - 08/12/09)

Sri Lanka stops state appointments before election
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-08 15:29:10 Print COLOMBO, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's election chief has ordered state institutions to stop giving appointments, promotions and transfers of employees until the end of the forthcoming presidential election, election officials said on Tuesday. Dayananda Dissanayake, the commissioner of Elections has suspended all appointments made after Nov. 23 when the official statement on the snap presidential election came to be announced, officials from the Department of Elections said. The decision came after Dissanayake received a large number of complaints of politically motivated appointments since the declaration of the election. The incumbent Mahinda Rajapakse called the... -Full Story- (Xinhua - 08/12/09)

Colombo steps satisfactory: U.S.
B. Muralidhar Reddy
COLOMBO: Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia and Central Asia and the former U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Robert Blake, on Tuesday expressed “satisfaction” over Colombo’s programme for re-settlement of nearly 2.9 lakh Tamil civilians displaced in the war against the LTTE. A statement from the Presidential Secretariat quoted Mr. Blake as telling a gathering at the Manik Farm relief centre in Vavuniya that he was pleased with the freedom of movement allowed to those remaining in the government-run relief camps and the education being given on land mines. Coinciding with Mr. Blake’s visit, a... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 08/12/09)

New militant group emerging in Lanka
Dec. 7: A new Tamil militant group is emerging in eastern Sri Lanka, less than six months after the army declared it won the 26-year-old war against the LTTE and killed Tiger chief Velupillai Prabhakaran. The Makkal Viduthalai Ranuvam (People’s Liberation Army), formed about four months back, has 300 active members and hopes to recruit 5000 volunteers from the civilians recently released from the IDP camps in the north, its commander Kones (a nom de guerre) was quoted in Times (London) telling its correspondent “during a night meeting in a safe house” in east Lanka last week. Reports said PLA... -Full Story- (deccanchronicle.com - 07/12/09)

HON. RAUF HAKEEM FULLY SUPPORTED THE EXECUTIVE PRESIDENCY RIGHT THROUGHOUT. THAT WAS THE SLMC STAND TOO.WHY A CHANGE NOW?
By Noor Nizam. Sri Lanka Peace Activist, Political Activist and Freelance Journalist – Canada, December 7th., 2009.
 The political history to the background to Hon. Rauf Hakeem supporting the UNF and promising that he will do all what he can to get 80% of the Muslim votes for General (retired) Sarath Fonseka is a bit puzzling. The question he raised at the 54th., UNP convention – “raja pavulatataha – obegepavulatatha” the UNP votes has to be decided, was in fact not centered at the Muslim voters or the “poraaligal” of the SLMC.  Hon. Rauf Hakeem has been an ardent... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/12/09)

FROM POLITICAL PARTIES TO SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
Speech made by Milinda Moragoda, Minister of Justice and Law Reform at the Inaugural Sessions held by the AIDS Foundation of Sri Lanka, on 7 December, 2009
I would like to thank Dr. Palitha Abeykoon and the Board of Management of the Aids Foundation of Lanka for inviting me to be present at this occasion. The initiative to find a cure for AIDS, to the shame of almost every government in the world, was led by ordinary people, civil society, the private sector and the media. The fight against AIDS typifies the way the world is changing and how... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/12/09)

Hero to zero in six months - Divided we fall
Ben Silva
The war against the Tamil Tiger terrorists, that had international backing was won due to team effort. The President, defence sec., Commanders of various forces, ordinary members of the forces including the police, the public, Politicians of various ethnic groups all worked as a team. Special recognition has to be given to Defence sec Gotabaya Rajapaksa for his heroism in the battle field and his organisation skills. Specifically, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Police, the Civil Defence Department, the Intelligence Service and the Foreign Ministry made a critical contribution to the battle against terrorism.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/12/09)

S.B Dissanayaka announces he is joining the SLFP
Courtesy Daily News
UNP National Organizer, Central Provincial Council Opposition Leader and Walapane UNP Organizer S. B. Dissanayake yesterday resigned from all posts of the UNP and declared his unconditional support to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the forthcoming Presidential Election. Dissanayake joined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party yesterday and said many members of the local government institutions too would join the SLFP and work for President Rajapaksa’s victory. Addressing the media at the Taj Samudra yesterday, Dissanayake said this was a crucial time to safeguard the nation, its people and democracy. “As such it is necessary to support President... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/12/09)

US New Strategy – An Analysis
By: Bassam Javed
Finally, the much awaited Afghan Strategy was unfurled by President Obama in a speech delivered at the United States Military Academy on 1st December 2009. In the back drop of former President George Bush’s call to arms post 9/11, Obama’s wartime address sounded like an endgame rather than a striking escalation of the US presence in Afghanistan. As expected, a surge in American Forces up to 30000 in the vital interest of the United States was announced by him to augment 68000 troops already deployed in Afghanistan. The speech, a shrewd one though, systematically progressed as... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/12/09)

Obama’s Conflict-ridden Afghan Plan
By: Shamsa Ashfaq
 According to a recent US Government Accountability Office audit report, nearly 13,000 attacks were recorded in Afghanistan between January and the end of August 2009. There was an average of 100 attacks a day on international forces, Afghan security forces and ordinary civilians, which makes the figure 2.5 times higher this year than that of 2008. During 2005, approximately 2,400 attacks were reported in Afghanistan. The most recent data available, as of August 2009, showed the highest rate of Taliban-initiated attacks making Afghanistan’s security situation worse.  Worth observing is the fact that violence skyrocketed in Afghanistan... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/12/09)

New Tamil group vows to start fresh war in Lanka
By ANI
Posted On Tuesday, December 08, 2009 at 01:57:01 AM Colombo: A Marxist group of Tamil militants with connections to the Palestinian Liberation Organisation and Cuba is reportedly preparing to mount a new insurgency in Sri Lanka, six months after the government declared an end to the 26-year-old war there. According to a report in The Times, The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was founded four months ago and has vowed to launch attacks against government and military targets unless its demands for a separate Tamil homeland are met. “This war isn’t over yet,” Commander Kones, head... -Full Story- (mumbaimirror.com - 07/12/09)

Dealing with SL: US Senate advocates less confrontational approach – New York Times
‘Sri Lanka too important a country to be isolated’
The New York Times (NY) reported yesterday that a report on Sri Lanka to be released next week by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee urged a less confrontational approach to that nation, citing strategic American interests in the region. NY said that the bipartisan report endorsed by Senator John Kerry, the Democratic chairman of the committee, as well as Senator Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican, was being released as the Obama administration was preparing to announce its new policy on Sri Lanka against the backdrop of questions about what Western countries... -Full Story- (The Island - 07/12/09)

169, 938 IDP's resettled : 112,062 IDP's to be resettled
Source: Government of Sri Lanka
Date: 07 Dec 2009 Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told the media :" As a result of the speedy re-settlement program the number of IDP's in welfare villages has come down to 112,062 from 282,000 " as a total of 169, 938 - or over 50%- have already been resettled in their original homes . Of this total of 112,062 , 105,664 IDP's from Vavuniya, 1738 from Jaffna and 2,298 from Trincomalee have to be resettled . It is noted that there are around 2360 IDP's receiving medical attention in... -Full Story- (Relief Web - 07/12/09)

Banks in Lanka mint money from resettled Tamils
Internally displaced Tamils have deposited nearly SLR 2 billion in cash and jewellery in banks opened for them in the refugee camps of northern Sri Lanka. That amount translates to more than Rs 810 crore, almost enough to start an infrastructure company. Several mobile bank branches with ATMs are functioning in camps in Vavuniya in north Sri Lanka. Thousands of savings accounts and jewellery lockers have been opened in these branches. “Many of the displaced had come to the camps with cash strapped to their arms and legs. Forty-feet containers were transformed into mobile banks so that the people could... -Full Story- (Hindustan Times - 07/12/09)

UN diplomat meets former Sri Lankan child soldiers
A top United Nations envoy for children held talks with senior Sri Lankan officials yesterday after meeting former child soldiers, an official said. Retired Major General Patrick Cammaert, the UN special envoy on children and armed conflict, met nearly 300 children who were forcibly recruited by the defeated Tamil Tiger rebels, UN spokesman Gordon Weiss said. The Dutch UN official is due to tour Batticaloa in the island’s east and then Vavuniya, in the north, where hundreds of youngsters previously involved in the fighting are undergoing vocational training.... -Full Story- (Gulf Times - 07/12/09)

THIS NONSENSE OF LABEL PARTY POLITICS AND DECEPTIVE POLITICAL MISLEADING HAS TO STOP. SRI LANKA'S VIBRANT POLITICAL ELECTORATE SHOULD KNOW THE TRUTH.
By Noor Nizam. Sri Lanka Peace Activist, Political Activist and Freelance Journalist - Canada.
The UNF and it's secretary making a media statement at a press conference on December 6th., of another party joining the UNF alliance is another political drama enacted to deceive the faithful and loyal UNPers and the general voters of the nation.  These types of mushroom parties are many in Sri Lanka and we can see them popping up during elections. The importance of a Political party is it´s representative base and the vote bank it can command. We saw in recent months another individual... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/12/09)

SB to cross over to govt. today Makes farewell speech to UNP electorate President visits him in Hanguranketha
by The Island News Desk
UNP National Organiser and Central Provincial Council Opposition Leader S.B. Dissanayake will cross over to the Government today, The Island learns. Dissanayake summoned the UNP Electorate Organisations (Asana Bala Mandala) of the Central Province for a meeting at his residence in Hanguranketha yesterday and delivered an emotional speech, where he described his political career and how he had left the SLFP to join forces with the UNP, sources said. He had mentioned that he broke ranks with the then President Chandrika Kumaratunga and worked tirelessly to help UNP to form a government under Ranil Wickremesinghe,... -Full Story- (The Island - 06/12/09)

Adigar ‘Pawnseka’ is faltering under the influence of supporters with vested interests
Ajit Randeniya
 General (retd.) Sarath Fonseka is conforming to the shameful tradition of past Sri Lankan kings and adigars who have been ‘eveready’ to sell out to foreigners. This tradition, starting with Buvanekabahu of Kotte was kept alive by many other kings and adigars that followed him. Ranil Wickremesinghe whom many consider to be the reincarnation of Don Juan Dharmapala has been the personification of this shameful practice in recent times. Now that the baton has been passed on to Sarath Fonseka, he deserves to be referred to as Adigar ‘Pawnseka’.  Sadly for him, things do not seem to... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/12/09)

Sarath Fonseka and regime change in Sri Lanka
A.Weerasekera
Recently Minister Maithripala Sirisena made a comment that west is using Sarath Fonseka to bring regime change in Sri Lanka. Could there be any truth behind this claim? In April 2002, Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce president Pedro Carmona led a coup to bring down the Venezuelan head of state, President Hugo Chavez. Immediately after the coup, members of the military and of the new government said that the decision to force Chavez from power had been made six months earlier by a group of dissident officers in the Venezuelan navy and air force. As the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/12/09)

SARATH FONSEKA – THE LATEST MEMBER OF CLUB OF TRAITORS OF SRI LANKA (A GENERAL WITHOUT TRUE PATRIOTISM AND COMMON SENSE)
Shripal Nishshanka Fernando
One does not need to analyze many facts or reasons to visualize what Sarath Fonseka is trying to do in Sri Lanka today. This high ego man has aligned with Sri Lanka’s most infamous traitors and tries to derail the successful path which Sri Lanka finally managed to adopt by the wise leadership of President Rajapaksha. Any average person who values simple gratitude, loyalty and sincerity would never approve or appreciate Sarath Fonseka who started a vicious campaign against his own master who stood beside him during most difficult time. The most ungrateful Sarath Fonseka has... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/12/09)

The Sarath Fonseka Syndrome
Insight By Sunil Kumar
December5th 2009 He sits languidly in the safety of a commando guarded office in a plush Colombo suburb dreaming of his aspirations to become President! He has all the vestiges of a weary, drained out, somewhat befuddled individual now that he no longer wears the uniform of a decorated military leader although his military instincts probably still remain as an indomitable spirit for all the wrong reasons. The subject under review here is none other than General (retd) Sarath Fonseka perhaps the biggest dreamer alive in Sri Lanka today! deluding himself that he will be... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/12/09)

Travels of a Journalist—1 JOGGING ALONG LONDON’S CANALS: GLIMPSES OF DICKENS
By Shelton A. Gunaratne©2009  Professor of mass communications emeritus Minnesota State University Moorhead
When I was a child, my father and I had a lot of fun conversing with each other in lyrical “free” verse to bemuse ourselves during walks to the Mullewatte well for bathing or on other occasions when our minds turned to leisurely pursuits.  Although my father had never visited England, his “colonial” education at Mahinda College had fostered in his mind a picture of London as the “greatest” city in the world. So, he would often tease me with the following question:             Loken itha... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/12/09)

Meeting with RCMP to nail LTTE activities in Toronto-Canada
By: Kamala Chandrakurana
It was a Patriotic meeting called by peace loving Canadian-Sri Lankan community with RCMP National Security Enforcement Team (INSET)  and Toronto Police Unit Commander Director Mark Pugash & team on 5th December 2009  “Party Room” at 301 Prudential DR, Scarborough. Toronto.   It was attended by nearly 100 Canadian-Sri Lankan citizens (Including Tamils, Sinhalese, Muslims and Burgers) who were worried about the threat to peace and harmony among our community in Canada since the pro-LTTE group invited “Nam Thamilar” (We are Tamils) movement leader, Tamil Nadu Cine industry personality and Very close follower of LTTE leader... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/12/09)

New Bhikku Hospital ceremoniously opens by President Rajapaksa at Galaha, Kandy.
Report by Janaka Alahapperuma
(Pix By: Sudath Silva) A well equipped new bhikku hospital for Maha Sanga was ceremoniously opened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Galaha, close proximity of Kandy city on 6th November. The new hospital which was built in a land donated by the parents of Ven Delthota Dhammajiththi thero at the cost of 50 million rupees. President also planted a tree in the hospital land to mark the occasion, declared open the electricity supply of the hospital and admitted the first patient monk to the hospital by himself. Later Dhana was offered to Maha Sanga inside... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/12/09)

Preachers as hypocrites
Island Editorial
We unreservedly condemn Saturday's attack on ITN and Rupavahini crews assigned to cover the UNP convention at Welisara. We do so not because we are great fans of the State media or endorse their spin-doctoring but because we firmly believe that media personnel are not there for thugs to rough up or account for at will, whatever their faults may be. The UNP's kneejerk reaction has been to deny its involvement in Saturday's attack. It says it had not invited the State media and the incident occurred outside the venue of its convention. Therefore, it says it should... -Full Story- (The Island - 06/12/09)

Sarath season or Rajapaksa return?
By Dayan Jayatilleka
Let’s not make the same mistake as the Tamil people did. Out of profound dissatisfaction, they abandoned, turned their backs on their civilian lawyer-politician leaders and opted for a warrior-warlord as their "national leader". This has led them to the brink of destruction as a community. Do the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims collectively wish to make the same disastrous choice or its equivalent? We needed a tough, ruthless, driven, army commander to beat an enemy as ruthless as the Tigers but do we need him to lead us and rule us?... -Full Story- (The Island - 06/12/09)

Lanka claims its camps are the place to be
P K Balachandran
COLOMBO: Less than 20 per cent of the Tamil war refugees kept in camps in north Sri Lanka availed of the freedom of movement granted by the government since December 1, Minister for Human Rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe, said on Friday. He said in the last three days, only 22,443 of the 112,062 refugees living in camps had availed of the facility. And out of them, 9,717 had already come back. “This is a testimony to the satisfactory conditions prevailing in the camps.They are not as bad as alleged by a section of the local and international media,”... -Full Story- (ExpressBuzz - 06/12/09)

Charges, counter-charges galore in Sri Lanka
B. Muralidhar Reddy
Desertions from the ranks of both ruling party and Opposition on the cards Fonseka distorting facts to gain public sympathy: Gotabhaya COLOMBO: Though there are 11 days to go for the filing of papers for the January 26 Sri Lankan Presidential election, charges and counter-charges from the ruling party and the Opposition have become the order of the day. Responding to charges of nepotism and corruption levelled by the retired General Sarath Fonseka at a convention of the main Opposition United National Party (UNP), the government on Sunday accused the Opposition of carrying out a... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 06/12/09)

U.S. Report on Sri Lanka Urges New Approach
By LYDIA POLGREEN Published: December 6, 2009
NEW DELHI — A report on Sri Lanka to be released next week by the Senate Foreign Relations committee urges a less confrontational approach to that nation, citing strategic American interests in the region. The report says that while the Sri Lankan government has been widely criticized for its handling of the war against the Tamil Tigers, the government has also achieved a measure of progress in resettling the conflict’s displaced and rebuilding the war-shattered east of the country.... -Full Story- (nytimes.com - 06/12/09)

The Journey of a Journalist
By Shelton A. Gunaratne ©2009  Professor of mass communications emeritus Minnesota State University Moorhead
The Journey of a Journalist (Part 1) – FROM VILLAGE BOY TO GLOBAL CITIZEN
Monday, September 14th, 2009 By Shelton A. Gunaratne ©2009 My great ambition as a 15-year-old child was to become “one of the outstanding statesmen of the world” and to go overseas to “get acquainted with foreigners and their ways of life.” These revelations appeared in a regular “What I want to be” children’s feature published in a Colombo daily on [...] The Journey of a Journalist (Part 2) –... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 05/12/09)

Tamil detainees freed in Sri Lanka and nowhere to go
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario.Canada
December 5, 2009 The Editor (Letters) THE OTTAWA CITIZEN Sir: The cruel and insane side of international Human Rights activism was revealed in the very words that you had quoted (Dec.5), ‘Tens of thousands of Tamil detainees freed in Sri Lanka, many have nowhere to turn.’  I am not surprised. After 27 years of an intense and ugly Tamil separatist war where almost every house was destroyed in the North of Sri Lanka, and the government had provided temporary shelter in welfare camps  for the 288,000 rescued Tamil people until... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 05/12/09)

SACRILEGE OF BUDDHA STATUE FOR UNHOLY PURPOSES.
Malin Abeyatunge
Religious statues, images and any other material relating to various religions are sacred to each faith. The Buddha Statues and Images are the most sacred objects to all Buddhists in the world. I, myself a Buddhist and have placed the Buddha’s statue in my home at a very appropriate place in keeping with the highest respect I have for the Lord Buddha.. All Buddhists do the same thing in their homes all over the world and never use it as a decorative piece or an ornament in side the house or outside in the garden. Many Buddhists... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 05/12/09)

CLOSE ENCOUNTER …………………….………..One of a kind
Piyal Samarakone
The political twist which is being taken place perhaps never contemplated by anyone even in their wildest dreams, yet all set to unfold the biggest political drama of our time and it’s not about color of the factions but mere characters. Which one? And why? The questions will be answered by the mass-jury in a little more than a month’s time. The verdict will depend on the bona fide of the characters who are vying for the throne thus convincing has become the biggest challenge for both camps. Why it is so hard to convince people especially... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 05/12/09)

Free TVs given to refugees
Staff Reporter
TIRUNELVELI: Distribution of colour televisions to 888 Sri Lankan refugee families living in ten camps across the district commenced on Saturday. Ministers T.P.M. Maideen Khan and Poongothai Aladi Aruna and Collector M. Jayaraman handed over the freebies to 48 families living in the refugee camp at Perumalpuram in Palayamkottai while 99 families in the Gangaikondan camp received the colour television sets from the Collector. “The elected representatives will distribute the colour televisions to the families living in the remaining eight refugee camps in the next few days,” Mr. Jayaraman noted adding that the basic infrastructure facilities in... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 05/12/09)

Did Fonseka come to Mumbai on secret visit?
Sutirtho Patranobis, Hindustan Times
Presidential hopeful general Sarath Fonseka returned to Colombo on Friday afternoon after a day visit to India apparently to open a line of communication with Indian political leaders. Though it was learnt that he flew to Mumbai, neither he nor his political aides were willing to share any details about the visit. “He flew to Mumbai. But from Mumbai, one can go any where. He had to meet some people,’’ were the cryptic remarks of an aid. Fonseka met the Indian High Commissioner Ashok K Kantha on Wednesday a day before he left, leading to further... -Full Story- (Hindustan Times - 04/12/09)

West using Sarath Fonseka to bring regime change in Lanka: Minister
Colombo: Former top General Sarath Fonseka, who led the army to victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), has now become a pawn in the hands of some western nations "conspiring" to bring "regime change" in Sri Lanka, a top minister has alleged.The general secretary of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and agriculture development minister Maithripala Sirisena also alleged that many of the foreign dignitaries who visited Sri Lanka during the last phase of the Eelam War IV tried to save the slain LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran. "Certain Western nations were trying to bring about a... -Full Story- (dnaindia.com - 04/12/09)

Fonseka’s swansong
By Asoka Subhawickrama, Sydney, Australia
Sarath Fonseka choosing the swan as his election symbol is indeed prophetic. Legend has it that the song of the swan heralds its impending demise. The non-superstitious would call it mere coincidence and others may argue that Fonseka’s is crowing and whinging, not singing, but the quirk is weird, indeed. There is a saying “Old soldiers never die, they just fade away”. But in Sri Lanka, they get blown away, at least the brave heroic types. One of the very best soldiers we had was General Denzil Kobbekaduwa, much senior to Fonseka. As Denzil... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 04/12/09)

Take stern action against traitors!
Keppetipola Weeraya
Dear Patriots   It is a crucial phase of Sri Lankan history. Our enemies mainly the EU and USA are desperately trying to reverse our gains. They are simply punishing us for crushing terrorism which they cannot do with all the help they are getting in Afghanistan. But tiny Lanka crushed the world's deadliest terrorist group totally on her own. The imperial hoons tried all what they can to save the anti civilizational megalomaniac Prabhakaran but failed. So now their conspiracy is to create as much dissent against our heroic leader Mahinda Rajapaksa.   Be very careful... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 04/12/09)

Tin head politics of a fading brass
Lucian Rajakaruna
Nick Gowing, frequent news presenter of BBC, earlier this week showed he was either totally out of touch with reality in Sri Lanka or was pushing an agenda which was clearly opposed to Sri Lanka. It was about the Government’s decision to allow freedom of movement for the IDPs in the relief centres in the Vanni, especially Menik Farm. In an interview with Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, Tuesday night, the BBC was on one hand demanding to know why the IDPs who were free to leave the relief centres had to be registered, and also why they were... -Full Story- (Daily News - 04/12/09)

Sri Lanka Navy rescues 4 Indian fishermen
B. Muralidhar Reddy
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) has said that it has rescued four Indian fishermen found drifting in their fishing boat near the Maradapuram fishing marshalling point in Karainagar Island on Wednesday. SLN gave their names as Karunanidhi Sekar (44), Ramachandiran Shakthivel (40), Weeramuththu Soundaraj (30) and Kumaran Muniyan (32) are natives of Nagamawattam from Naleiwurumei Fishing Society in Kodiyakarei and said that they would be sent back at the earliest.... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 04/12/09)

Things not all that well in Sri Lanka camps: India
Anita Joshua & Sandeep Dikshit
Krishna pessimistic of Colombo resettling all IDPs within 60 days 3 more demining teams to be sent to Sri Lanka -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW DELHI: India on Friday admitted that things were “not all that well” in the camps of displaced Tamils in Sri Lanka but assured more assistance to Colombo to resettle all those who have not yet been allowed to return home since the end of the conflict between the island’s armed forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Speaking in Parliament, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna was pessimistic of Colombo fulfilling its... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 04/12/09)

Rehab of Tamils in Lanka may take time: Krishna
NEW DELHI: India on Friday said the Sri Lankan government may not be able to adhere to the 180-day deadline ending in January 2010 for Twitter Facebook Share Email Print Save Comment rehabilitating internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the refugee camps. Replying to a calling attention motion in Lok Sabha, foreign minister S M Krishna said the Lankan government "may not be in a position to live by its promise''. "We have engaged with the Sri Lankan government to know various measures taken to settle IDPs. We were given assurances from day one that within 180 days, 300,000 IDPs would... -Full Story- (Times of India - 04/12/09)

UN Agency Welcomes Sri Lanka’s Decision
Saturday, 5 December 2009, 11:40 am Press Release: United Nations UN Agency Welcomes Sri Lanka’s Decision To Let People In Camps Move Freely New York, Dec 4 2009 10:10AM The United Nations refugee agency has welcomed Sri Lanka’s decision this week to allow greater freedom of movement for some 135,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) remaining in 20 closed camps in the country’s north following the recently-ended civil conflict. “We are encouraged by the Sri Lankan Government’s long-awaited decision,” Andrej Mahecic, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters in Geneva.... -Full Story- (scoop.co.nz - 04/12/09)

Sri Lankan MP hints at contesting Presidential election
Special Correspondent
CHENNAI: M.K. Sivajilingam, MP, Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Sri Lanka, has plans to contest as an Independent in the forthcoming Presidential election in the island nation. Talking to journalists here on Friday, Mr. Sivajilingam said a section of MPs in the TNA wanted the party to field a candidate for the election. This was to oppose the candidatures of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Sarath Fonseka, former Chief of Defence Staff. The TNA had not taken a decision. “If the TNA does not field a candidate, then I will contest as an independent candidate.” Tamils who were displaced... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 04/12/09)

Over 70% Sri Lankan war displaced freed: minister
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-05 06:59:41 Print COLOMBO. Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government said Friday the 280,000 war-displaced Tamil civilians sheltered in government-run welfare centers in the northern Vavuniay district have been reduced by 70 percent due to rapid resettlement program and granting them the freedom of movement. Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told reporters that 22,443 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have moved out from the centers but 9,778 of them have returned to camps since Dec. 1 when the IDPs were given freedom to move out of the camps. Samarasinghe said 112,062 IDPs including those who have returned are... -Full Story- (Xinhua - 04/12/09)

Peace Dividend In the hills of Sri Lanka, Kandy is ready for tourists
By ROBERT SCHROEDER
KANDY, Sri Lanka -- To understand the spirit of Kandy, listen to its heartbeat. It may be heard -- rising from the 67-centimeter-long Kandyan drums known as geta bera -- at the sacred Temple of the Tooth, or during puja (devotions) at the Embekke Temple, just outside the ancient city's center. The centuries-old percussive beats connect one of Sri Lanka's biggest cities with its proud past -- and are now ready to pound a tattoo into a hopeful future.Just months after the end of Sri Lanka's decades-long civil war, tourist arrivals to the South Asian island... -Full Story- (online.wsj.com - 03/12/09)

Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Ranjith speaks
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario.  Canada
December 3, 2009 Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith   Archdiocese of Colombo Colombo, Sri Lanka  The Most Reverend Sir: I have just read your comment in yesterday’s  ZENIT, The World seen from Rome, which said, “After the Sri Lankan government’s decision to send refugees home, the  archbishop of Colombo is warning about the danger of landmines that may greet these displaced persons.” “Holy Smokes”, I said, “This Archbishop surely is not being another joker, as what the Bishop John Arnold of the Diocese of Westminster in London and the Bishop John Rawsthorne of... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

SHAMELESS GENERAL vs PRESIDENT
RANJIT WICKREMERATNE
If not for the current President there wont be any one called General Sarath Fonseka that of course everyone knows for sure. First of all he should thank the President for keep him in the services and appoint him as the army commander and giving him all the necessary support and equipment to fight the war on terror.After the war the President make him a Four star General for his valuable services for ending three decades of dirty war. President and the whole country appreciated what he did and commended for his leadership but unfortunately this Hero... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

CAN THE MUSLIMS OF THE NORTH, NORTH EASTERN, AND EASTERN REGIONS SUFFER BECAUSE OF THE REALISTIC POLITICAL DEFAULT OF OUR LEADERS?
By Noor Nizam , Sri Lanka Peace Activist, Political Activist and Freelance journalist, Canada , 3rdt., December 2009.
It was shocking to see Hon. Rauf Hakeem,  on the TV screen making a statement  that the victory of General (retired) Sarath Fonseka, was a foregone assurance as a result of the Muslim votes in the North Eastern and Eastern Province and outside that of the of the NE & E. It was further frustrating to hear a leader of the “political representative brokerage party of the Muslims of Sri Lanka” stating that the UNP also has a strong Muslims vote... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

Fonseka stirs a political plot
P K Balachandran
COLOMBO: Slain LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s parents, the self-effacing Thiruvengadam Velupillai and Parvathy, find themselves, quite unexpectedly, in the eye of an electoral storm in Sri Lanka. A stray remark by the “joint opposition” presidential candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka that he would welcome anybody’s support, including those of former LTTE cadre and Prabhakaran’s parents, has stirred the political pot. Latching on to the remark, President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s camp has dubbed Fonseka a fellow traveller of the LTTE, who will compromise national security for political gain. The Manel Mal Movement convenor, lawyer S L Gunasekara, on Tuesday slammed... -Full Story- (ExpressBuzz - 03/12/09)

IDP situation, always a humanitarian issue – FM to BBC
Source: Government of Sri Lanka Date: 02 Dec 2009 The situation of IDP Tamils in Sri Lanka has been a humanitarian issue and will continue to be so. We want to see them go back home. That is our strategy and we want to see it happen. This was Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama's response to BBC's South Asia presenter Nick Gowing in an interview on BBC World News last night (Dec 01). Responding to repeated questions as to why these Tamil citizens have to register before leaving the relief centers, the Minister said registration was necessary because the relief centers... -Full Story- (Relief Web - 03/12/09)

Historical Teachings of Sri Lanka Challenged
New Nonfiction Examines the Controversial and Untold Truths of a Country's Past SUGAR LAND, Texas, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- There are many significant indications to suggest the impact of Portuguese and Dutch rule on the society of Sri Lanka remains very deep in present day society. However, thorough studies of the impact are rare. In her new nonfiction, "The Gentiles, A History of Sri Lanka 1498-1833" (published by AuthorHouse), author and historian Agnes Padmini Thambynayagam conveys the lasting effects of this rule in relation to the development of social institutions, the transformation of religious practices, the establishment of an educational... -Full Story- (prnewswire.com - 03/12/09)

53 asylum seekers on Viking
YUKO NARUSHIMA
THE Oceanic Viking has picked up another boatload of asylum seekers, a fortnight after it unloaded 78 reluctant Sri Lankans in Indonesia. Yesterday the customs vessel at the centre of a month-long stand-off with Indonesia intercepted another 53 asylum seekers and four crew north of West Islet, Ashmore Islands. The Home Affairs Minister, Brendan O'Connor, said the people would be transferred to Christmas Island for security, identity and health checks. But facilities on the island were overcrowded and dangerous, the Opposition said.... -Full Story- (smh.com.au - 03/12/09)

Colombo team aces National Law School debate
Staff Reporter
BANGALORE: Students from the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo, who vehemently argued that Sri Lankan Army Generals should be prosecuted for war crimes, won the 8th National Law School (NLS) Debate, 2009, here on Thursday. Coincidentally, the topic for the finals was “Whether the generals in the Sri Lankan Army should be prosecuted for war crimes”. The team from R.V. College of Engineering, Bangalore, argued in favour of the Generals. However, the Colombo team — comprising Shamalie Jayatunge, Luwie Ganeshathasan and Sachintha Dias — trounced the RVCE team with the adjudicators declaring them victors with... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 03/12/09)

NEW AFGHAN POLICY
ALI SUKHANVER
Subjected to the law and order conditions in the coming years, the US authorities have decided to begin the withdrawal of their forces from Afghanistan by the mid of 2011.This news might have been a ray of hope and happiness for the distressed people of the region if it were not accompanied by another reference indicating the arrival of new American troops in Afghanistan. As announced by President Obama at least 30000 more soldiers will be deployed in Afghanistan by the end of this year. On the other hand Gordon Brown, the British prime minister has announced... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

QUITTING AFGHANISTAN – STRATEGY SANS STRATAGEMS NEEDED
By: Bassam Javed
The Obama Administration in the United States is currently engaged in rethinking and formulating a fresh Afghan strategy aimed at securing an exit from Afghanistan without loss of face and with at least a modicum of dignity and honour. As far as meeting the projected requirement of his top commander’s recommendation for induction of another forty thousand troops into Afghanistan is concerned, the new strategy may provide for some additional troops, maybe just enough to supplement current efforts at creating conditions in Afghanistan that would eventually, provide for US troops an exit from Afghan territory that... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

Dalit’s Rights and Indian Hypocrisy
Written by: Fatima Syed
 The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) proposes to equate all discrimination on the basis of caste, occupation and descent as violation of Human rights and also deliberated on the recognition of caste as race. Nearly 200 million people all over the world are victims of such discrimination of which more than 160 million existed in India. Despite Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s conviction that untouchability is apartheid, India is opposing this move and so far has been taking the stand that caste issues should not be internationalized as caste is not race and it’s... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

SARATH FONSEKA’S PERSONAL VENDETTA AGAINST PRESIDENT
Malin Abeyatunge
Ex. Lt.General and CDS Sarath Fonseka has accepted the candidature from the recently formed UNF alliance led by UNP and JVP. He has a right to do politics from any party that he wishes according to his future plans and inspirations. Only two weeks back, I wrote a letter to Sinhala patriotic websites praising him as heroic partner for the defeat of LTTE and not to fall prey for the traitors trap. Now that he has announced his candidature for Presidency on UNF Traitors’ Alliance ticket, it  clearly exposes his naivety as he is unable to differentiate... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

Will Fonseka be the suicide-bomber for Ranil? -Part II
H. L. D. Mahindapala
Whether General Sarath Fonseka wins or loses there is no doubt that, at the end of it all, Ranil Wickremesinghe will be the loser. If Fonseka loses it is Wickremesinghe who will have to cop the flak. It will prove once again that he is a born loser. In the unlikely event of a win credit will go invariably to Fonseka and not to Wickremesinghe. So either way Wickremesinghe is a loser. What is worse, if Fonseka wins Wickremesinghe will have no power to force him out and grab power from him. Wickremesinghe will be... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

What if
by Lucky(Sydney)
Due to the recent political upheaval in the land of Sri Lanka (SL), several people have come out and claimed the victory of the war. So we frequently hear/read the statements like “I am responsible for the victory over the LTTE”.  So I thought of compiling a list of critical events related to Sri Lanka which happened during the last 3 – 4 years and analysed to see what if we failed in any of these missions, what would have been the possible outcome scenario?  1        Mavil-Aru conflict   2006  This was the beginning of the war with... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

Sri Lanka: Refugees permitted to leave camps
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . Canada
December 2, 2009 The Editor (Letters) THE OTTAWA CITIZEN Sir: Re: Sri Lanka – refugees permitted to leave camps, there were never doubts in the minds of the majority Sri Lankans that the 288,000 Tamil Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who were housed in temporary camps would be sent back to their original homes and villages as soon as possible. Common sense dictated that the Sri Lankan Government could not be that irresponsible to let the refugees die blown up by the over a million landmines that had been... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

Jokers, Wannabe Presidents and the Commoners
By Dr D. Chandraratna, Australia
The word joker seems to be cropping up these days for whatever reason in the Sri Lankan news bulletins in relation to the presidential poll. This is good news for the incumbent President as he cannot be painted by the same brush. Joker, for the Sri Lankans is an interesting word and concept. It is not usually used in the Sinhala language with the sort of meaning given to it in Singlish (Sinhalese+ English mix). I believe it was given currency in the Peradeniya University argot some decades ago and slipped into general parlance.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

Srilankan community members to meet Toronto Police and R.C.M.P.Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Canada's national police force).
The Saturday, December 5, 2009 meeting with community members will be held in the "party room" at 301 Prudential DR, Scarborough (Lawrence AVE/Midland AVE).  Please be at place of  starting time of 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m
with regards, Michael Walter  
... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

Dilemmas of a nation in war and peace - Part I
H. L. D. Mahindapala
War brought out the best in us. Peace has brought out the worst. War helped us to close ranks and hold us together. Peace has blown this apart. War taught us that we have the capacity to overcome all obstacles and achieve the impossible combating local and external forces. Peace is now throwing us back to primeval politics of wild beasts feeding on each other. In the light of what is happening now, it seems that war was preferable to peace. No one expected peace to take this destructive turn. Peace has turned inward to... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

Jehan Perera writes -Giving the ethnic minorities more than a Hobson’s Choice to please some, and to mislead many others.
by Charles.S.Perera
Jehan Perera has begun his former anti-government campaign after the defeat of the terrorists. But never would Jehan Perera use the word terrorist in describing them; they were for him the LTTE. I read somewhere that Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu and Jehan Perera had visited the Assistant Secretary of State Robert O’Blake. What they had discussed we will not know, but whether their visit was to help the Assistant Secretary of State to prepare an adverse report against Sri Lanka to the American Congress is any body’s guess. We however know where lies Jehan Perera’s interests. He is not... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

Rahu Maha Dasa for Fonseka from 2013 Brings Immense Destruction to his Subjects
Dilrook Kannangara
If ten (10) astrologers are consulted on the same matter, they will come up with ten different opinions. But what is indisputable is the effects of bad Dasas. Although the bad effects may be mild or harsh based on the birth chart, it is indisputable that bad effects will follow during bad Dasas especially for those in nationally commanding positions. Effects are not same across the Dasas as they have sub-periods. However, the overall characteristics of sub-periods depend on most part on the major period transiting. Sarath Fonseka was born on 18th December 1950 at 2:04 a.m.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 02/12/09)

KP DETECTIVES WORKING WITH ATTORNEY GENERAL TO FREEZE LTTE BANK ACCOUNTS RUNNING TO 600 ACROSS THE WORLD
By Walter Jayawardhana
The Sri Lanka government has sought the advice of the country’s Attorney General how to freeze more than 600 bank accounts belonging to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorist outfit. Government sources said the minute details of these bank accounts have been divulged by Kumaran Pathmanathan (KP) who succeeded the outfit’s slain leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and the former procurer of arms , now in the custody of the Sri Lanka government. KP was arrested by Sri Lankan intelligence officers in Kulalumpur and flown to Sri Lanka. Yesterday, it was revealed in Colombo that three... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

Sri Lanka and the IDP's
Henry.
The insistence of the UN that the IDP's in Sri Lanka should be assisted is a tautology. Everybody knows that it needs to be done. It is also obvious to all and sundry that this involves money-and a lot of it. In fact, a lot of money is needed for this as well as for the development of all those areas that descended to ruin, thanks to the evil machinations of the terrorists. The Sri Lankan economy suffered so many near fatal body blows during this time; she was coerced into spending so much on the war effort, money she... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

New Indian High Commissioner for Sri Lanka pays a courtesy call to President Rajapaksa
By Janaka Alahapperuma
Newly appointed High Commissioner of the Republic of India, Mr. Ashok K.Kantha paid a courtesy call to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees this afternoon on 02nd December. Recently he presented his credentials with four other envoys to the President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa at a ceremony at President’s Office on 23rd November. The other envoys who presented their credentials with Mr Kantha were Mr. Yaqoub Yousef Ateegi, Ambassador of Kuwait, Mr. Bruce Levy, High Commissioner of Canada and Mr. Jens Uwe Plotner, Ambassador of Federal Republic of Germany. Secretary to the president Mr.Lalith Weeratunga... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

President Rajapaksa visits Dambulla Economic Centre
By Janaka Alahapperuma
President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited Dambulla Economic Centre (DEC), which is situated in the Dambulla Secretariat Division of Matale District, in the center of Dambulla town on 30th November. The President personally inspected the facilities provided at the dedicated economic centre and exchanged opinions and views with traders and consumers. The center which was built to establish a wholesale market for vegetables and fruits is fully owned by the Ministry of Trade, Marketing Development, Co-operatives & Consumer Services. It opens for business everyday except Poya day from 3.00pm to Midnight. The average volume of Sale per week... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

Convicted Tamil says LTTE murderedfather Arrested In 2006; Toronto man procured weapons for Tigers: U. S.
Stewart Bell, National Post
A Toronto man who will be sentenced in the United States next month for procuring weapons for the Tamil Tigers rebels described in court documents how those same rebels murdered his father. Thiruthanikan Thanigasalam, 43, said in a sentencing memorandum in U.S. District Court that he fled to Canada after the Tamil Tigers took away his father and shot him eight times for refusing to give them money. Mr. Thanigasalam did not explain why, while living in Canada years later, he would take part in an illicit conspiracy to buy black market weapons for the... -Full Story- (National Post - 02/12/09)

Miss Worlds in Zim
Written by Malaka Yapa
112 Miss World Contestants are travelling to Zimbabwe for Victoria Falls Children’s Charity Evening. Among the 112 contestants there is a special candidate this year that has raised over 3 MILLION US Dollars and worked 10 years as a community worker, a true Beauty with Purpose Introduction Miss Sri Lanka 2009 Gamya Wijayadasa is an outstanding personality who began her journey of volunteerism and social service at the age of 13. She started as a volunteer journalist and ventured in to many avenues of social service where she contributed to major community projects much before... -Full Story- (zimgreats.com - 02/12/09)

OPEN LETTER TO NICK CHAMPIAN MP
By Stanley Perera from Melbourne
My dear Nick, You made a speech at the Australian Federal Parliament that the Tamil population in the North of Sri Lanka continue to suffer human rights abuses and are being denied basic rights and freedom. Hon. Member of the federal parliament has agreed that it has been the situation in the past 30 years when he says “continue to suffer”. You must be tolerance enough to give some breathing space to Sri Lanka government to bring some changes to that Terrorist’s rule of the North and East of Sri Lanka. Eastern district is... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

IS THERE ANY MARGIN FOR HYPOCRISY AND DECEIT?
Reflections by comrade Fidel
The United States, in its struggle against the Revolution, had in the Venezuelan government its best ally: the eximious Mr. Rómulo Betancourt Bello. We did not know it then. He had been elected President on December 7, 1958; he had not taken office yet when the Cuban Revolution triumphed on January 1st, 1959. Weeks later I had the privilege of being invited by the provisional government of Wolfgang Larrazábal to visit Bolivar’s homeland, which had been so supportive of Cuba. Very seldom in my life had I seen a warmer people. The film images are... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

Committee on Law Education in Sri Lanka, presented its report to the Minister
Press Release Media Secretary for the Minister of Justice and Law Reform
The Committee appointed by the Minister of Justice and Law Reform Milinda Moragoda, to consider reforms to the Law Education in Sri Lanka, presented its report to the Minister recently.  The Committee comprised Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice (Dr.) Shirani A. Bandaranayake (Chairperson) Solicitor General W. G. P. Dep, P.C. Dean Faculty of Law University of Colombo, N. Selvakkumaran, Principal Law College, Dr. W.D. Rodrigo, Senior Lecturer Department of Legal Studies Open University, Dr. Camena Guneratne, Precedent Partner, Julias and Creasy, J. M. Swaminathan, Attorney–at-law, Gomin... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

Minister Bogollagama briefs British Parliamentarians on the developments in Sri Lanka at the House of Commons
Media Release - Sri Lanka High Commission United Kingdom
Hon. Rohitha Bogollagama, MP, Minister of Foreign Affairs met with a group of British Parliamentarians today at the House of Commons in an interactive session. The group of members of parliament comprised Labour Party MPs Mr. Virendra Sharma, MP for Ealing & Southall, Mr. Keith Vaz, MP for Leicester East, Ms. Siobhain McDonagh, MP for Mitcham & Morden and Liberal Democrat MPs Mr. Edward Davey, MP for Kingston & Surbiton and Mr. Simon Hughes, MP for Southwark & Bermondsey.  Commencing the session, Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs briefed the members... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/09)

War over, tourists seen flocking Sri Lanka again
Satish Shile,Colombo, Dec 2, DH News Service
Emerald Isle hoteliers hike tariff making the most of the rush Tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka has seen a spurt in the last six months, registering a 30 per cent jump over the corresponding period of last year. According to Sri Lankan hotel industry, hotel occupancies in Colombo, which till May this year was around 50 per cent, has in last six months, seen average occupancy going up to 75 pc. And, cashing in on increased arrivals, hotels have increased their tariffs by 80 to 120 per cent from November. Taj... -Full Story- (Deccan Herald - 02/12/09)

A MUSLIM PATRIOT’S REMINDER TO GEN. (Retired) SARATH FONSEKA.
By Noor Nizam, Sri Lanka Peace Activist, Political Activist and Freelance journalist, Canada, 1st., December 2009.
Your advent to be a contender to the highest political position in Sri Lankan under the constitution is of concern to me. As a Muslim hailing from the Eastern Province and belonging to the Tamil Speaking minority community of Sri Lanka, it puzzles me more, though I am domiciled in Canada.  But what has made me more sad is your blindness to the character assassination you have yourself done, to your great character as a military hero who played a very important role... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/12/09)

Secret hand of UK behind Tamil-speaking parties meeting in Switzerland
From our Foreign Correspondent
The three distinct Tamil-speaking political parties in Sri Lanka – indigenous Tamils, Muslims and Indian Tamils – met in Switzerland from November 20 – 22 and they all agreed to disagree and meet again to discuss how they could work together.  It was hosted by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Tamil Information Centre (TIC) in London invited the Tamil parties to the first meeting of Tamil-speaking parties. Each participant was paid $3100 as expenses.  When the conference opened Minister for Social Services, Douglas Devananda, representing the Eelam People’s Democratic Party, objected to the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/12/09)

MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA DECLARES HE RECEIVED CONFIDENCE OF HOW TO FACE THE CHALLENGES OF IMPERIALISM BY WORKING WITH WORKING CLASSES
By Walter JayawardhanaPictures by Nalin Hewapathirana
President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared at Narahenpita Colombo that he got the confidence and training of how to face the current imperialistic challenge against his country by working very closely with the working class movement of Sri Lanka in the past. He said the support of the working class movement cannot be obtained by threatening them or buying them and he had received their support wholeheartedly in the past in all the attempts he had taken to protect the country against terrorism and imperialism based on mutual understanding and trust. The President was... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/12/09)

Eelam Through Back Door - Hard talk
Sri Lanka News
Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa speaks to " Hard Talk " about the threat of an international conspiracy at work against the country in the form of seeking a regime change, as former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka enters the Presidential fray. He attributes this to the 'disappointment' that certain countries and their political elements may have experienced with the country's victory over the LTTE and the decision by the President to not give in to international pressures he alleges were moved by elements who sought to safeguard the LTTE during the last stages of the war. There... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/12/09)

THREE LTTE SHIPS HAVE BEEN CAPTURED OVERSEAS AND ARE BEING BROUGHT BACK TO SRI LANKA UNDER TIGHT SECURITY
By Walter Jayawardhana
Sri Lanka has seized three LTTE cargo ships which the terrorist outfit used to smuggle arms and are being brought back to Sri Lanka with the help of the Interpol, Colombo’s Island newspaper said. “The rogue vessels being brought to Sri Lanka by the Lankan Navy were expected to reach the Sri Lankan shores within the next two weeks,” said the newspaper quoting unnamed government sources. The Island said “the highly placed government sources” refused to divulge the port of embarkation. According to the Island , the information about the rogue ships have been divulged by... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/12/09)

War-displaced camps thrown open
B. Muralidhar Reddy
Free movement facilitated; resettlement by January 31 -Resettlement package includes Rs.5,000 in cash and Rs. 50,000 bank saving-Six months of ration and an emergency kit with roofing material also included. COLOMBO: Acting on its pledge to provide greater freedom to about 1.18 lakh war displaced Tamil civilians, the Sri Lanka government on Wednesday morning threw open the government-run camps where they are presently housed. According to Army spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, since 6 a.m. on Wednesday more than 9,000 internally displaced persons at the Manik Farm Camp in Vavuniya availed themselves of the facility and of... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 01/12/09)

Sri Lanka to Release Displaced Tamil Civilians
Tens of thousands of ethnic Tamil refugees, who fled their homes to escape fighting between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels, have been confined in overcrowded, military-run camps in the north, even though the civil war ended six months ago.... -Full Story- (www1.voanews.com - 01/12/09)

Thousands leave welfare villages to visit relations
Source: Government of Sri Lanka
Date: 01 Dec 2009 A total of 6769 persons living in welfare villages availed of the opportunity granted by the government and visited friends and relations today 01. IDP s were permitted to leave the welfare villages as they wish from today (01) and return after visiting their friends and relations. The breakdown of the IDP s who left today on Zone basis is as follows.... -Full Story- (Relief Web - 01/12/09)

Authorities eye aid from Tamil Tigers to identify migrants
Canada also considering seeking assistance from Sri Lankan government to determine whether men a security risk.Canadian authorities are considering tracking down known Tamil Tigers – some outside the country – to help them distinguish potential terrorists from genuine refugees among the 76 Tamil men who arrived in a boat off Vancouver Island in October. The government is also considering seeking assistance from the Sri Lankan government as it attempts to delve into the backgrounds of these men who claim to be refugees fleeing postwar Sri Lanka. The revelations were made at a detention hearing Monday for one of the Tamil... -Full Story- (theglobeandmail.com - 01/12/09)

Sri Lanka's Indian Tamil party to support Rajapakse in election
COLOMBO, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Incumbent Mahinda Rajapakse received a boost here Tuesday in his re-election bid as an Indian Tamil party pledged support to him in the January 2010 presidential poll. "We will be supporting the President (Rajapakse)", Muthu Sivalingam the deputy leader of Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) told reporters. CWC is a trade union political party representing the plantation workers in the central hill districts of Badulla and Nuwara Eliya. Sivalingam said the estate Tamil community has gained under Rajapakse presidency with many development work to uplift the living standards among the community. CWC is a government ally... -Full Story- (Xinhua - 01/12/09)

Sri Lankan drama
Hindu Editorial
To say that the decision by Sri Lanka’s major opposition parties to field Sarath Fonseka, the prematurely retired general, as their consensus candidate in the January 26 presidential election against the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa is opportunist is to state the obvious. The more serious question is what kind of political and ideological message the United National Party, the Janatha Vimukthi Perumana, and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (Mahajana wing) are sending to the people, the Sinhalese, the Tamils, and the other ethnic groups. Is this an invitation to yet another South Asian variant of Bonapartism? This is... -Full Story- (The Hindu - 01/12/09)

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