Sri Lankan Security Forces

Sri Lanka already attained, or on track to attain MDGs - President tells MDGs Summit

2010-09-25T19:24:00.001-07:00

Sri Lanka has incorporated Millennium Development Goals key performance indicators in our national budget policies, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.

Speaking at the Summit of the Millennium Development Goals in New York, he pointed out that as a result Sri Lanka has already attained or is on track to attain the MDGs, despite formidable odds, including the almost thirty years of a violent terrorist movement and the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

"In terms of universal primary enrollment and completion, we had recorded a level of almost one hundred per cent (100%) by year 2007. Gender parity in primary education has reached ninety nine per cent (99%) and in secondary and tertiary enrollment, the ratio of girls to boys exceeds one hundred per cent (100%)," the President said.

Quoting from what Buddha preached in the Maha Parnibbana Sutra, President Rajapaksa expressed deep conviction that "the well-springs of our civilization, nurtured by the Buddhist tradition should guide our approach to economic and social policy making.

At the core of this, there must be a sound scale of values. Nowhere is this better expressed than in the Maha Parnibbana Sutra, the final sermon preached by Gauthama the Buddha. Here, he declares that the moral worth of any society can be assessed by a clear yard stick. This consists of the quality of treatment meted out to women and children. In building a caring and compassionate society over the centuries, we have never lost sight of this ideal.

Emphasizing the imperative need for protecting the environment, the President said, "while we strive to achieve reasonable standards in living, we must not forget the need to avoid treading heavily on the natural environment. The current spate of natural disasters around the world and frequent flood situations in countries, are a stark reminder of the effects of environmental degradation."

President Rajapaksa urged the world leaders to treat this as urgent and reach consensus on curtailing global warming based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibility and the Bali Action Plan.

Following is the full text of the speech:

Ten years ago at the dawn of a new millennium, we re-affirmed our commitment to consolidate efforts in the spirit of collective responsibility, to free our world from hunger, to uphold human dignity, and to ensure sustainable co-existence with Mother Nature.

We set for ourselves the goal of advancing progress in eight key areas by the year 2015. Today, with just five years left, we have mixed results. Amidst multiple, inter-related and worsening global crises that confronted our world in the past few years, some countries have suffered setbacks in achieving these goals while others have scored remarkable success.

Mr. President,

Yet, time is still on our side to renew the political will and look for a way forward to reach the set targets, by harnessing our synergies. It is in this context that this High-Level Forum under the auspices of the United Nations assumes special significance.

Although each individual country has the sacred responsibility to ensure the welfare of its people, in an increasingly inter-connected and globalized world we cannot survive in isolation. Hence, achieving the Millennium Development Goals becomes ever more important in the collective interest.

The recent global economic and financial crisis has severely reduced the access to external resources and private capital flows, for developing countries. In such circumstances, there should be genuine commitment to fulfill donor obligations.

Unfortunately, the trend for more restrictions and protectionist measures in trade, debt relief and access to technology is posing a challenge to development. Hence, we need to act with a sense of urgency and partnership. At the same time, it is important for development assistance from external sources to continue to encourage for the sake of sustainability.

Our national policy has been developed within the framework of global priorities which we consider appropriate at this time. In the South Asian context, some of our urgent pre-occupations include food security, energy security, and global warming. Building up buffer stocks of essential food items, ensuring price stabilization and continuity of supply calls for a more systematic approach to international cooperation.

We are convinced that economic development to be sustainable, must include emphasis on protection of the environment. Green technology in industrial production is, therefore, one of the central needs of our time. The improvement of infra-structure in our villages and opportunity for social advancement is necessary to discourage mass movement of populations from rural areas into our towns.

Gender equality and the breaking down of social barriers are features of a peaceful society. Equity with regard to the distribution of wealth and access to essential services, we believe, are hall-marks of long term stability.

Mr. President,

In Sri Lanka, social development goals, such as free healthcare, access to education were embedded from independence, in the country's overall policy framework. In addition, through my own vision spelt out in the "Mahinda Chinthana - A vision for future", we embarked upon a 10 year pro-poor, and pro-development oriented framework, to further consolidate and accelerate socio-economic progress, equally importantly.

It is our deep conviction that the well-springs of our civilization, nurtured by the Buddhist tradition should guide our approach to economic and social policy making. At the core of this, there must be a sound scale of values. Nowhere is this better expressed than in the Maha Parnibbana Sutra, the final sermon preached by Gauthama the Buddha.

Here, he declares that the moral worth of any society can be assessed by a clear yard stick. This consists of the quality of treatment meted out to women and children. In building a caring and compassionate society over the centuries, we have never lost sight of this ideal.

Sri Lanka has incorporated MDG key performance indicators in our national budget policies. As a result, Sri Lanka has already attained or is on track to attain the MDGs, despite formidable odds, including the almost thirty years of a violent terrorist movement and the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami that brought massive destruction to my country.

Mr. President,

In terms of universal primary enrollment and completion, we had recorded a level of almost one hundred per cent (100%) by year 2007. Gender parity in primary education has reached ninety nine per cent (99%) and in secondary and tertiary enrollment, the ratio of girls to boys exceeds one hundred per cent (100%).

Now the challenge is to further enhance the quality of our education to empower and prepare young people for productive employment. We have also undertaken vigorous measures to enhance computer literacy through a nation-wide project called "Nena sala" - centers of wisdom, covering mostly the rural areas.

In the health sector, our endeavour is to ensure every expectant mother a safe and attended child birth, and to increase the current rate of ninety eight per cent (98%) of such births, immediately to one hundred per cent (100%). The infant and under-five mortality rates, have decreased from a rate of 32 per thousand births in 1990 to 11.3 per thousand in 2009.

While our focus has been on countering tropical epidemics such as malaria and other vector borne diseases, we now need to pay adequate attention to forms of non-communicable diseases that pose a serious challenge to our health sectors. We would therefore urge access to medicines at reasonable costs and more predictable financial and technical assistance to develop local capacities, to improve conditions for patients.

Mr. President,

While we strive to achieve reasonable standards in living, we must not forget the need to avoid treading heavily on the natural environment. The current spate of natural disasters around the world and frequent flood situations in countries, are a stark reminder of the effects of environmental degradation. We must, with a sense of urgency, reach consensus on curtailing global warming based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibility and the Bali Action Plan.

Mr. President,

Every crisis while posing a threat brings an opportunity as well. Let us therefore resolve to use the opportunity afforded by our High-Level Meeting, to forge the strongest possible global platform to achieve the goals so necessary for our common good. I thank you.

Courtesy : PRIU

Army Para Games 2010 concluded

2010-09-25T19:23:00.001-07:00

Army Para Games 2010 ceremoniously concluded with the participation of over 1000 disabled war heroes at Army Grounds today (24 Sep) evening.

Secretary Defence Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa graced the occasion as the chief guest.

War Heroes, who sacrificed their legs and limbs to bring the lasting peace to the country, showcased their multiple sport talents in the Sri Lanka Army Para Games 2010 tournament.

Speaking at the event the Secretary Defence said that war heroes had made tremendous sacrifices during the last 30 years to liberate the country from the most ruthless terror outfit in the world and many were disabled in action but, still their courage and morale are at the highest level. We should appreciate their participation in this Army Para Games 2010.

He further emphasized that "as a responsible government we always take care of them catering for each of their needs such as medical needs, housing problem, legal issues, education of their children and so on, the welfare of disabled war heroes is our paramount concern". In addition the Ministry of Defence has built a "Ranaviru Nikethanaya" at Atthidia for permanently disabled war heroes and it is nearing completion. Apart from that the Army too has initiated "Abimansala" project at Anuradhapura to cater for permanently disabled war heroes.

Finally, he said that he was happy to see the talents displayed by the disabled war heroes and wished them all a brighter future.

Sergeant Rajakaruna of SL Army Singha Regiment honoured as the best sportsman of the Army Para Games 2010.

The Chairperson of the MOD Seva Vanitha Unit Mrs. Ioma Rajapaksa, Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath jayasooriya and Mrs. Jayasooriya and senior army officers were present at the occasion.

'Any country facing terrorism should follow Lankan model'

2010-09-17T19:46:00.001-07:00

In an exclusive interview, with 'The Asian Age' Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa says that Sri Lanka's military victory over the LTTE offers lessons for the international community.

Following are excerpts of the interview on 15th September, 2010.

Q. Recently you visited India for defence talks. There was defence cooperation for years before and during the conflict, so what are both sides talking today?

A. India could not do certain things, meet certain needs of the Sri Lankan armed forces, like supply of weapons, because of the sensitivities during the conflict period. Now that issue is no longer there, so we can think of going beyond that. The whole idea is to improve the defence relationship, to strengthen regional security, to improve maritime security in the Indian Ocean.

Q. There are concerns in India about China looking to beef up its presence in Sri Lanka, particularly its role in the Hambantota port project.

A. It is purely a business arrangement, nothing beyond that. I don't think there is any issue in that sense. Wherever possible, when India has faced any security concerns, we have always bent backwards to accommodate them. With India, we are not looking at government-to-government relations alone; we are interested in people-to-people ties and trade. I know that Indian investors are interested in infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka. We are studying India's successful PPP (public-private partnership) model.

Q. There has been criticism of the delay in the rehabilitation of the displaced Tamils.

A. I don't think any other place in the world has so quickly resettled these people in their original habitats in such a short period. In one year we have resettled a majority of the three lakh IDPs. Very few are remaining, and that is because of the delay in clearing landmines. We cannot solve problems overnight but the government has aggressively invested more money in the North and East than the other provinces.

Q. Sri Lanka has also been criticized for not minimizing the civilian casualties of the war.

A. India knows what is LTTE but most of the outside world does not. It was a most ruthless terrorist organisation. Some think the attack on the USS Cole was the first attack by a terrorist group but by that time the LTTE had done many attacks on ships. It had done more suicide attacks in one year in Sri Lanka than all the suicide attacks in Afghanistan and Iraq put together. The LTTE's weaponry was equivalent to that of the armed forces - heavy artillery guns, mortars, machine guns, missiles, Naval suicide boats and, ultimately, even small aircraft. That was the magnitude of its military strength. So it was not a small insurrection or a civil disturbance. By defeating the LTTE, we have stopped the killings of innocent civilians.

Q. How are you dealing with the former LTTE combatants?

A. We have rehabilitated about 500 child soldiers. We started a skill development programme for the 11,000 former combatants who surrendered; some of whom have completed this programme and joined the society. This is the truth but the other side does not know the true story.

Q. What can the world learn from Sri Lanka's experience with terrorism?

A. What we have done is to defeat the terrorists. I should say any country which faces terrorism should follow the Sri Lankan model. I think in fighting terrorism as well as humanitarian assistance in a conflict like this, there are lots of lessons for others to learn rather than criticise. But there were concerns about humanitarian assistance during the conflict. Our military operations and humanitarian assistance ran parallely. One can say the actions were not effective, maybe there were weaknesses, but it was a success. Of course, there were issues but in a situation there would be issues. We had no-fire-zones and restrictions on use of heavy weapons which are not normally done anywhere in the world in this type of situation, but we did that.

Q. Looking back at the last days of the conflict, would you have done anything differently? There were reports that some LTTE leaders wanted to surrender but they were shot, there was also talk of ceasefire.

A. Prabhakaran did not want to surrender. Even the night before they were defeated, they tried to launch a counter attack and escape. There would have been no problem if they had surrendered, but we came to that last minute after a hard battle and a lot of sacrifices, so we were not ready for ceasefire.

Q. And did they inform the UN?

A. Nobody informed us about any surrender. We took the time to defeat the LTTE because of the civilians. If we had no such concerns, we could have bombarded the place, used all our artillery and walked through within a day but we took over two months. So the international community must consider the risks that we took.

Q. Looking ahead, do you have a political solution of the ethnic problem, a devolution package?

A. Political jargons alone will not bring about a solution. We have created an environment for everybody to live peacefully, as Sri Lankans, as one nation. All other issues are for politicians. The ground reality is we must give people the opportunity to live peacefully, with jobs and education. That is what they want and the government will ensure that is there in Sri Lanka.

Q. What will be your message to the Lankan-Tamils living in India and abroad?

A. Some of them left long ago; others, more recently. The second and third generations have concerns about their children's education. I know it is difficult to give all that up and come. But if they come, they are most welcome. I think they must bring their know-how, knowledge, and invest their wealth here because development is the main requirement.

Courtesy: The Asian Age

No training for LeT in Sri Lanka - Secretary Defence

2010-09-11T21:59:00.001-07:00

Secretary Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday said that extremist groups operating in Pakistan have not received any type of training on Sri Lankan soil. He stressed that Sri Lanka is free from terrorists and there is no ground for terrorists to receive training in the country.

The Defence Secretary's denial came in the wake of Lakshar-e-Taiba (LeT) suspect involved in the German Bakery blast in Pune claimed that he was trained in Colombo. Two suspects involved in the attack were arrested by the Anti Terrorism Squad of India last Tuesday. Nine died and 45 people were injured by the incident.

One suspect has claimed that he was trained in Pakistan and the other suspect Miza Himayat Beig , 29 has confessed that he received training in Colombo. The Defence Secretary categorically denied the claims made by the suspect in Indian custody.

Secretary Defence further insisted that there is no ground in Sri Lanka for such an activity. He added that no terrorist group is operating in Sri Lanka after LTTE terrorism was swept out of the country.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has sought a comprehensive report from Indian defence authorities over the claims made by the Lakshar-e-Taiba suspect through the Defence Attache of the Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi.

TID arrests 'Rajan' senior LTTE leader

2010-02-01T01:06:00.000-08:00

'Rajan' recently, said DIG Nimal Wakishta, head of TID in Colombo Division.

He made this comment at a press briefing held at MCNS yesterday 28 Jan.

He further said that Rajan was one of key supporters of LTTE and engaged in supplying of weaponry, military hardware, vehicles and other necessities to the LTTE, locally and internationally.

The coordinated and clandestine operations conducted by the Ministry of Defence and intelligent agencies were vital to arrest him, he added. He further said Rajan involved in taking a bomb lorry to "Sama Viharaya" Kotahena in 1996.

During the peace negotiations he had visited to Vanni and met Prabakaran and exchanged information with Tamil exiles who actively supported the LTTE. He went on to say that "though the LTTE had been wiped out from the country its activists like Rajan may still have the hope of restoring lost Elam in this country". Therefore he requested the public to be vigilant of such people.

Troops recover more weapons

2010-02-01T01:04:00.003-08:00

Sri Lankan troops of 593 Brigade recovered 10 Rangan 99 anti personnel mines during their search operations in general area Andankulam yesterday (January 30 ).

Meanwhile the troops of 591 Brigade engaging a search operations in general area mullaitivu recovered 1 x 60mm mortar bomb with fuses 23 x RPG bomb with out booster and 2 x Bangalore Torpedoes (60 feet each). And also a separate search operation Troops recovered following war like items in Mullaitive area.

Items	Quantity
Anti personnel mines with fuse	05
Claymore bombs (12.5 kg each)	02
Claymore bombs ( 8.5kg each )	03
60mm mortar bombs	10
Trip flares	04
Explosives( in plastic pipes)

Separately the troops of Military Intelligence Corps conducting search operation in Arugampuliya area Vavuniya, uncovered 02 claymore mines each weighing 10 Kg and 1 x cleymore mine weighing 5 Kg Yesterday ( January 30 ).

56 ex-LTTE cadres handed over to parents after rehabilitation

2010-02-01T01:04:00.001-08:00

Another batch of ex-LTTE members, totaling 56, who had undergone rehabilitation have been handed over to their parents.

Many of them had quit the terrorist organization at the height of the humanitarian operation to liberate the Wanni and surrendered to the security forces. The government launched a programme to rehabilitate them so they have better prospects for their future. They underwent rehabilitation at the Nawasenapura Rehabilitation Centre at Welikande.

They were handed over to their parents after a period of one year in a ceremony presided over by Major Gen. R.M.D. Ratnayake, the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation.

HRW undermining Human Rights in Sri Lanka - Prof. Wijesingha

2010-02-01T01:03:00.000-08:00

Responding to criticism of Sri Lanka's HR record by an NHR activist published in the Guardian of January 21, 2010, Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha, Secretary to the Ministry of Human Rights said "With its false accusations and refusal to engage, Human Rights Watch is undermining the cause of human rights in Sri Lanka"

Prof. Wijesinha's further states: "This is not the first time we have found HRW seeking to further its own agenda by adopting a selective approach to evidence. Not only this, but it seems ready to overlook the real progress that is taking place in Sri Lanka. Before outlining the key plans we are undertaking to improve Sri Lanka for the benefit of all, let me provide some background on our own grievances against HRW."

Here is the text of Prof. Wijesinha's response published in the Guardian Online "Comment is Free" of January 28, 2010.

Sri Lanka's real human rights record

With its false accusations and refusal to engage, Human Rights Watch is undermining the cause of human rights in Sri Lanka

The recent Guardian article by a Human Rights Watch officer exemplifies what EM Forster described as the world of telegrams and anger. Today, he would have used the term "soundbite", and this is what HRW hasengaged in relentlessly against Sri Lanka, with no attention to accuracy, nor to engagement.

This is not the first time we have found HRW seeking to further its own agenda by adopting a selective approach to evidence. Not only this, but it seems ready to overlook the real progress that is taking place in Sri Lanka. Before outlining the key plans we are undertaking to improve Sri Lanka for the benefit of all, let me provide some background on our own grievances against HRW. In 2007, HRW issued a press release referring to "indiscriminate attacks on civilians", regarding a report about the liberation of Sri Lanka's eastern province from terrorists. The report only cited a single example of civilian casualties in these operations, and our forces, in granting this, explained that it had happened because of their use of mortar-locating radar. The HRW report conceded that the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) had used weaponry in a civilian encampment, but claimed that this was not heavy weaponry and therefore they could not be held responsible.

After one casuistic reply to our reasoned protest, they stopped answering letters.

After one meeting with a new representative in Geneva in September 2007, we were promised a response, but none was forthcoming. Since then, HRW has avoided discussion altogether, refusing to meet government representatives in Geneva, cancelling a meeting in the House of Commons when it heard the Sri Lankan government was sending someone who would refute its allegations. It claimed to our High Commission that it did not want to be "rubbished", but the way to avoid being rubbished is to refrain from lies, not dodge reasoned discussion.

Typically, while refusing to talk - quite unlike Amnesty International, which readily discusses problems at length - in 2008, HRW issued a glossy booklet that claimed abductions were on the increase in Sri Lanka. This report distorted the reality: it contained only three examples from 2007, with the rest of the 90-odd cases recorded dating from 2006. We accept there were problems in 2006, largely arising from diminishing LTTE domination following years in which it had freely killed members of Tamil groups opposed to them - their claim to represent Tamils clearly did not extend to those who challenged their supremacy. By 2007 however the situation was better and, in the last couple of years, instances of abduction have fallen still further - though even a single case is one too many and we are working to prevent this in its entirety.

Now, with regard to the pronouncements of Philip Alston, the UN independent expert who explained to me why he feels obliged to "behave like a bulldog" towards Sri Lanka, HRW pronounces on a controversial video on which he bases his report that the "government has consistently claimed the video is fake, without providing any evidence that the gruesome scene was staged or the footage tampered with."

This is simply untrue. Even Alston's three experts declare that a moving leg of a supposedly dead person is strange. The experts note, too, that there "are unexplained characteristics of this file, the most troubling of which appears in the final 17 frames of video", while they are equally unable to explain why the date on the footage is six months later than the incident was supposed to have taken place (and after the battle had been concluded).The claim that there may be a legitimate explanation remains simply a claim, with no effort to justify it. Thankfully, the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-Moon, has adopted a more measured approach. Earlier this month, Ban distanced himself from the report - something not as widely reported as Alston's claims - suggesting that Alston "acted alone" and that his report does not represent the view of the United Nations.

We are also accused of refusing to investigate allegations of human rights abuses. And yet this is precisely what we are doing. In response to the US State Department report, presented in a balanced manner last October, on alleged incidents during the military action last year, President appointed an independent commission to investigate. The report will be provided in April.

The problem with all this sound and fury is that it detracts from the real problems with human rights issues that Sri Lanka does face, and to which it can now devote attention. While it could be argued that the authoritarianism of the government of the 1980s contributed to the growth of terrorist movements, this cannot be said of more recent administrations. None the less, the first priority of government had been to ensure security and defeat terrorism once and for all.

Alongside this, we have moved apace on much-needed reforms, which are now being introduced to the north and east. In consultation with the police authorities, we have helped with reinforcing training programmes to enforce rights that suffered during a decade of increased recruitment. The new inspector-general of police has begun a policy of improving women and children's desks in areas of particular vulnerability and, through the ministry of child development and women's rights, we are strengthening community structures to enhance protection capacity.

During the relative quiet of election day, I was able to go through the draft action plan for human rights, a monumental effort by eight consultative committees, including some of the most vociferous critics of government. We were also able, last November, to present to the president, fulfilling an earlier campaign pledge, a proposed bill of rights, prepared by a group of independent experts who consisted of four Sinhalese, two Tamils and two Muslims. The ministry - before I became its secretary - had picked eight admirably qualified people, who represent the pluralistic society we were, and will be, without the corrosive divisiveness of terrorism.

This is the real picture of human rights in Sri Lanka. We are happy to receive and respond to criticism, but we do expect proper engagement and an attempt to understand the full picture. There is enormous promise for Sri Lanka over the decade ahead and we know that all Sri Lankans must benefit from sustained peace in our country after nearly three decades of terrorist threat. Organisations that seek to stoke division and not engage will not help us meet this goal.

sourse - DEFENCE.LK

Security agencies turn spot light on most wanted LTTE arms cum human smuggler

2009-12-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

Security and INTEL agencies have turned the spot light on Ravi Shanker Kanagarajah alias Shangili, a most wanted transnational terrorist cum kingpin of overseas based human trafficking and illegal arms smuggling activities.

According to informed sources, Ravi Shankar is also found to be the owner of MV Ocean Lady alias Princess Eashwary, an LTTE floating warehouse extensively used in human smuggling activities- in the outfit's overseas network based in INDONESIA, MALAYSIA and THAILAND. Earlier, on October 2009, Canadian immigration authorities confiscated MV Princess Eashwary (MV Ocean Lady) while smuggling-in 76 bogus asylum seekers into Canadian waters from South Asia. The vessel "Princess Eashwary" is also said to be used extensively for gunrunning activities for the outfit, prior to its military defeat in May, 2009.

“His activities abroad have to be very closely monitored by the Law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the countries where he is taking shelter. It is the responsibility of such authorities to take him into custody and deport to Sri Lanka”, a senior defence official said in reply to a question raised by our correspondent on the possibilities of Shanker’s arrest. “Terrorism is no longer a crime but an extension of war”, he further stated.

According to the official, Sri Lanka Law enforcement authorities are working hand-in-hand with the concerned government’s for extradition orders on such criminals cum terrorists.

Ravi Shanker is a great threat for the security of the entire South Asian region, he said. He is also one of the very important and most wanted figures in organized crimes and human smuggling in the region, the official further said.

In the backdrop of the military defeat of LTTE, its activists of the existing international wing are making extraneous efforts to mobilize. Such steps are aligned with its sole aim of destabilizing the island nation, affecting its sovereignty and drawing it back to death and destruction.

Ravi Shanker alias Shangili is a Sri Lankan passport holder who had claimed bogus asylum to evade Canadian immigration authorities. He is a key LTTE gunrunner also allegedly engaged in human smuggling, who owns three vessels which are currently under operation and registered in Panama. According to informed sources, these vessels were used as floating LTTE warehouses cum armories

The subject maintained close links with Ponniah Anandarajah aka Aiyya aka Rajah aka Aiyyanna (Accountant, US), Rajan (LTTE Air Wing activist, Malaysia), Bahitharan aka Bhavi (Manager of LTTE shipping operations, Indonesia) and Kumar one of the shipping agents/human smuggler in Indonesia. Presently owns few LTTE vessels and speedboats that had been previously used to transfer arms and ammunition from overseas to Sri Lanka and presently these are being used to coordinate illegal operations particularly human smuggling, sources further said.

Ravi Shankar had joined the LTTE as a Sea Tiger cadre and had been involved in arms procurement/smuggling to LTTE since early 90s. He joined the LTTE shipping network and was employed as a cadet in the MV SUN BIRD which was operating under the strict control and guidance of Prabakaran. Since then Ravi Shankar is involved in smuggling of arms and illegal human trafficking.

Presently he owns “Harritel Merchant Marine Co. Ltd registered in Republic of Marshall.

US cannot afford to "lose" Sri Lanka - Senate committee report

2009-12-07T23:55:00.000-08:00

(By : Dr. Chandrani Gunaratna )

Sri Lanka is increasingly aligning towards the Asian powerhouses like China and politically and economically distancing from the West as Western countries increasingly criticizing Sri Lankan Government's handling of the war and human rights record, the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations said.

In a report titled "Sri Lanka: Recharting U.S. Strategy after the War" and released today by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations headed by the democratic Senator John Kerry said this strategic shift in policy of Sri Lanka will have consequences for U.S. interests in the region.

Sri Lanka, being located at the center of crucial maritime trading routes in the Indian Ocean connecting Europe and the Middle East to China and the rest of Asia has great potential to affect the stability of India, the report warned.

Considering the strategic position of Sri Lanka and its deteriorating bilateral relationship with the West the United States cannot afford to "lose" - Sri Lanka, it said.

The Committee report said that the Obama administration is currently weighing a new strategy for relations with Sri Lanka.

The Committee proposed to increase the however, considering a new approach that increases U.S. leverage on Sri Lanka by capitalizing on the economic, trade, and security aspects of the relationship.

"U.S. strategy should also invest in Sinhalese parts of the country, instead of just focusing aid on the Tamil-dominated North and East," it suggested.

The Senate Committee report commended the government for taking positive steps to ease the humanitarian crisis in the North, develop the East, and reduce the number of child soldiers despite ongoing allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses.

It pointed out that Tamil leaders for their part have not yet made anticipated conciliatory gestures that might ease government concerns and foster a genuine dialogue.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee in February held a hearing on Sri Lanka. The hearing was widely considered by Sri Lankan community as one-sided because the hearing had no representation from the government but only its critics.

More recently in early November the Committee sent two staffers to Sri Lanka on a fact finding mission and to assess the ground situation.

Most Western governments have curtailed the aid to government of Sri Lanka citing its conduct during the last phase of the war and the human right record or have attached conditions to aid packages.

In contrast China and Iran have unconditionally supported post-war Sri Lanka to rebuild the country and carry out massive development projects. The government's close relationship with countries like Iran, Libya, Myanmar and China has wracked a nerve of the West.

http://defence.lk

Caging Tigers: France deserves praise

2009-11-26T09:17:00.001-08:00

France deserves praise for having busted a major LTTE extortion racket and we fervently hope that it will go the whole hog to eliminate the menace once and for all. There must be hundreds of LTTE collectors throughout France, and all of them must be brought to book, states The Island editorial on Thursday (Nov 26), commending France's stringent actions against LTTE activists.

It behoves other countries where the LTTE is active such as the US, the UK, Canada, Norway, Australia, Sweden, Switzerland and Denmark to rid their soil of LTTE extortionists and killers. After all, they are the countries that champion human rights and democracy and on no grounds could they countenance LTTE fund-raising, the editorial further asserted.

Following is the full text of The Island editorial on 26th Nov, 2009.

One main reason for the rapid growth of global terrorism is the world's slow reaction to that threat. If the US had taken steps to neutralise the militant groups it created in Afghanistan at least after the Russians were ousted, both countries would not have been in the present predicament. The US is today using a chainsaw to deal with something that it could have just nipped in the bud years ago.

Sri Lanka's terrorism flourished because the western countries took the LTTE for granted. But for the huge funds that flowed into the LTTE's war chest from overseas, Prabhakaran would not have been able to raise a terrorist army and equip it with the state of the art arms and equipment to sustain a bloody war of attrition. After the LTTE severed its umbilical cord with India, it turned to the West for refuge, political clout and funds. If the outfit had been prevented from abusing foreign soil to wage war against this country, perhaps it would have been compelled to negotiate a solution seriously and a lot of precious lives could have been saved.

It is reported that France has at long last cracked down on some LTTE extortionists and jailed 20 of them including a key terrorist. If only such action had been taken about two decades ago! However, better late than never. Millions of dollars and Euros were extracted from Tamils overseas and even those who detested violence coughed up funds for the terrorist cause out of fear and the sake of their families at home in the LTTE-controlled areas. Although the LTTE's military muscle has been decimated, extortion is said to be going on in many countries at the behest of Diasporic Tigers.

When the US banned the LTTE, the late Anton Balasingham boasted that his boys knew how to circumvent the proscription and continue fund-raising. His prediction came true. In spite of the US ban, the LTTE fronts have been operating freely in that country. Worse, some of them have even contributed generously to the election campaigns of key American politicians. Prominent US citizens have been working for the LTTE thus making a mockery of the US proscription.

There is a reason to believe that LTTE lobbyists have been able to shape the Obama administration's Sri Lanka policy, as evident from the anti-Sri Lankan utterances by the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and some top US diplomats exuding antipathy towards Sri Lanka from every pore.

In Britain, some lawmakers are apparently representing the LTTE's interests in the House of Commons. LTTE fronts continue their fund raising operations, though it is not known where the money ends up. Britain is one of the countries that could have used their influence over the LTTE to prevent it from unleashing terrorism in Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, they made an intervention only after Prabhakaran had been cornered.

At least now, Britain should clamp down on LTTE activities on her soil. It has no moral right to impart lessons on human rights, democracy and good governance to Sri Lanka without putting its house in order first of all.

The same goes for other western countries engaged in protecting global democracy. The biggest contribution to world peace they can make is to desist from harbouring terrorists of all hues responsible for heinous crimes elsewhere.

Courtesy: The Island

President to appoint committee to study

2009-10-27T00:41:00.000-07:00

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has decided to appoint an expert committee within one week to verify the facts behind the allegations against the Sri Lanka Government in the report submitted by the US State Department to the US Congress on incidents during the recent conflict in Sri Lanka, Human Rights and Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said.

The Government stance on the report will be announced after the report was made by the committee appointed by the President, he added.

He was addressing a media conference held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday to explain the new situation following the submission of the said report.

Minister Samarasinghe said that the third paragraph of the report itself highlights that the facts included in the report are without any legal value and cannot be proved. They are not in a position to prove the allegation contained in the report.

It has been clearly stated that the Report of the US State Department was based on some sources such as Amnesty International, Humanwatch and imbalanced and haphazard private sources and communiques, he stressed.

Minister Samarasinghe further said that certain international elements were once again trying to fuel the flames of secession and undo the concerted efforts of the Government and the people of Sri Lanka for rehabilitation and national reconciliation. "The report does not speak of any war crimes at all," he said.

He said that he has already discussed this matter with the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and she was very keen about the decision of the Sri Lanka President on this controversial report.

Courtesy: Daily News

An empty honour

2009-10-13T22:46:00.001-07:00

We are still trying to figure out why the Nobel Committee gave Barack Obama its annual Peace Prize. As far as it appears, the award was based on the fact that the U. S. President is a good-natured fellow who people seem to like --and who isn't George W. Bush.

In fact, committee chairman Thorbjoen Jagland didn't really try to pretend otherwise. Consider the committee's stated reasons, along with Mr. Jagland's comments when reporters pressed him to justify Mr. Obama's selection: - "He has created a new international climate." - "One of the first things he did was to go to Cairo to try to reach out to the Muslim world, then to restart the Mideast negotiations, and then he reached out to the rest of the world through international institutions." - "Obama has as president created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play." - "Obama [has] captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future."

What seems clear from all this bafflegab is that Mr. Obama is being given his award for mere words -- for striking fashionable poses in favour of multilateralism, for making a nice speech in Cairo, for offering "hope." Months after Americans learned to dismiss Mr. Obama's 2008 presidential campaign slogans as the bromides they were, Scandinavians apparently are still drinking his Kool-Aid.

So who should have gotten the Nobel Peace Prize?

Instead of droning on about "hope" and "a new international climate," a group of people charged with awarding an annual peace prize might find it useful to focus on a more mundane and obvious inquiry. To wit: What part of the planet was beset by bloody war in 2008, but is now entirely at peace?

The only nation that fits the bill is Sri Lanka. And the reason for that is a ruthless military campaign waged by President Mahinda Rajapaksa against a militarized Tamil death cult known as the Tamil Tigers. This conflict has taken nearly 100,000 lives since it began three decades ago. But Mr. Rajapaksa ended it definitively at one stroke, killing or capturing virtually the entire Tiger leadership. It is one of the only times in the history of modern warfare that a guerrilla/ terrorist movement has been utterly destroyed in such a fashion. Overnight, war became a stranger to Sri Lanka.

Sounds like a pretty good candidate for a "peace" prize, don't you think?

But of course, actually making peace is not what this nominal peace prize is about. It's about going through the motions of pursuing peace in a touchy-feely UN-approved way.

Mr. Rajapaksa has done some fairly nasty things en route to destroying the Tigers -- including imprisoning and perhaps even killing pesky journalists and human-rights activists. More importantly (from a Scandinavian point of view), Mr. Rajapaksa committed an unpardonable foreign-policy sin en route to his victory: flouting "multilateralism." Which is to say that he ignored the bien pensant voices from abroad urging him to let the Tigers go just as the Sri Lankan military was about to administer the coup de grace. Had he listened, the war would continue to this day.

It's so much more fashionable to honour a man such as Mr. Obama, whose foreign-policy record hasn't been sullied by the moral trade-offs that inevitably accompany actually doing something to create peace on the battlefield.

Since the entire body of work for which Mr. Obama is being honoured consists of idealistic pronouncements, the Nobel prize committee was able to pick him without worrying that the choice could stir up controversy among umbraged minority groups, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch or the UN's various institutional cheerleaders.

With this pick, the Nobel Committee has declared itself to be a debating society -- and it has given its shiny prize to the nice man who gave the best speech. It's like those beauty pageants wherein the MC asks contestants what they would do to promote world peace. The best answer earns applause, flowers and a trophy. But no one expects the winner to actually go out in her tiara and ballroom gown and stop people from fighting.

That task is left to head-knockers such as Mahinda Rajapaksa, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and General Stanley McChrystal in Afghanistan. Their job is difficult and bloody. But every once in a while, as in Sri Lanka this year, they actually defeat the bad guys.

Then they go home, and turn on their televisions, and watch men such as Mr. Obama get showered with praise for their pretty words.

National Post Published: Saturday, October 10, 2009

Intelligence agencies in hunt for key LTTE arms dealers & front activists

2009-10-09T01:04:00.000-07:00

Suspect of major drug trafficking, human smuggling, gun-running and transnational terrorist activities....

Intelligence agencies in several countries are now on a hunt for several high-profile LTTE front agents cum arms dealers, with reliable suspicions of transnational terrorist activities including drug trafficking and human smuggling, informed sources said citing latest reports received.

According to these sources intelligence agencies are on the track of LTTE terrorist agents who are alleged to have links with many active militia and terrorist organizations abroad. These agents had worked clandestinely, based in foreign locations, aiding and abetting in many crimes against humanity perpetrated by the LTTE. This hunt is a combined effort of the intelligence circles in several countries, along with the concerned law enforcement agencies, the sources further said.

This tracking ;points to determined and coordinated efforts of intelligence agencies, which are fast shrinking the space for terrorists, their dealers and front groups to function with ease.

According to reports, Sivarasa Pirundaban alias Achchudan alias Suresh, Ravi Shanker Kanagarajah alias Shangili, Bahitharan alias Bhavi, Narendran Rathnasabapathi alias Naren, Ganeshruban alias Ruban, Ponnaiah Anandarajah alias Aiyya alias Rajah alias Aiyyanna are alleged to be under intense scrutiny.

Achchudan has provided LTTE with technical assistance and training for its pilots on air suicide missions in 1998 including the 2003-2004 CFA period. He is alleged to have co-coordinated the LTTE's air raids in Colombo via satellite communication from his overseas base station. According to available reports, Achchudan owns many air power related assets overseas.

Ravi Shanker alias Shangili is a Sri Lankan passport holder who had claimed bogus asylum to evade Canadian immigration authorities. He is a key LTTE gunrunner also allegedly engaged in human smuggling, who owns three vessels which are currently under operation and registered in Panama. According to informed sources, these vessels were used as floating LTTE warehouses cum armories. Shangili also runs a LTTE network with agents based in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Meanwhile, intelligence agencies have also turned the spot light on Bhavi, another key LTTE figure who runs the terrorist outfit's Far Eastern based illegal activities, involving its shipping fleet. He is also said to own a large share of LTTE's overseas assets including business ventures in real estate and shipping.

Ruban is also said to own a large share of LTTE's overseas assets including real estate, in East Asian countries.

Naren is another key figure of the LTTE's foreign procurement arm with diversified businesses in real estate and share-markets. Allegedly involved in many illegal arms procurement deals, Naren has reportedly twice been deported by Singaporean authorities.

Further information on the activities of these key LTTE arms dealers will follow, as intelligence services close in on them.


Ravishanker Kanagarajah alias Shangili		Sivarasa Pirundaban alias Achchudan alias Suresh

reference - defence.lk

"Our victory showed the world how humane our brave soldiers are..." - President

2009-10-04T19:43:00.000-07:00

"No one could charge the military for any crime as they had engaged in a humanitarian operation in a professional manner. I urge those who point their finger at us to be careful as their other fingers are pointed at themselves," President and Commander-in-Chief Mahinda Rajapaksa at the inauguration of the 60th Anniversary celebrations of the Sri Lanka Army on Saturday (Oct 03).

He said that terrorism is born and nurtured due to the lack of development . Now the government has taken over the responsibility of ushering in national development. Anyone who has witnessed the bravery of the army that fought the most dreaded terrorists in the world would not think of leaving the country. He said that this exhibition displays the pride of the Lanka Army which is experiencing its golden era. The Sri Lanka Army flag has strengthened the national flag.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa asserted that some internal forces were trying to charge Sri Lanka for war crimes to cover up their shortcomings and to degrade the hard earned military victory, but as long as there are patriotic people, these forces would not achieve their ignoble 'missions'.

The President said that no one could charge the military for any crime as they had engaged in a humanitarian operation in a professional manner.

"I urge those who point their finger at us to be careful as their other fingers are pointed at themselves," he said.

The President expressed confidence that those who witnessed the heroism of our soldiers who had defeated the world's most ruthless terrorists would not attempt to take up arms again to destroy this united country and would not think of a separate State when they reap the benefits of the country's development.

The President said that the 60th anniversary of the SLA would be the most spectacular event in its history, as an honour to the soldiers who recorded this victory by sacrificing their lives and limbs.

"The victory over the LTTE, after three decades, was not handed over to us on a platter. It was not a mere victory, but it is a victory that showed the world how humane our brave soldiers are. The soldiers carried guns in one hand and the Human Rights Convention in the other. At the same time their hearts were full of love for their fellow human beings," he said.

He said that over 30,000 military personnel had died during the 30-year war, of which over 23,000 were from the SLA.

"This shows the commitment of the SLA to defeat terrorism in this country. Armies of other countries may have the latest firepower, but their soldiers lack humanity. The SLA is the only Army that can celebrate its anniversaries with pride as it is the only Army that defeated terrorism. The SLA flag will flutter majestically among all Army flags of other countries," he said, adding that other armies could not defeat terrorism though they may have superior firepower.

"Our soldiers had fought the world's most ruthless terrorists who had adopted the most inhumane tactics like suicide bombers. I hope these armies study and research the means with which our Army defeated the LTTE. They have to study the courage, bravery and commitment of our soldiers and military leaders who led the war to its victory. They also have to study the humanity of these soldiers, who rescued thousands of civilians that suffered under terrorism," President Rajapaksa said.

He said the SLA is a professional and disciplined Army unlike the armies of those countries which talk against Sri Lanka.

"I think that our Army was encouraged to defeat terrorism by the support given by the people of this country. They gave their children to the Army, they protected the military leaders who led the war and tolerated all the hardships they faced until this victory," he said, pointing out that the people of this country - the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims - joined hands with the Government with one goal in mind - to defeat the LTTE.

He said the Government would do anything to protect the country and the hard-earned victory.

courtesy : defence.lk

State department admits there had been no recent rape cases by Sri Lanka army in response to controversial Clinton statement

2009-10-04T19:40:00.000-07:00

(By Walter Jayawardhana)

The United States went back on the statement of Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton and said the US does not have any recent evidence of women being raped while in Sri Lankan government custody.

Hillary Clinton generating widespread condemnation mentioned Sri Lanka as a country which uses rape as a military tactic while speaking at the Security Council meeting of the United Nations recently.

The Sri Lanka government officially protested against her statement and the cabinet spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said Sri Lanka totally rejected and condemned the Clinton statement.

In a letter addressed to the Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama the State Department said there had been such charges only in the past- "over the years."

Melane Verveer, ambassador at large for global women issues of the State Department writing the letter to the Sri Lanka Foreign Minister said, "in the most recent phase of the conflict, from 2006 to 2009 ... we have not received reports that rape and sexual abuse were used as tools of war, as they clearly have in other conflict area around the world."

The letter further said, "We hope that this clarification puts the issue in its proper context."

The letter however said, "Secretary Clinton believes that Sri Lanka must focus to the future and move forward on the promotion of peace and the protection of human rights."

"We've seen rape used as a tactic of war before in Bosnia, Burma and Sri Lanka and elsewhere", the US secretary of state had said addressing the Security Council meeting. Following her statement by Secretary of State Clinton was widely condemned by the government as well as other political parties.

Wimal Weerawansa, leader of the National Freedom Front said her statement exposed from where the LTTE terrorists received their support over the years. The JHU held a protest demonstration condemning her in front of the US embassy in Colombo. They called the statement as mudsling and irresponsible. Many websites warned her not to pelt stones while living in glass houses.

courtesy : defence.lk

Religious observances spearhead Army 60th Anniversary, its mega exhibition & tattoo

2009-10-01T23:17:00.001-07:00

The series of celebratory events, designed to coincide with Army's 60th Anniversary under the theme "Victory through Commitment, Dedication, Sacrifice and Professionalism" gets underway from today (2) with commencement of the customary flag blessing ceremony at Anuradhapura Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi precincts.

Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya gracing the occasion as Chief Guest will join the representative gathering of officers and other ranks from all Regiments for the symbolic Flag Blessing rituals at the upper layer (Udamaluwa) at the sacred premises.

Members of the Maha Sangha, led by Ven. Pallegama Sri Niwasabhidana Nayaka Thero, Atamastanadhipathi (chief incumbent for eight sacred places) are expected to invoke blessings on all Army flags after offerings are made by Commander and other Senior Officers. Christian, Islamic and Hindu religious observances and services will follow before the Army Day (October 10th). Islamic religious observances at Davatagaha Jumma Mosque on 5th October 2009, Hindu religious observances at Sri Bala Selvanayagam Moorthi Kovil in Maradana on 6th October 2009 and the Christian Service at Cathedral Church in Colombo 07 on 7th October 2009 will complete the first phase of the Anniversary programme.

The 60th Anniversary celebrations on Saturday (3) enter another important phase with the opening of the grand Army Exhibition at BMICH premises where display of captured stocks of LTTE equipment, arms and ammunition, military hardware, Army expansion and achievements, etc is expected to draw massive crowds. Special musical shows and display of fire works are to add colour to the event on all four days of the Exhibition (Oct 3 - 7). A model enactment of the last battle in Puthumattalan is also to be staged both during this Exhibition and the Army Tattoo. The Exhibition will be open for public from 10.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m. everyday and an entry ticket to the site is priced at Rs. 50.00. School students cost half the price.

The Army Day (Oct 10th) commemorative ceremonies at Army Headquarters begin with a Guard of Honour, accorded to the Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya. His subsequent Army Day address to the troops is also a main item on the day's agenda. Commander is also expected to visit recuperating War Heroes at the Military Hospital and declare open the newly-built operation theatre and a ward complex for injured War Heroes at the Military Hospital. Towards the end of the day, a Pirith chanting ceremony at Panagoda Sri Bodhirajaramaya, will culminate the day's proceedings. Issue of a first-day cover plus a special stamp and a Rs. 1000 worth special coin has also been organized to mark the occasion.

On 12th October, Army troops are to accord a special Guard of Honour to the Chief of Defence Staff General Sarath Fonseka who is also the most senior Army officer still serving.

A special volume of Army history, "Sri Lanka Army - 60 years On" that covers the period (1999-2009) is also to be released as part of the celebratory events.

The next attraction, the Army Tattoo will commence on 17th October at Kettarama Stadium and continue till 23rd October. This mega display of thrill and excitement will highlight speedy fixing of vehicles, instant construction of temporary bridges, parachute jumps, cultural shows, ceremonial display by women's corps, model simulation attacks and a host of other exclusive talents of elite Commando units and Special Forces. This rare show will be open to the public from 5.30 p.m. to 10.00 p.m. everyday. Entry tickets are available at Cargills Ceylon PLC and also at entry gates to the stadium. Tickets are priced at Rs. 200, Rs. 500, Rs. 1000 and Rs. 2000.

The modern Sri Lanka Army counts its birth after its founding in 1949 as a commonwealth force of the post-independent Ceylon and this maturity of the Army came about as a result of its dedication, professionalism and commitment to the cause. The Army has received recognition as a troop-contributing country to the UN and other member states and its extensive roles in de-mining, humanitarian services, national emergencies, construction and development work, etc,

Courtesy : Army Media

Rape - Hillary said!

2009-10-01T23:09:00.000-07:00

(By: Gomin Dayasri)
The photograph was released by CBS News in 2004. Iraqi POWs been sexually tortured by a US military woman at the Abu Ghraib prison.
Fury of a woman knows no bounds. Worse, when she is powerful and arrogant but yet failed to achieve her goals. Such is Hilary Clinton. The mighty Secretary of State failed to tame Sri Lanka. The failed Presidential aspirant, knowingly or unknowingly, received terrorist funding for her election campaign and was compelled to return the cash to comply with the law. Notwithstanding her strenuous efforts she could not save the lives of the terrorists, to whom she is obliged. Therein lays the story.
The anger is intensified because Sri Lanka in its drive to dismantle terrorism, did not heed to the pleas and pressures of Hillary Clinton to save the terrorists. Her pride is wounded but the country rid itself of terrorism. Having to hang her head in shame, she is hell bent to damage and destroy the country that defeated terrorism comprehensively, which her country has failed to achieve and continue to unsuccessfully grapple with forces of terrorism. Green Eyes, Madam? Understandably, a jealous woman is an angry woman.
Her recent intemperate outburst was in her capacity as the representative of the USA at the Security Council where she named and implied Sri Lanka as a country where women are raped and its Armed forces use rape as a weapon of war and remain unpunished.
In law it means she has to establish the defense establishment, willfully and intentionally, on a premeditated design uses and/or permits it forces to rape women on a pre arranged scale to achieve its objectives in war. Otherwise she fails flat on the charge. The significance here is that- there is not even a scintilla of evidence, not even a complaint- of simple rape during the course of the war against an individual member of the defense forces. While Clinton bases her charge on collective structured rape as a tool of war, in fact, there is not even an allegation of rape of a single woman by a rapacious member of the defense forces. Where do you stand in the dock, fair lady?
Except for the verbal indictment, not an iota of evidence was provided by Mrs. Clinton to substantiate the charge. She has a right to make a charge provided she can support it with material to reveal that rape was used as a weapon of war .The charge is not plain and simple rape but more serious since it is made against a State. Therefore accuser has to be responsible as to substantiate with hard facts. She accuses the Sri Lankan Forces having used rape as a tool to defeat terrorism. It requires proof of collective pre meditated rape on an organized scale. A charge unheard and unleveled against Sri Lanka's Armed Forces except by the Diaspora who is forever making irresponsible accusations without proof. Then Hillary Clinton stepped on the podium. Have her previous financiers sold her a fabricated story? Is it a meeting of minds between birds of one feather!
Where is the proof with credible evidence? Was there a single complaint lodged against the Forces of having raped a woman during the period of conflict? Where are the complainants- where are the victims? There is not a scintilla of evidence against any other than in the fertile imaginary mind of Hillary Clinton and the Diaspora. When a charge of rape was presented as in the Krishanthi Kumaraswamy's case indictments were filed in court and after trial the accused were sentenced. In the USA only 6% of those accused of rape even spend a single night in a lock up. Such is Justice in the USA.
There is established rape by the US Forces in Iraq in conflict situations with photographs produced (see Ernesto Cienfuegos in La Voz de Aztlan) wherein it is alleged that many of the photographs were freely disseminated to US occupying forces perhaps to inflame their nefarious desires and to motivate them to strike out against the Iraqi populace in a perverse manner. It is reported many of these pictures were found when the luggage of the soldiers were searched before they left for the US from Iraq.
The charge of rape is established against the Security Forces of Hillary Clinton.
Hillary Clinton talks of rape during periods of conflict. In her back yard in the United States in times of peace there were 232,960 cases of rape in 2006 which increased to 248,300 in 2007 [Justice Department(US) Table 2 page 17]. That amounts to 600 cases a day mostly women between 20 -24 of rape in times of peace [Justice Department (US) Table 4 page 17] on a normal working day in her home country. Justice Department reports 1 in 5 college girls in US universities have been raped or experienced attempted rape.It also reports the Indian American women are subjected to rape at a rate twice the national average and black Americans are raped more than white American women. These are statistics originating from a society where only 60%of rape is reported! Are not our women safer both in times of war and peace than their sisters in America?
Why does Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State not look after the folk back home before opening her dainty lips in the UN! Is she not concerned of her own electorate who are experiencing frequent rape from the criminal elements in her society and the women of the world from the unruly elements in her armed forces?
Practice before you preach, lady!
Mrs Clinton, learn the basic lesson-fast and furiously- from our Armed Forces to beat Terrorism. The art of carrying effectively a Humanitarian campaign where you win the hearts and minds of the people of Iraq and Afghanistan so that they do not provide men and material to the terrorist but wait to flee to the forces of liberation.
Women- inclusive of you- are a precious possession of society in times of war and peace. Teach US Forces, to treat women with respect and not to make love to them in an improper way to offend the people in such a manner which makes it necessary for your Commanders to seek frequently additional forces in occupying countries to control terrorism.
Do control terrorism and rape in your own country, Mrs Clinton, and then you can speak with your head held high in the UN.

De-mining expedited

2009-09-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

The Government has taken the initiative to import more de-mining machines to expedite the de-mining process in the North and to facilitate the speedy resettlement of the displaced civilians now living in welfare centres in the Menik Farm, sources from the Ministry of Nation Building told the Daily News yesterday.

The latest addition to the de-mining activities, five de-mining machines costing Rs. 270 million, will arrive in Sri Lanka from the Republic of Croatia. The five de-mining machines (MV-4 Flail machines) from the Republic of Croatia will be airlifted to Sri Lanka on September 12.

The Police Special Task Force too had engaged in de-mining activities to make the areas in the Vavuniya district safe for the public. The Police Special Task Force engaged in landmine clearing and de-mining operation under the Uthura Vasanthaya program has completed the clearing of a 27 km stretch of road along the Omanthai-Welioya road.

Within a short span of five months, 26,734 anti-personnel mines, 26 land mines, 20 death traps, 31 pressure bomb reels several hard bombs and huge quantity of detonators were removed by the STF team, Officer-in-charge Lal Jayathilake said.

They are now engaged in the operation along the Omanthai-Panikkanai road towards Puliyankulam. Accordingly, the villages of Alankulam, Navakkulum Junction, Sinna Pulleyarkulam.

Kovil Junction, Pulinda Kulam and Nedunkulam along the Omanthai-Welioya road have been made safe areas.

Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Minister Rizard Bathiudeen, Nation Building and Infrastructure Development Ministers Rohitha Abeygunawardena and Minister S.M. Chandrasena are due to receive these five de-mining machines worth Rs.270 million imported from the Republic of Croatia at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

Earlier the Government imported five de-mining machines from Slovakia at a cost of Rs.260 million to expedite the de-mining process in the North.

According to the officials the machines imported will expedite the de-mining activities as only 10 square metres can be de-mined daily through manual work. But these machines can clear 5,000 square metres per day.

"The arrival of these latest machines will expedite the process to speed up the resettlement of displaced civilians in the North with is now at a speedy phase under Uthuru Vasanthaya program implemented by Senior Presidential Advisor and MP Basil Rajapaksa", Northern Province Governor Major General (Rtd) G.A. Chandrasiri told the Daily News.

He said the Sri Lanka Army and other organizations engaged in de-mining activities have completed the de-mining in the Giant tank area in the Mannar district and handed it over for cultivation.

According to Secretary to Nation Building Ministry W.K.K. Kumarasiri Sri Lanka Army and eight other organisations are engaged in de-mining activities in the North. The work is getting delayed as it is done manually. Meanwhile, the Government is also receiving support from various Governments to expedite the de-mining activities.

The United States is providing training and equipment to the Sri Lanka Army to assist its efforts to de-mine areas in the North.

The training will build additional military capacity to clear mines in the Northern Province and expedite the safe return of people displaced by the war to their homes, a US embassy statement said Wednesday.

The training is being conducted at the Sri Lanka School of Military Engineering at Embilipitiya.

The US Pacific Command also donated personal protection equipment (vest and visors) and de-miner equipment. The cost of the program is estimated to be over $100,000.

This is in addition to the $6.6 million the US recently contributed towards de-mining activities in the Northern Province, which was under LTTE control for years. The Indian Government also sent de-mining teams to Sri Lanka to assist the Sri Lanka Army to expedite the de-mining process.

"This will help the Government to expedite the process of resettling the displaced civilians in their villages within the shortest possible time frame as stipulated by the Government," the Governor Chandrasiri added.

Courtesy - Daily news

"Lahore attack on Sri Lankan cricket team last was financed by LTTE" says Pakistan Premier

2009-09-07T20:48:00.001-07:00

(By: Walter Jayawardhana)

Pakistani investigators have discovered the attack on the Sri Lankan Cricket team in Lahore, Pakistan was financed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorist group.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousouf Raza Gilani told reporters that the finding by the Pakistani law enforcement authorities has been already conveyed to the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa when they met recently in the Libyan capital of Tripoli.

He told reporters that a Pakistani team of detectives will be coming to Sri Lanka to further investigate the involvement of the LTTE terrorists and share information with the Sri Lankan government on the attack of the cricket team.

Pakistani Prime Minister told reporters detectives have now got indications to suggest that the terrorist group LTTE had financed the attack by 12 gunmen on the bus carrying Sri Lankan cricketers, March 2009, near Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore.

In June this year a terrorist group called Tehrik-e-Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers.

LTTE terrorists have maintained connections with the Pakistani and Middle Eastern terrorist groups and the widely used suicide jackets by the Middle Eastern suicide missions is an invention by the LTTE, security experts say.

In March the Sri Lankan cricketers were on their third day of the second test match when the attack occurred. The damage to the Sri Lankan cricket team would have been greater if not for the bravery of the Pakistani driver of the coach who drove through a hail of bullets by the attacking gunmen. Six members of the Sri Lankan cricket team were injured while six Pakistani policemen and two civilians were killed.

The International Cricket Council cancelled Pakistan as the venue for the World Cup matches in 2011 followed by the cancellations of many scheduled visits of foreign cricket teams to the country, costing the nation millions.

Colombo University confers President and Defence Secretary with "Honorary Degrees"

2009-09-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

President Mahinda Rajapaksa was conferred with the honorary degree (honoris causa) "Doctor of Law" and Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa with the honorary degree "Doctor of Letters" by the University of Colombo yesterday, (06 September).

The Senate of the University of Colombo with the approval of the Council of the University resolved that these Degrees of Doctorates be conferred on President Rajapaksa and on Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa,

The University of Colombo conferred the titles on President and Defence Secretary in recognition of their services to the country in safeguarding its territorial integrity, sovereignty and defeating the LTTE by restoring peace and harmony among all Sri Lankan communities and uplifting the image of Sri Lanka within the international community, the Senate of the Colombo University stated.

The titles were conferred by the former Arch-Bishop of Colombo and present Chancellor of the Colombo University Most Rev.Oswald Gomis.

The awarding ceremony took place with the Postgraduate Convocation of the University of Colombo held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) attended by distinguished guests and invitees.

Technical analyst exposes 'C- 4' gutter journalism

2009-09-06T20:36:00.000-07:00

< C-4 video created from a video camera, not from a mobile phone.

< Sound dubbed: a case study for gutter journalism.

In video coding or broadcasting to create a final video for any occasion it is the practice to start with high quality video first while transcending with editing for a final product. Mpeg4 is a compressed format.

If one considers the Channel- 4 video:

● It says it came from a mobile phone video source. There are only two formats in mobile video formats. One is an old 3GPP format and the other an advanced Mpeg4, H-264 part 10 which is MP4 format which is highly processor intensive encoding and due to this issue, mobile phones in the present markets does not produce high quality videos. Such processors are not that powerful to take good quality video that Channel- 4 claims since channel - 4 video is much high quality than existing Smart phones can create TODAY.

● Within H-264 coding we also have extra component called Motion Vectors (VMC) which are used to predict motion on temporal and spatial domain. The Channel - 4 video have quite high quality VMC(motion Vector) and this VMC came from a video camera and not from a mobile phone source. Also Mobile source also tend to be blocky in nature when it come to motion.

● Since original video is from AVI and QuickTime format, the whole video scenario indicates that ORIGINAL video is of high quality that came from a video camera source since mobile formats does not use AVI or Quicktime which are high quality video formats.

● If they changed the mobile format to AVI or QT then the final video will be of poor quality. In the analysis it was found that the AVI and QT formats are of very high quality.

● Also it is quite explicit that the camcorder video was transferred to a computer for editing and sound was dubbed later and gun shots were not in synchronism with the video and normally audio is always way ahead of the video since video processing takes time and in this case the audio is very late INDICATING a very amateurish video and audio editing.

The Channel 4 canard

2009-09-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

The Channel 4, a British TV channel apparently engaged in a deliberate propaganda campaign against Sri Lankan citizens, has come up with its latest canard about the island nation. A video footage of very poor quality showing two persons clad in combat uniforms shooting down two others has been given a huge publicity by the Channel 4 TV claiming it to be of Sri Lankan soldiers "summarily executing Tamils".

The channel's so-called "foreign affairs correspondent", Jonathan Miller filing another twisted story of his about Sri Lanka, almost wows that it was "Sinhalaese" soldiers killing Tamils in the video. He further goes on breaching all rules observed in professional journalism by generalizing charges against one ethnic group of a multi-ethnic country; an obvious and irresponsible attempt to incite communal hatred. Shrewdly playing with his words this journalist not only conceals the serious question about the authenticity of the video footage but also brings about unnamed sources to support his mean objective of damaging ethnic harmony in Sri Lanka.

The following report is filed based on an analysis conducted by the defence.lk team involving specialists in the filed on the video itself and commentaries about it.

Professional journalism requires journalists to ensure the information he or she disseminates to be fair and accurate. Fulfilling this requires the journalist to avoid expressing comments and conjecture as actual facts.

Miller opens his story about the video calling the victory over terrorism in Sri Lanka is something to be celebrated only by the Sinhalese majority, which is certainly not the ground reality. It is interesting to know how a foreigner like Miller could make such a serious comment about the thinking of Sri Lankan people. Then he goes on saying that it has been a "brutal war" in which "unknown thousands of Tamil civilians were killed", yet fails to elaborate any source where his comments can be referred. Then comes a carefully edited video footage released by the LTTE propaganda arm during the wartime. At the end of this section Miller says, "now, we know one soldier had a mobile phone"; an obvious attempt to conceal the problem of authenticity of the video to the audience.

Then comes the scene of a man wearing an olive-green overall shooting a naked and loosely blindfolded man with his hands tied behind his back. The victim is shot at point blank range at the back of the head. Then the one with the camera turns at several other males lying on the ground apparently dead. The 1:02.781 (minute) video footage ends showing another man shooting the second blindfolded man in the same fashion as the earlier one. The only difference was the shooter was clad in a camouflaged combat uniform. Throughout the video, several men were heard shouting in Sinhalese and thundering blasts were clearly heard in the background as if the video was taken under heavy fire.

The pictures of the video footage were in very bad quality that there was no visible evidence whether the victims were actually injured in shooting. Also, the shooters were clad in combat clothes generally worn by all armies in the world. No Sri Lankan army insignias or anything such items were captured in the video to identify the shooters with the Sri Lanka army. Although the video footage seemed to have been taken with great deliberation to show what had happened at the location, the person who took it avoids directing the camera towards the shooters' faces. The voices heard in the background gives no clue about shooters or the victims. Furthermore, it is quite clear that the cameraperson was doing his work quite freely and openly without any objections from those who were committing the crime, as if they wanted him/her to carryout the work unhindered.

Irrespective of all mentioned above, Miller speculates that a "soldier" not shown in the video jumped with joy at the first shooting. Then he confirms that that a shooter was a "Sinhalese country boy". What's more, Miller says to the audience that the killing Tamils were like a game to the "Sinhalese Soldiers". It is only after speculating on all these that Miller decides to tell his audience that there is no independent authentication about the video.

However, he officiously tell the audience the group that claimed have handed over the video to him is not a "Tamil liberation organization" but a group of journalists in 'exile' fighting for media freedom. Moreover, he has found an unknown independent human right expert a "Sinhalese" to confirm him that video to be genuine. The whole episode if analyzed in the rational mind is an excellent example of deceitful journalism of the first degree. Miller closed his story creating disbelief in the audience that Tamils will be able to live peacefully with the other communities in the Island.

It is clear to any right minded person that it would not take much time for Sri Lankan defence officials to decide that the information in the video footage was insufficient for any further investigations. In fact, it is understandable that the aim of its originators was not to bring justice to the apparent victims shown in the video but to rekindle the dangerous ideology that gave life to the LTTE terrorists for decades. The government has rightly denied any breach of international law of war by Sri Lankan armed forces. Having painfully learnt the capacity of the LTTE propaganda arm - the only element of the terrorist outfit that still remains intact, the government has substantial evidence to prove that the video was a fake.

On the other hand, there is more than sufficient evidence that LTTE cadres masquerading in army uniforms had carried out crimes and used videos of such crimes to win international sympathy. Many LTTE cadres surrendered to the army have confessed to be involved in such crimes where they were asked to kill captives, mostly Tamils who were labeled as traitors. Civilians too have revealed seeing such videos showed by the LTTE cadres when they were held as a human shield by the LTTE. It was a commonly known tactic used by the LTTE to prevent civilians seeking refuge with the armed forces.

However, Miller's reportage on the video and the commentaries of the LTTE sympathizers that followed, attempt to generalize the accusations against the government and armed forces as whole. It should be noted that Sri Lankan armed forces have given refuge to thousands of LTTE cadres including over 120 senior leaders of the outfit. The parents of the LTTE chief himself and his mother in law were also among the rescued during the final phase of the conflict. If Sri Lanka adapted summary execution of LTTE cadres as a policy, none of the LTTE cadres would be left and there would be ample videos available for media when considering the strength of the LTTE propaganda arm.

Above all, there exists serious suspicion about the integrity of the parties involved in propagating this video. The group claimed to have smuggled the video out of the Island, the so-called Journalist for Democracy (JDS) is an unheard media rights group in Sri Lanka of which no details can be found about its members. The group apparently runs an internet blog that contains propaganda material usually used by LTTE lobbyists but does not give any information about the personnel involved. However, available sources confirmed that the members of this group to be LTTE hired hands and some are even wanted terrorists under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in Sri Lanka. Hence, there are valid reasons to the group to be in self-exile, allegedly leading the struggle for media freedom.

The Channel 4 too has a history of broadcasting distorted and misleading news about Sri Lanka. Specially, Jonathan Miller is doing his best to settle what appears to be a personal grudge he has with Sri Lankan people at the expense of his professionalism. It is interesting to watch how Miller has filed stories about Gaza and Iraq. There are few that can be easily goggled.

Even his story about Gaza after 22 days of bombing by the Israel in February was free from adjectives he often uses in his stories about Sri Lanka. He saw no "brutalism" in the bombing that many reliably claimed to have killed over thousand civilians including some 400 children, he found no "brutalized" people there. Moreover, it was not "shocking" for him to see the UN headquarters in Gaza bombed with white phosphorus. Nothing is "callous" or "sickening" about conflicts in Iraq, Gaza or in Afghanistan for Miller or for the Channel 4. This hypocrisy is of course common to many other similar media and is no longer a secret to the world.

It should be noted that it was this Miller who boastfully claimed the credit for having the first "face to face" interview with Interpol's wanted terrorist Kumaran Padmanadan alias KP few months ago. Unfortunately for Miller, the criminal that he ridiculed Sri Lankan government for being unable to nab for 25 years is now with Defence Ministry. KP is certainly spilling the beans and has given a very important place to the Channel 4 affair and Miller connection in his confessions. Though not much information on this is permitted to be revealed at this stage, it can be said with great responsibility that LTTE had made Channel 4 one of its propaganda allies.

Finally, the whole affair about the video indicates nothing but the dearth of genuineness on the part of the human rights activists in Sri Lanka. Jonathan Miller is certainly an unknown figure to Sri Lankans despite his pretence as an expert in Sri Lanka's affairs. Yet, the people who feed information to Miller, the so-called Sri Lankan rights activists, are well known to all discernible citizens here. Portraying these individuals as rights activists before ordinary Sri Lankan citizens is certainly a laughable matter for everyone knows that it is just a good business for them.

Government deeply regrets Erik Solheim's comments on SL

2009-08-29T18:33:00.000-07:00

The Government of Sri Lanka refers to the comments made by the Minister of Environment & International Development of the Norwegian Government, Erik Solheim, published in the 'Aftenposten' newspaper website of 28 August 2009, a news release from the Foreign Ministry said today.

It added "The Sri Lanka government deeply regrets the baseless comments contained therein and is perturbed by such statements being made by the Norwegian Minister against a friendly government.

It is unbecoming of Minister Solheim to attribute blame on alleged atrocities, contained in an unsubstantiated video footage, without any recourse to an exchange of views and total disregard to the position of the Government of Sri Lanka on the issues in question.

The criticism by him of a democratically elected Head of State, who is carrying out a vibrant agenda to safeguard the rights of the people of Sri Lanka, while having eliminated the scourge of terrorism, is unacceptable. It would be recalled that Norway continued its facilitatory role in the then peace process, even after the election of His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapakse. The utterances of Minister Solheim have led the Government of Sri Lanka to reflect on his possible partisanship in the facilitatory role.

The Government of Sri Lanka hopes that a formal response would be received from the Norwegian Government with regard to the attributed comments by a Minister of that Government".

Courtesy: Government Information Department

'Channel 4' gets flak for exploiting journalist

2009-08-29T18:32:00.000-07:00

'Channel 4' UK , the news network which broadcast the false and unverified video footage on Aug 25 which allegedly showed the summary killing by Sri Lankan troops of Tamil civilians in January this year, has come in for heavy criticism from many quarters for the exploiting of a journalist to obtain a sensational news item.

The Daily Mail, UK said 'Channel 4' "promised to stretch reality television to the limit: one man pitting his wits against the Yukon wilderness with just a camera for company. But hopes for an epic three-month contest between man and nature were dashed when adventurer Ed Wardle failed to go the distance.

Seven weeks after striding out into the rugged forests of western Canada armed with a rifle and a fishing rod, Mr. Wardle had to be airlifted back to civilization suffering from starvation".

It reported that' Channel 4' faced criticism for allowing him to attempt the expedition unaided and apparently unprepared, to entertain viewers. During his adventure, Mr. Wardle, 34, was permitted to send out a daily posting on the Twitter website and transmit a single electronic signal confirming he was still alive.

"This is a pretty foolish enterprise. If Channel 4 is going to send people on this kind of expedition, they really must make sure they are up to it and have the skills necessary to survive," said Director of Media Watch, John Beyer.

"If they first of all did not check that Ed Wardle was competent, then that is the height of irresponsibility on the part of Channel 4, to do that merely to provide entertainment for us all back home to watch this man steadily deteriorate."

Courtesy: PRIU

"Channel 4" video false and fabricated - Govt.

2009-08-27T19:45:00.002-07:00

The video footage recently aired on 'Channel 4' UK claiming to display alleged atrocities committed by Sri Lankan forces against Tamils is absolutely false and fabricated. It has been deliberately put together to bring disrepute to the Government of Sri Lanka, states the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.

The Government of Sri Lanka will make a strong protest to Channel 4 with regard to the contents of this video and also bring the matter to the notice of the relevant authorities, and seek to pursue remedies available with regard to the distortion of truth.

The Government of Sri Lanka view this unsubstantiated and admittedly unverifiable video footage as an attempt by elements opposed to the success of the reconciliation process under way in Sri Lanka and the ongoing efforts to rebuild the country after nearly 30 years of terror by the LTTE.

The Government has reasons to suspect that those who provided this false and doctored footage are those still supportive of LTTE terror, who failed in their attempts to discredit the Sri Lankan government at the recent UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Courtesy: President Media Unit

It's war crimes stupid!- The Island Editorial

2009-08-27T19:45:00.001-07:00

The British media has done it again! Channel 4, which is blatantly hostile to Sri Lanka and partial to the LTTE, has found 'evidence of war crimes' in Sri Lanka--a video footage of a naked civilian being shot dead by a person who looks like a Sri Lankan soldier.

This footage said to be a handout from a collective of 'journalists' from Sri Lanka is being bandied about as solid evidence of war crimes, which Britain, the US and the EU failed to charge Sri Lanka with at a recent UNHRC special session.

It is intriguing that Channel 4 did not care to check the video clip's authenticity before beaming it across the globe and tarnishing Sri Lanka's image. One is reminded of a widely circulated picture that the LTTE released in the aftermath of Prabhakaran's death. It showed a smiling Prabhakaran watching his own corpse on TV, while holding a newspaper. The message the LTTE sent out with that picture was that its leader was alive and kicking and the government's claim that he had been killed was a lie. This newspaper debunked the LTTE's claim by publishing the original picture--of Prabhakaran with Anton Balasingham--which LTTE propagandists had doctored by deleting Balasingham and inserting a TV set and some furniture. A week later none other than KP admitted that Prabhakaran was dead!

LTTE propagandists are quite adept at doctoring pictures. The man in it may be an LTTE cadre in an army uniform massacring dissidents or even an LTTE actor playing the role of a soldier. There are thousands of such cock-and-bull videos doing the rounds on the Net and only the na‹ve take them seriously. The most pertinent question to be raised in this regard is whether any filming would have been allowed, if war crimes had been perpetrated in the Vanni.

Technology is so advanced today that we could even produce a short film where 'Miliband' or 'Kouchner' shoots naked men in the back of their heads against the backdrop of streets strewn with dead bodies.

The British government, it may be recalled, stands accused of having 'sexed up' dossiers on Iraq and WMDs by way of a casus belli. So, it is not surprising that the British media has suddenly got hold of a video footage said to have been done in January this year to back the Brown government's anti-Sri Lankan campaign. What on earth took them so long to find that 'evidence'?

A British newspaper once published some pictures of the war zone taken by one of its photographers from a Sri Lanka Air Force chopper days after the final offensive, claiming they were irrefutable evidence of war crimes by the Sri Lanka Army. Would the SLAF have ever flown a group of journalists over the scene of the final battle, if the Sri Lanka military had had anything to hide there? Strangely, the British media has conveniently dropped the issue.

Now that Channel 4 has gone to town on 'evidence of war crimes committed in Sri Lanka', the onus is on it to prove that the video footage in question is authentic and the perpetrator in it is a real Sri Lankan soldier and the victim a Tamil civilian.

Why the British media has suddenly woken up to Sri Lanka's 'war crimes' again is not difficult to see. The EU is scheduled to decide on the renewal of Sri Lanka's GSP Plus concession soon and attempts being made in some quarters to have that facility scrapped are doomed to fail as cases against Sri Lanka presented by some NGOs are seriously flawed. The anti-Sri Lanka forces are looking for fresh evidence to bolster their campaign. The video footage at issue is their latest weapon against Sri Lanka. Unfortunately for them, their war crime project has a foundation of sand!

Courtesy: The Island

"WE fought the terrorists with unity and political will" - General Fonseka

2009-08-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

Speaking at a conference at the University of Jayawadenepura in Colombo last week, Sri Lanka's former Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka who led the island nation to its historic military triumph said the victory was achieved by adopting guerilla tactics while letting the terrorist group adopt conventional military strategies.

Pakistan, another South Asian country, attacked by guerillas has already expressed their desire to send small groups of combat troops to Sri Lanka to learn from the Sri Lankan experience.

General Fonseka, who has now been elevated to the position of the Chief of Defense Staff by President Rajapaksa described the secret of success of the Sri Lanka Army at as the transformation of the way of going into battle at the Eelam War 4 and reversal of methods both by the army and the terrorists.

General Fonseka said the LTTE as expected behaved almost like a conventional army while his forces stepped into the shoes of a guerilla warfare.

He said the army, as guerillas do, started making incursions into LTTE strongholds in small groups carrying out daring attacks when the terrorists challenged the army inside the jungle.

He described the Sri Lanka resolution to go to war was a political one and said with the other forces, like the navy, air force police and the civil defense force in unity fought the war with that political will.

He said, "Thirty years of war had caused a lot of frustration to the people, who had lost their faith in the Army.... I restructured the entire Army deviating from traditional methods, appointed new people of my choice untainted with corruption and dramatically increased the manpower of the Army with recruitment.

"We commenced our assault from the A9 road, the Maddu road, Mannar and the Mullaittivu jungles. Sometimes it took us four to five days just to take control of one or two kilometres. But the results were good. We minimised our casualties and increased losses of the enemy."

More LTTE war materials recovered

2009-08-26T03:03:00.001-07:00

Sri Lanka Army Troops engaging the search and clear operations in war affected areas yesterday (August 25) recovered a haul of war materials hidden by the LTTE in their last moment.

Troops belongs to 57 Division conducted search operations in Kilinochchi area recovered 6 x AP mines and in Visuamadu area recovered 06 x diesel barrels during the same day.

While Task Force 8 troops engaging search operations in general area Puthukkudiyirippu East recovered following list of items yesterday.

In general area Vellamullivaikkal troops recovered following military equipments.

Items	Quantity
DZP/PE 98-120 bombs	04
Hand grenades	34
60mm rounds	18
Explosive capsules	250
RPG rounds	07
C-4 Explosive (Kg)	30
7.62 x 39mm ammunition	1500
Micro pistols	03
Pistol magazines	07
Pistol rounds	133
I COM sets	09
GPS (Type 72)	01
Cyanide capsules	02

In general area Puthukkudiyirippu troops uncovered the following list of items.

Items	Quantity
RPG rounds	07
Claymore mines	05
81mm Mortar rounds	02
T-56 Weapon	01
T-56 Magazines	04
7.62 x 39mm ammunition	102

In addition to that, troops recovered 130mm arty gun barrel in Puthukkudiyirippu West and in Sugandipuram area and troops also uncovered 02 x 60mm mortar round and 01 x 60mm mortar fuse.

Meanwhile the Troops of Task Force 2 doing their search operations in general area Puthukkudiyirippu West uncovered 01 x T-56 weapon mark II.

LTTE linked attempt to challenge us law on foreign terrorist groups fails in federal appeals court 9th circuit

2009-08-26T03:02:00.000-07:00

An attempt by the Humanitarian law Project, an organization that consists of two listed terrorist organizations, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and Kurdistan Workers Party to do away the executive powers of the US President to list certain organizations as foreign terrorist groups was foiled by the 9th US circuit of Appeals.

The court, in San Francisco, decided in 2-1 majority decision the law regulates conduct, not speech and therefore does not violate the US constitution as the petition lawyers argued, court documents show.

The court said, "There is no right to provide resources with which terrorists can buy weapons and explosives."

According to the court decision the current law that allows United States Presidents to designate certain violent foreign groups as terrorist organizations and freeze their assets, and prevent any aid contributed to them was upheld.

Originally a law enacted by Congress in 1977 to impose economic sanctions against foreign nations considered a threat to national security called The International Emergency Economic Powers Act was used by Presidents. The Same law, in 2001, during the regime of President George W. Bush was used to issue executive orders to designate foreign terrorist groups and freeze their assets. Under the executive orders anybody who gives aid to any of the listed terrorist groups will pay twice the money as what is given to the terrorist group or a fine of $250,000 as penalty.

In Los Angeles the law was challenged by Humanitarian law Project that was supported by the LTTE and the PKK. At the initial stages the petition succeeded but the US government appealed against the decision.

Sri Lanka Air Force 'The Best Air Force in the World'

2009-08-23T20:40:00.001-07:00

Addressing the newly commissioned officers and passed out airmen at the SLAF Base China Bay today (Aug 21), Secretary Defence Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa stated that the Sri Lanka Air Force compared to the rest of the world, could be rated as the best Air Force in operation.

"With limited resources and hi-tech machines, the Sri Lanka Air Force defeated the LTTE, purely using their knowledge, skills, and experience. It is the duty of the new officer and airmen to carry this pride of victory to the future unblemished, he further said.

Secretary Defence Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the chief guest of the commission and wings parade of No: 50 intake officer cadets and passing out parade of No: 136 regular and No: 96 Volunteer Airmen initial recruit course, at SLAF Base Chain Bay, Trincomalee.

Sixteen officer, including six pilots, were commissioned at the event while 329 regular and volunteer Airmen passed out. Officer Cadet WKRPGS Dharmasiriwardana received the 'Sword of Honour' for his successful completion of the training.

Recruit USD Gunawardana was the best all round recruit of No:94 Volunteer intake of Airman, while Recruit DKT Luids was adjuged best all round recruit of the No:136 Regular intake of Airmen.

The Commander of the SLAF Air Chief Marshal Roshan Goonatilake and a large number of senior and junior officers participated at the passing out parade. Parents, family members of the passed out officers and airmen were also among the gathered.

Wanted : LTTE Suicide "bomber" Abdul Shalam Fatima Yasmin

2009-08-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

The Sri Lanka Terrorist Investigation Division(TID) urgently calls on the public to provide any information to help arrest the above named suicide bomber who according to information frequents the area of Old Moor Street, Colombo 12 to the telephone numbers given below or to an Officer of the Security Forces or Police, or the nearest Police station.

The particulars are given below.

Name : Abdul Shalam Fatima Yasmin

Address : Old Moor Street , Colombo 12

ID No: 857835641 V

Date of Birth : 09.10.1985

Contact :

Police Headquarters : 011-2421111

Terrorist Investigations Division : 011 - 2321839 011- 2451636 011- 2384401

Crimes Investigation Department: 011-2320141

Colombo Police Emergency Operations Room : 011- 2243333

KP arrested

2009-08-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

Most wanted LTTE terrorist for International Police (Interpol) and local security divisions Kumaran Padmanadan alias KP has been taken in to custody by Sri Lankan law enforcement authorities, defence sources revealed .

The suspect is known to be responsible for cross-boarder terrorist activities of liberation Tiger of the Tamil Elam (LTTE)

photos - Prabhakaran with his youngest son in a swimming pool

2009-07-17T20:08:00.000-07:00

New Appointments made by His Excellency the President

2009-07-12T05:58:00.000-07:00

The present Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka was today appointed as the new Chief of Defence Staff. He took oaths before President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Janadhipathi Mandiraya today.

This appointment, effective July 15, 2009, is made in accordance with the powers vested in the President by the Chief of Defence Staff Act No. 35 of 2009.

Consequent to this appointment, Major General Jagath Jayasuriya was appointed as the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, effective July 15, 2009.

The present Commander of the Navy Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda was appointed as the National Security Advisor to the President, from July 15, 2009.

The present Chief of Navy Staff Rear Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe has accordingly been appointed as Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, effective July 15, 2009.

The current Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army and Competent Authority for the Internally Displaced Persons in the North, Major General G. A. Chandrasiri took his oaths as the new Governor for the Northern Province today - July 12, 2009. Accordingly, Mr. Dixon Dela who was Governor of the Northern

Province was appointed as the High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in the Maldives, effective today - July 12, 2009.

Media Division

Presidential Secretariat

July 12, 2009

Ananda College pays tribute for Old Anandian war heroes - Pictures

2009-07-04T03:45:00.000-07:00

Troops Led to Unearth Two more LTTE Torpedoes

2009-06-30T04:24:00.000-07:00

MULLAITTIVU: A METICULOUSLY pre-planned LTTE sea battle that was to be staged against Security Forces by terrorists during the just-ended Eelam War - IV was exposed Monday (29) evening when Task Force-8 troops unearthed two big LTTE torpedoes with their launcher from PUTHUKUDIYIRUPPU area on information provided by a former LTTE cadre.

The two torpedoes, each 26 ft in length and 5 ft 7 inches in circumference remained neatly wrapped in polythene when the troops made this startling recovery. The torpedo’s launcher of 28 ft in length and 5 ft 10 inch in circumference had also been kept buried by Tiger terrorists in the same vicinity to be used at appropriate time.

The manner the torpedoes with their launcher had been safely kept underground in four different pits of about 12 ft in depth affirms the fact that terrorists were patiently marking time for an attack on a ship or any other vessel that were sailing in the seas. Troops found these long bombs that can be exploded under the water when the vessel hits them from four different pits in the same location. One of the warheads of a torpedo has been kept separately dismantled for reasons, best known only for former terrorists.

During the same search, Task Force-8 troops were able to find a complete 130 mm artillery gun sans wheels, probably brought there for some clandestine missions.

Troops on WANNI Humanitarian Operation earlier recovered three more 130 mm barrels from the west of PUTHUKUDIYIRUPPU and the northeast of VISUAMADU, six 130 mm artillery guns from PUTHUKUDIYIRUPPU, ANANDAPURAM, and MULLAITTIVU, including two guns destroyed by the terrorists in VELLAMULLIVAIKKAL.

Old Anandians pay tribute to Defence Secretary

2009-06-30T04:21:00.001-07:00

Old Boys Association of Ananda College, Colombo has organized a week long programme to pay tribute to the war heroes who liberated the country from the grip of terrorism.

Chairman of the association, Mr. Manju Fernando yesterday (Jun 29) presented a badge designed for the Ranaviru Week to Secretary Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Ministry of Defence. Mr. Rajapaksa is also a past pupil of Ananada. The badge is to worn by all students and the members of the Association during the Ranawiru week. Mr. Lal Dissanayake , principal of Ananda College and Mr. Isuru Samarasinghe , former chairman of the Old Boys Association attended the occasion.

The Old boys Association has also organised a special ceremony to honour the old Anandians in the Armed Services on 3rd July 2009 at the College premises.

Attempted assassination of Defence Secretary: Bomb brought in CARE vehicle

2009-06-20T21:19:00.001-07:00

Investigations have revealed that the bomb that was exploded at the Pittala Junction in Kollupitiya targeting Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has been brought to Colombo from Kilinochchi in a vehicle belonging to CARE International, an INGO, the Kotahena Police informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate Court yesterday.

The vehicle and all suspects involved in transporting the bomb have been taken into custody.

The police also produced before Chief Magistrate Nishantha Hapuarachchi a copy of the detention signed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Defence Minister order in respect of Chandrabose Selvachandran alias Michael alias Selvarasa.

Kotahena Police also informed the Court that the Police have detained suspects Sivalingam Arunan, Patmanathan Iiyer Sriskandaraja Sharma and Arunasalam Arumugam Perumal at the Foreshore Police Station for further investigations in connection with this assassination attempt.

While Dharmalingam Dharmadaran and Rasiah Kannan, employees of CARE International have transported the bomb from Kilinochchi to Colombo, Sivalingam Arunan had been looking for a safe place to keep it. When a safe house was found through one of his friends at Rudra Mawatha, Wellawatte the bomb had been transported in a CARE International van and buried there. Later, it was transported to Modera and fixed to the three-wheeler of the suicide cadre Lateef Mohamed Faris.

The other parts that were fixed to the bomb had also been transported to Colombo in the same vehicle belonging to the above INGO.

Police also informed the Court that the vehicle will be handed over to the Government Analyst to obtain a report whether it has transported explosives.

The Magistrate ordered that Ponnasamy Karthigesu who had facilitated the purchase of the three- wheeler used in the suicide blast to be further remanded till July 2009.

CARE International

CARE is a leading international organization operating in more than 65 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

It has more than 14,500 employees worldwide. More than 90 percent CARE International staff are nationals of the countries where it operates.

Courtesy : Daily News

War-risk rating of Sri Lanka for insurance down graded

2009-06-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

The Sri Lankan insurance market has received a boost with the Joint Cargo Committee (JCC) London lowering the risk rating from 3.4 to 3.0, following a reassessment of the war risk level currently pertaining in Sri Lanka.

The JCC risk levels are in five categories; 'severe', 'high', 'elevated', 'caution' and 'low risk'; as per the Country Risks Evaluation and Assessment Model (CREAM).

Sri Lanka has also been taken off the 'Air-war/Strikes risk list by the JSS. The currently applicable risks are 'Marine War'. 'Marine Strikes' and 'Ground War Strikes'.

The removal of war risk rating by the JCC follows negotiations initiated by the Insurance Board of Sri Lanka and is in keeping with the prevailing situation following the defeat of the LTTE and terrorism of the country.

Sri Lanka is listed in the Global Cargo Watch List (GCWL) issued by the JCC. Foreign underwriters covering cargo into Colombo use their own discretion in determining risk rates and levying surcharge on goods imported to Sri Lanka, resulting in higher prices for imported goods.

The Joint War Committee has listed Sri Lanka as a 'high risk country' and this too prompts ships carrying cargo to Sri Lanka to be surcharged.

The Insurance Board of Sri Lanka has appointed a committee including representatives of the Insurance Industry to work towards the removal of war risk surcharges as per the war-risk status determinations by the JCC and JWC.

Commander's mother unit salutes its colonel of the regiment

2009-06-20T21:13:00.001-07:00

Dedication of soldiers, contribution of their families and support of Media towards the Sri Lanka Army during the Wanni humanitarian operation was once again brought to memory and commended by Commander of the Army General Sarath Fonseka during a military ceremony in Mullaittivu Friday (19) morning.

The special military ceremony was held in Mullaittivu at the first Battalion Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (1 SLSR), to which the Commander himself belongs. It was also meant to appreciate Army Commander's service to the country and also to recognize his competent and laudable leadership which led the Army towards its victory in the end.Troops of the 1 SLSR accorded a Guard of Honour to their Commander who is also the Colonel of the SLSR Regiment.

After addressing all ranks representing 53 and 55 Divisions and Task Force-8 on Vellamullivaikkal beach where Farah-III ship is presently lying, Gen. Sarath Fonseka visited the 59 Division Headquarters in Mullaittivu where he was accorded another Guard of Honour on arrival.

Afterwards Gen. Sarath Fonseka spoke to all Officers and Other Ranks present on the occasion, shared a couple of views with them and appreciated their dedication, shown for the country's liberation.

Addressing media personnel who accompanied him, Army Commander said that soldiers' high morale and perseverance backed the Army's victory against terrorism. Nearly 100,000 new recruits joined the Army, thus raising the strength to some 200,000. He, during his speech, thanked parents, wives, children and loved ones of soldiers' families who inspired their family members to join the Army. A special word of thanks was also attributed to the contribution of the health service sector, particularly the hospital staff and medical personnel who worked tirelessly round the clock to treat soldiers. They prioritized it considering it as a national mission.

The visiting Army Chief underlined that while fighting the war, the Army continued to take part in parades, sports and many other military and national events elsewhere. Army sportsmen secured the trophy for football champions after 23 years, Commander added. Media institutions that imparted strength to the Army reporting factual and accurate information on the war should be praised. Our soldiers' dedication and their achievements during the fighting need to be highly lauded, he noted.

Commander reminded that he performed his duty as Commander of the Army following instructions of his Commander-in-Chief, His Excellency, the President. Before concluding his address, Gen. Sarath Fonseka said that celebration of this victory need to be handed over to the future generation, so that they would be able to assess in correct perspective, giving its deserving value.

Commander Security Forces Headquarters-Mullaittivu Major General Nandana Udawatta, General Officer Commanding (GOC) - 53 Division, Major General Kamal Gunaratne, GOC - 55 Division Brigadier Prasanna Silva - GOC 59 Division Brigadier Chagi Gallage and Commander Task Force-8 - Colonel G.V. Ravipriya were among those who attended the Mullaittivu ceremony.

Wars & Civilian Deaths

2009-06-15T02:45:00.000-07:00

The world has seen civil wars, revolutions, coups, insurrections, global wars & now terrorism. All throughout civilians have been affected in some way or the other. What makes modern terrorism more lethal than the varying types of conflicts we have faced historically is that terrorism is almost invisible & the terrorist without the gun becomes more dangerous than the terrorist holding the gun. The point of this discussion aims to look at the historical evidence of wars & conflicts & the deaths therein with particular emphasis on Sri Lanka in the light of the accusations it is facing.

At the offset of this discussion it is imperative to accept that civilian casualty figures for most conflicts are impossible to verify & to categorize into Killed in Action, Would in Action, Died of Wounds, Missing in Action, Prisoner of War etc. Therefore, it must tickle anyone's imagination how the UN derived at their round figures of 6000 dead civilians & pauses to wonder who could have counted the dead amidst the shelling & firing taking place just as much as wonder how credible a newspaper writing from the UK places civilians deaths at 20,000. While every Tamil is not a LTTE Terrorist but every LTTE terrorist is a Tamil & given the Army Commander claiming to have killed over 20,000 terrorists, it could possibly be that this newspaper has conveniently attempted to sell the wrong end of the story.

Having said that we must realize that the 21st century conflicts emerge with a larger framework of associated elements with stakeholders from across the globe participating indirectly or directly in the actual terror that eventually unfolds. Simply put everything is certainly not to be seen in black & white. Understanding these conflicts becomes painstakingly difficult purely because conflicts are hijacked into greater plans by nations & neighboring countries who make use of the terror for their own purposes. It then should come as no surprise how human smuggling, narcotics, illegal arms, NGOs, UN Agencies & even global corporations are all intricately connected to conflicts that exist globally - all helping each other survive in someway or the other. What use is a UN if people lived in peace? What use are NGOs & other humanitarian organizations if there were no conflicts or requirement for peace building etc...This lucrative industry accounts for billions of dollars being siphoned from charitable people into "humanitarian accounts" of which the majority is spent on the luxurious living styles of these people. Why are there demands for NGOs, INGOs to enter IDP camps...they want to take pictures, have these posted on their websites, create a very sad story which appeals to donors who then deposit sums into these accounts & thus secures the livelihoods of these people.

It was only following The Hague conventions of 1899 & 1907 that the first set of international treaties emerged codifying the rules of war. Therefore, militaries & their Governments & even the enemies are bound by a set of international laws. How far these are adhered is questionable & we are yet to see how facets like water boarding & other inhuman means of interrogation adopted by the US Government has been legally upheld & why thus far no actions have been taken against the US. A US Federal Court has forbidden release of these abuse photos on the grounds that it may raise the hate levels against US.

Returning to civilian figures the World War 1 figures are sourced from the US Military Academy & the study done by Col. Vincent J. Esposito. These official figures declared that 42,188,810 from the Allies (Russia, France, US, British Empire, Australia, Italy, Japan, Romania, Greece, Portugal, Spain, France, Serbia, Monte Negro) were committed to war while the Central Powers comprising Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria had committed 65,038,810. The Allies lost 23,029,309 lives while the Central Powers lost 16,007,477 of these numbers 925100 from the Allies died as Prisoners of War or by Disease while the Central Powers lost 1,206, 500 prisoners of war/by disease.

The civilian casualties in World War 2 where the Allies lost 25,410,000 civilians compared to 5,087.000 from Axis powers. In total 30,497,000 civilians had lost their lives in World War 2.

ALLIES		AXIS
Great Britain + Commonwealth	60,000	Germany	3,810,000
France	360,000	Austria	80,000
United States	Minimal	Italy	85,000
USSR	7,700,000	Rumania	465,000
Belgium	90,000	Hungary	280,000
Holland	190,000	Bulgaria	7,000
Norway	Minimal	Finland	Minimal
Poland	5,300,000	Japan	360,000
Greece	80,000
Yugoslavia	1,300,000	Total	5,087,000
Czechoslovakia	330,000
China (from 1937 on)	10,000,000

Total	25,410,000

The Operation Iraqi Freedom by US in 2003 has not come without casualties. A 2007 study by the British Medical Journal "Lancet" claims that 654,965 Iraqi civilians have died. Surprisingly post-Saddam Hussein has resulted in over 190,000 Iraqi casualties & warrants many to wonder what type of "Iraqi Freedom" the US invasion has actually brought about & how far the Iraqi people are "safe". Close upon 40,000 men & women from over 24 countries have also perished with the US & UK figures on top of the list & the US loosing over 5000 military personnel. Unprecedented in the history of US military is the rise in the numbers of mentally ill soldiers most of whom are unable to take up the emotions of being ordered to kill innocent men, women & children & forced to imagine they were targeting "terrorists".

Similarly, the Afghan war which commenced in 2001 & still continues has also claimed an unprecedented loss of life & property with no hope of any abatement in hostilities. The deaths to civilians receive only a mere "apology" from the US Government & no Pillay's or Moons dare to champion any secret dossiers against the US invasions that presently take place in 2 continents responsible for daily deaths upon civilians & this has set about an unhealthy surge in not only anti-American feeling but also an anti-Muslim trend as well.

The following conflicts have all taken place after The Hague convention & therefore it would be interesting to see how far investigations & accountability have taken place for the civilian deaths that have occurred below & again we are brought back to memories of the US & its unethical use of the atomic bombs not once but twice upon Japan's Hiroshima & Nagasaki which killed in an instance over 100,000 innocent people.

Congo Free State (1886 - 1908) goes down as the least publicized death toll of the 20th Century with 8,000,000 deaths as a result of colonial brutality. Adam Hochschild (Leopold's Ghost) puts the figure at10million or half the original population.
China Nationalist era (1928 - 1937) is said to have accounted for 3,100,000 deaths with 1,000,000 being civilian deaths (Wallechinsky)
Korean War (1950 - 1953) has resulted in 2,800,000 deaths. 33,741 Americans killed in battle. At least109,000 people of South Korea had been killed by US in 1949 alone.
North Korea (1948) Rummel estimates that the Communist regime had killed 1,293,000 North Koreans & 363,000 South Koreans. The Center for the Advancement of North Korean Human Rights estimates that some 400,000 prisoners died in labor camps since 1972.
Rwanda & Burundi (1959 - 1995) the massacres between Hutu & Tutsi's is said to have resulted in1,350,000 deaths.
Vietnam War (1965 - 1973) is said to have resulted in 1,700,000 deaths. Lewy states that because of the lack of weapons recovered from many of the dead bodies it is possible that up to 222,000 killed by American troops may have been innocent civilians. Hanson's writings project 50,000 Vietnam civilians killed by indiscriminate US bombings. The My Lai Massacre was committed by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War on hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese civilians. Such military action, which has the sole purpose of inflicting civilian casualties is illegal under modern rules of war, and may be considered a war crime or crime against humanity.
Cambodian Civil War (1970 - 1975) 600,000 is said to have died.
Bangladesh (1971) Official estimate is 3million dead but it seems this total is incorrect & the figures are possibly much higher.
Indo-Pak war 1991 estimated death tolls by Hartman is 10,633 Indian & 17,000 Pakistani.
Cambodia, Khmer Rouge (1975 - 1978) resulted in 1,650,000 deaths during Pol Pot's reign of terror. Elizabeth Becker in When the War was over (1986) puts the total down to 2,000,000 while the US State Dept puts the figure between 1.2million & 1.8million.
Mozambique (1975 - 1992) estimated deaths at 1,000,000 killed & 300,000 starved.
Afghanistan war (1979 - 2001) involving the Afghan Govt, the Soviets, the Mujahideens & Taliban is said to have claimed 1800,000 lives - the Christian Science Monitor puts the civilians deaths at 400,000 upto the late 1990s.
Iran-Iraq war (1980 - 1988) is said to have resulted in 1,000,000 deaths. Iran has acknowledged 130,000 deaths though western analysts say it is likely to be much higher. War Annual puts the numbers as 600,000 Iranians & 400,000 Iraqi's.
The Sudan war (1983) was said to have claimed 1,900,000 lives
The Congo war (1998) was estimated to have cost the lives of 3,800,000 people (International Rescue Committee study)

There are exponents of the Just War theory & perhaps this merits why in 1999 NATO spokesman Jamie Shea declared "There is always a cost to defeat an evil. It never comes free, unfortunately. But the cost of failure to defeat a great evil is far higher," - this was following 3 separate attacks killing 32 people though NATO insisted the bombings were on "legitimate designated military targets". Juxtapose this with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albrights who was asked whether the over half a million children killed by the [Iraqi] sanctions were "worth it." Her response was: "It's a hard choice, but I think, we, think, it's worth it." [60 Minutes, May 11, 1996] - Did these human rights bodies call for special sessions against NATO or the US, where were the Human Rights Groups, were there diplomatic lobbying to bring these nations & their leaders to task for "crimes against humanity"....During the JVP insurrection first in the 70s & then in the late 80s thousands of young Sinhalese men & women were killed purely to crush the insurrection - not a single human rights body cared to spotlight these & pressure the then Sri Lankan Governments to stop....double standards is the reason why the UN, its bodies & other professing champions of human rights are not taken seriously purely on the grounds that there is no standard or equality to the allegations they make. All allegations must apply equal standards & status to all nations whether influential or less influential if they are being accused of any wrong doing. Moreover, those making the accusations must also have their hands clean from abuse of power, ability to be influenced & be accepted as impartial. Unless & until the world agrees in unison that there are a set of people who are unbiased & impartial - all these accusations should end up in the dustbin of history.

What is relevant to Sri Lanka essentially is that its present Government did not seek war - it did as its predecessors attempt to persuade the LTTE to come into a political solution based of course on their legitimate grievances on behalf of the Tamils. Therefore, the argument that Sri Lanka's military went all out to kill Tamils lacks credibility purely on the grounds that the LTTE enticed the Government into setting its forces upon the LTTE after denying water to over 15,000 farmers who needed water for their livelihood.

For those who enjoy arguing that Sri Lanka's military went on a killing rampage would like to explain why these soldiers risked their own lives carrying the elderly, children & pregnant Tamil mothers to safety & even declaring several cease fires to even allow the LTTE to release injured civilians whom the LTTE had been keeping as human shields.

The world demanded a ceasefire - why to save the Tamil civilians. Where were these civilians - they were amongst the LTTE & being used as human shields. Would it not have been practical to ask the party who was keeping the civilians as human shields to release them instead of a Government being asked to hold fire & given that the Government stopped assaults what guarantee was this that the LTTE would release these people & given that they didn't release them what would these foreign powers propose as their next counter plan? The Government offered several ceasefires with sufficient time to enable all civilians to be released (given the argument that shelling needed to stop for the civilians to move away from the LTTE) & for the LTTE to fight it out with the military. That did not bring the expected results & neither did world Governments exert any pressures on the LTTE to release these civilians. Instead it was seemingly apparent that these foreign governments insisted the military stop its advance as movements were afoot to offer a general amnesty to the LTTE leadership & safe transport to another country. This would have released the 200,000 civilians but then what about this "accountability" factor & why take pains to transfer a killer & his entire troop to safety? For what - is it as a sense of gratitude for their livelihood was taken care of during the LTTE reign? We are well aware that the LTTE is worth USD300million & therefore it is common knowledge that even the Western politicos have been recipients to handouts by the LTTE. What logic does it provide for the thousands Prabakaran & his killing machine have been responsible for throughout 30 years? Where is the JUSTICE?

The Government could have easily used their aerial power & completed the operation within days of identifying where the LTTE leader & his top men were located. That they sent soldiers reveals their commitment to zero civilian casualty. The LTTE is an outfit that first started out as a guerilla movement. All LTTE cadres are not in tiger uniform, many act as normal civilians. Most of these cadres in uniform even had sarongs to quickly change to in order to pretend they were civilians if the armed forces closed in on them. Therefore, it is quite remarkable how the UN can be positive that the round figure totals they disclose are not actually LTTE cadres & what is amazing is how journalists located in the UK can be 100% sure that 20,000 civilians had died. Why do we laugh at these figures....because of the inconsistencies...UN spokesman Gordon Weiss even went so far as to say the Sri Lanka army used white phosperous & eventually had to retract his statement for lack of proof. Did we not say the parties that are supposed to be impartial are actually partial?

Leaving aside all these arguments - if the concern of the world was the civilians caught up in the "no fire zone" it should have been top priority for the UN, US, UK, Norway, Japan & India to have ensured that the LTTE released all civilians being kept by them. The No Fire Zone was created by the Sri Lankan Government & no other & it was meant to have the civilians gather there to enable the armed forces to move them all to safety....it was not the Government who has failed these civilians it is these foreign nations for all they did was put pressure upon a democratic Government whose aim was to crush terror. The fault throughout these years arose in accepting the LTTE & giving them treatment given to political parties when they had not shunned any of their violent ways. None of these western nations other than giving a standard diplomatic statement did anything each time the LTTE planted bombs, killed innocent, sent suicide missions. Instead they came thundering down upon the Government when it was carrying out its final operations while also carrying out a humanitarian exercise. Instead of appreciating that the Government has rescued over 200,000 persons the world prefers to pin blame upon round figure civilian casualties which they cannot prove. Now they are turning upon the humanitarian catastrophe in the IDP camps.

It is no easy logistics feeding 200,000 people 3 meals a day. Just imagine what Pakistan is facing having to feed 2million people? There are different types of people within these camps. If we recall the 1983 riots we would remember how the authorities had a time segregating the Tamil people because tension arose within the camps because of caste issues. The higher castes refused to share the same toilets with the lower castes - even in calamity the Tamils were divided. There are 3000 NGOs in Sri Lanka if each donated a mobile toilet that would make 3000 mobile toilets....is the concern of the people more or their own need to utilize the catastrophe to maximize how best they could raise funds for their organization. During the 2004 tsunami we can recall how many "charitable" people came & walked away with little orphaned children - some to raise as their own (without legal formalities) & others to use as domestics or to be turned into prostitutes. Should we not understand why the Government is curbing the influx of people coming into these camps?

Ban Ki-Moon has again emerged into the picture & is again calling for a "fully accountable inquiry". Keeping to the subject of inquiry we would like to know how far UN officials have been held "accountable" for their role in the sanctions against Iraq on the behest of the US....did UN humanitarian officials realize that sanctions against Iraq would not effect Saddam Hussein at all but instead would make thousands of Iraqi civilians suffer ....5million children are said to have died as a result.....& more over the UN is guilty of the Oil for Food program where plenty of UN officers walked away with money again at the cost of Iraqi civilian life....Were was the "accountability".....we are talking about 5million innocents who died in the 20th century when the UN was supposed to save lives!!! What is this "unacceptably high" civilian casualty statement - Can Moon care to say how many civilian casualties are "acceptable"?

LTTE terrorists & the top 3 tier of their leadership are all no more. The Government is looking after the civilians & that is the relief...rehabilitation is also taking place...the LTTE cadres are now undergoing various rehabilitation programs & will be re-introduced to society when ready, resettlement is also taking place with people taken to new locations....can the world not be a little patient. We still cannot believe this LTTE nightmare 30 year terror is over! We are also alert to the fact that those very parties who helped LTTE terror are now using the humanitarian issue to demand devolution of power. Again we stress what do these people need - only the basics in life but mostly the ability to live in peace....demarcation of territory etc is of no consequence to them or to the majority of Sri Lanka...therefore all these moves for political solutions must take secondary place or no place at all. If the Government can showcase a new initiative to ensure that the needs of the masses in infrastructure, education, healthcare, transport, public service mechanisms, employment will be better looked after - THAT IS ALL THAT THE PUBLIC WISHES FOR....these political solutions suit only the politicians & their cronies & why should Tamil politicians who have not done anything for the Tamil public emerge to now steer a devolved solution...they have not cared to even ensure the civilians were released. Their political parties all carry Eelaam names which mean separatism & until they change these names...they should not be welcomed at all.

Then this reconciliation rhetoric Moon & all others are first advised to ask the Diaspora living abroad to stop their theatrics because at the end of the day they are unlikely to get their PR status now that the country is without terror. Obviously the ones on the streets are those who must be still on the waiting list for residency & now must be more than perturbed that they may have to return. Foreign Governments who have banned the LTTE must question why they continue to allow protestors to carry banned slogans & banned insignia...does this not break their laws?

The first part of the reconciliation is for Tamils to break their own caste differences....the Government declared that the elder & feeble were welcome to go & live with their families. Now most of these people were from areas that the Diaspora shouting abroad had not even been to even heard of...why is it that these elderly still remain in these camps...why are no Tamils coming to take care of them? Did they not shout for their release...what about the NGOs...should they not open up homes & feed these people...& nurse them...why do they just want to enter the camps???? It would also be worthwhile for these foreign nations not to benchmark against how they live. Do they know how many of these civilians have a toilet in their original homes...

Sri Lanka is alert more than ever before. Sri Lanka is a rejuvenated island feeling proud at present for being the only nation to have crushed terrorism & what gives Sri Lanka further pride is that our armed forces have carried out the world's highest humanitarian rescue operation - rescuing over 200,000 from LTTE clutches. It is ironic that instead of accolades Sri Lanka is being treated as the spoiler which makes us wonder whose lives we have spoiled because this Government broke the trend???

Shenali Waduge

National war heroes' day commemorated

2009-06-07T22:16:00.000-07:00

The ceremony to mark the National (War Heroes) Ranaviru Day was held to commemorate the war heroes who paid the supreme sacrifice to safeguard the sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the motherland near the Ranaviru monument at Sri Jayewardenepura, Kotte, yesterday (June 07).

His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapakse, the speaker Mr. W.J.M. Loku Bandara, Presidential Secretary Mr. Lalith Weerathunga, Defence Secretary Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapakse, Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Donald Perera, Commanders of the Tri Forces and the IGP graced the occasion.

Major General W.P.P Fernando, Chairman of Ranaviru Seva Authority welcoming the distinguished guests said the nation is indebted to the war heroes who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the motherland.

He further said the commemorative ceremony held yesterday (June 07) before the Ranaviru Monument erected in 2008 is a fitting, tribute to them. Ven Prof Bellanwila Wumalarathana Nayake Thero said this years Ranaviru Commemoration Day is historic because the dreams of the war heroes have become a reality today. The nation today enjoys the real value of their martyrdom. He pointed out the astute leadership of the H.E. the President Mahinda Rajapakse has been the decisive factor in this historiac victory. Though terrorist V. Prabhakaran had said that the defeat of the LTTE was a day dream, the people today rejoice because the Ealam dream has now been shattered, thanks to the leadership of the President Rajapakse and the gallantry of the war heroes, the Ven. Prof. Wimalaratna asserted.

Sri Lakshmikanth Jagadheeshwara, M.H.M.Lafir Mowlawi and Rev. Fr. Sarath Hettiarachchi blessed the war heroes, representing the Hindu, Islam and Christian religions respectively.

A two minute silence was observed in honour of the war heroes. H.E. President Mahinda Rajapakse the Speaker, Defence Secretary, Tri Service commanders and the IGP along with the relatives of the war heroes placed floral tributes at the monument.

Pictures - Victory Day Celebrations - 1

2009-06-05T02:32:00.000-07:00

Photos - (rehearsal for the National Victory Parade)

2009-06-03T01:20:00.000-07:00

Traffic plan: rehearsals and Victory Day parade

2009-06-01T23:10:00.001-07:00

Colombo traffic police informs of a special traffic plan that will be in effect in the vicinity of Galle Face grounds, the venue of the parade, from today till Wednesday in view of the Victory Day celebrations. Police kindly inform the public to use alternate routes from today till Wednesday. Galle road (Bambalapitiya junction to Galle Face), Sri James Peries Mawatha, Perehera Mawatha, Navam Mawatha, Justice Akbar Mawatha, Union Place, D. R. Wijeyawardhana Mawatha, Lotus Road and York Street will be closed for security reasons.

Terror leader: Adele Balasingham outside her home in New Malden, Surrey

2009-06-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

'Aunty' to female Tamil Tigers run London protests from New Malden

A Tamil terror chief who allegedly handed cyanide pills to child soldiers is living in a London suburb, the Standard can reveal.

Sri Lankan intelligence officials believe Adele Balasingham, 59, is one of the most senior figures in the remains of the terror group which fought a 26-year war for independence on the island and was defeated last month.

They claim she has played a key role in organising protests by Tamils outside Parliament and want Britain to take action against her.

Sri Lanka's government believes Tamil Tiger leaders abroad are raising funds and procuring equipment which could be used in fresh attacks.

Mrs Balasingham lives in a œ500,000 house in New Malden, Surrey. She is the widow of Anton Balasingham, a Sri Lankan with British citizenship who was the chief political strategist of the Tamil Tigers until he died in 2006.

Mrs Balasingham, an Australian-born nurse, met and married him while he was living in London in the Seventies. She became deeply involved in the Tigers' cause - ending up as the leader of its women soldiers and nicknamed "Aunty" on the island. An undated video of Mrs Balasingham, showing her in camouflage fatigues and presiding over a parade of female child soldiers, has been circulated to confirm her status as one of the movement's most influential figures.

The female Tamil Tiger fighters, some thought to be as young as 14, have completed three months of training.

She is seen presenting them with cyanide capsules to be worn on a necklace and swallowed if they are about to be captured by troops. Her presence in Britain has increased tensions between Britain and Sri Lanka, which believes the Government has been "too soft" on Tiger associates since banning the group in 2001.

A senior Sri Lankan High Commission source told the Standard: "Given the association of Mrs Balasingham with the senior ranks of the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) she could be seen as a sole survivor. "She was involved in taking major decisions in the hierarchy of the LTTE and there is a possibility that supporters will rally around her in Britain.

"We believe the Parliament Square protests were organised directly from the Tamil Tigers leadership... and Mrs Balasingham has been a main point of contact in the UK for this."

Representatives of the Sri Lankan government are to meet Scotland Yard and the Home Office in the coming weeks for talks on the Tigers' presence in Britain. There are fears a new faction of the Tamil Tigers could emerge, fuelled by anger over the number of innocent people killed by the Sri Lankan army in its offensive against the militants. Mrs Balasingham, who rarely leaves her four-bedroom home, declined to speak to the Standard. In her 2001 book The Will To Freedom: An Inside View Of Tamil Resistance, she wrote about staying as a "guest of honour" with Tigers' founder Velupillai Prabhakaran.

Scotland Yard said they were unable to comment on ongoing inquiries.

Sri Lankan Security Forces

Sri Lanka already attained, or on track to attain MDGs - President tells MDGs Summit

Army Para Games 2010 concluded

'Any country facing terrorism should follow Lankan model'

No training for LeT in Sri Lanka - Secretary Defence

TID arrests 'Rajan' senior LTTE leader

Troops recover more weapons

56 ex-LTTE cadres handed over to parents after rehabilitation

HRW undermining Human Rights in Sri Lanka - Prof. Wijesingha

Sri Lanka's real human rights record

Security agencies turn spot light on most wanted LTTE arms cum human smuggler

US cannot afford to "lose" Sri Lanka - Senate committee report

Caging Tigers: France deserves praise

President to appoint committee to study

An empty honour

Intelligence agencies in hunt for key LTTE arms dealers & front activists

"Our victory showed the world how humane our brave soldiers are..." - President

State department admits there had been no recent rape cases by Sri Lanka army in response to controversial Clinton statement

Religious observances spearhead Army 60th Anniversary, its mega exhibition & tattoo

Rape - Hillary said!

Practice before you preach, lady!

De-mining expedited

"Lahore attack on Sri Lankan cricket team last was financed by LTTE" says Pakistan Premier

Colombo University confers President and Defence Secretary with "Honorary Degrees"

Technical analyst exposes 'C- 4' gutter journalism

The Channel 4 canard

Government deeply regrets Erik Solheim's comments on SL

'Channel 4' gets flak for exploiting journalist

"Channel 4" video false and fabricated - Govt.

It's war crimes stupid!- The Island Editorial

"WE fought the terrorists with unity and political will" - General Fonseka

More LTTE war materials recovered

Items

Quantity

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Quantity

LTTE linked attempt to challenge us law on foreign terrorist groups fails in federal appeals court 9th circuit

Sri Lanka Air Force 'The Best Air Force in the World'

Wanted : LTTE Suicide "bomber" Abdul Shalam Fatima Yasmin

KP arrested

photos - Prabhakaran with his youngest son in a swimming pool

New Appointments made by His Excellency the President

Ananda College pays tribute for Old Anandian war heroes - Pictures

Troops Led to Unearth Two more LTTE Torpedoes

Old Anandians pay tribute to Defence Secretary

Attempted assassination of Defence Secretary: Bomb brought in CARE vehicle

War-risk rating of Sri Lanka for insurance down graded

Commander's mother unit salutes its colonel of the regiment

Wars & Civilian Deaths

ALLIES

AXIS

National war heroes' day commemorated

Pictures - Victory Day Celebrations - 1

Photos - (rehearsal for the National Victory Parade)

Traffic plan: rehearsals and Victory Day parade

Terror leader: Adele Balasingham outside her home in New Malden, Surrey

'Aunty' to female Tamil Tigers run London protests from New Malden