Political parties express satisfaction over APRC proposals

Political party representatives yesterday expressed their happiness and satisfaction over the handing over of APRC proposals to end the national question describing it as a historic occasion in the country at a time the country was preparing to celebrate the 60th independence day.

EPDP leader Minister Douglas Devananda thanked President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his bold initiative for the first time in post independence Sri Lanka to devolve power as a solution to the national question.

UNP Democratic Group leader Minister Karu Jayasuriya also hailed the President for his commitment and determination to solve the national question without passing that burden to another generation.

He said such a bold initiative will surely pave the way to dispel the bad reflection on the country and the President has the resolve and strength to fully eradicate terrorism from the country.

He also pointed out that steps should also be taken to conduct the Eastern election in a fair manner.

SLFP General Secretary and Minister Maitripala Sirisena also commended the President for taking an initiative to convene the All Party Representative Committee to solve the national question.

National Congress leader Minister A.H.M. Athaulla also expressed his happiness over the administration of the North and Eastern Provinces separately.

NUA leader Minister Ferial Ashraff also thanked the President for giving all political parties an opportunity to express their views on a political solution to the national question. PA General Secretary D.M. Jayaratne said it was a great victory for the masses that nearly all political parties were able t come together to resolve the ethnic conflict.

He said the proposals should be implemented and final peace achieved for the benefit of all Lankans.

The MEP’s Somaweera Chandrasiri said the Eastern masses were already benefiting as a result of the President’s leadership.

All parties must support his efforts to wipe out terrorism and rebuild the nation.

Liberal Party Leader Kamal Nissanka said the 13th Amendment should be implemented fully and more powers devolved to the provinces. The President is firmly determined to protect the country’s national security and territorial integrity.

Minister Champika Ranawaka said although they were opposed to the provincial council system, the two PC’s in the North and East should function effectively. The Forces would soon be able to liberate the uncleared areas as well.

Source : Dailynews

President appeals to all political parties :

APRC proposals handed over to President:

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday appealed to all political parties to join hands to solve the national question within a common agenda sans their private agendas and party differences, thinking of their Motherland and the common masses.

President Rajapaksa made this appeal at the historic occasion in which the Chairman of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) Prof Tissa Vitharana handed over the draft proposals of the APRC to solve the national question at the Presidential Secretariat.

“All political parties should join hands for the sake of the common masses of the country to provide them a political solution and to salvage the country from terrorism, considering it as their bounden duty and responsibility”, the President said.

The proposals were handed over to the President following his request to the APRC on January 09 to hand over the draft proposals by January 23 for him to go ahead with the proposals to solve the national issue after obtaining approval from the Cabinet.

President Rajapaksa thanked all the political parties represented at the APRC and also those who left the APRC prior to the completion of the final proposals for their participation at APRC deliberations. He also thanked the APRC members for handing over their proposals within the stipulated period.

The President explained that the handing over of the proposals was a fulfilment of a requirement of the country as the public expected a political solution to fully implement the Constitution in all parts of the country.

“Today we have an environment to implement these political proposals in the country though it was difficult due to interference by the LTTE in the North,” the President added.

He said that all political parties share the responsibility in the process of ensuring democratic rights and the people’s right to live without any fear regardless of their ethnicity.

The party leaders who participated at the event expressed satisfaction that the APRC was able to finalise the proposals at a time the nation was about to celebrate 60 years of independence next month.

“We should find a political solution for the political problem of the country. There is no military solution to political problems. That is very clear. The solution to terrorism is a different one. We are bound to fulfil all aspirations of the people,” the President added.

He also said that proposals could be discussed with the Cabinet of Ministers and also with other political parties in order to rectify any shortcomings.

The President also thanked the party leaders for agreeing to proposals and for expressing their willingness to extend their support for the proposals in the future too.

Political party representatives representing the Parliament and outside the Parliament participated.

Source : Dailynews

Sri Lanka: Criminal Investigations Need Monitoring

UN human rights monitoring urgently needed to resuscitate criminal investigations

The Asian Human Rights Commission strongly supports the call for a human rights monitoring mission by the United Nations as a measure to resuscitate the severely damaged criminal investigation capacity of the Sri Lankan policing system.

The state, as the sovereign, owes an obligation to investigate into all crimes irrespective as to whether these are done by organised criminal gangs, terrorists or state agencies themselves. This obligation implies that there needs to be a competent and impartial criminal investigation branch within the policing system which has not been corrupted or impaired by political interference. There is consensus within Sri Lanka that the capacity of the police investigation system has been gravely diminished due to political interference over several years and that its internal capacity for investigations has become extremely limited. When it comes to organised crimes, acts of terrorists and also extrajudicial acts of the military and the police, the police investigation system has not demonstrated any capacity for effective investigations in recent years.

The inability to ensure effective criminal investigations is a fundamental failure of the state in ensuring security to its people. This situation needs to be cured immediately. A United Nations human rights monitoring body can assist the revival of this system and without such assistance there is no predictable way of how such a revival might happen.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reiterated her call for human rights monitoring in her statement to the Human Rights Council on December 10th 2007.

“I was very pleased to visit Sri Lanka from 9-12 October at the invitation of President Rajapakse and am grateful for the broad access I was given to Government representatives, political parties and members of civil society, including the troubled northern region of Jaffna. I regret not having the opportunity to meet with representatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), as I would have liked to convey to them directly my deep concern with their serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law, including recruitment of children, forced recruitment and abduction of adults, and political killings.

During my visit, I paid special attention to the issue of abductions and disappearances, which have been reported in alarming numbers over the past two years. While the Government pointed to several initiatives it had taken to address these issues, there has yet to be an adequate investigation or credible public accounting for the vast majority of these cases. I am also concerned about safeguards for those detained under the emergency regulations, including during recent mass arrests in Colombo.

Regrettably, the various national institutions and mechanisms that could be expected to safeguard human rights have failed to deliver adequate protection. In particular, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, which had previously enjoyed a proud reputation internationally, has had its independence compromised by the irregular appointment of its Commissioners and the credibility of its work has suffered. Further, despite high expectations, the special Commission of inquiry appointed by the President more than one year ago to investigate high profile killings and disappearances has yet to complete any of its cases. The Eminent Persons invited to observe the Commission have expressed concerns about its compliance with international standards.

In a highly polarized context, where human rights information is easily manipulated for propaganda gains, there is a critical need for an independent actor to gather information and publicly report on the human rights situation. For this reason, I have suggested that the Government would benefit from the support of a presence of OHCHR in the country, with a full mandate incorporating technical assistance and public reporting. Since my visit, my Office has engaged in discussions with the Sri Lankan authorities on possible models involving an OHCHR presence working alongside national structures. We have reached no agreement on a formula by which independent, public reporting by OHCHR could be ensured. OHCHR will continue to assist the authorities in strengthening the national human rights system, but this will fall short of meeting the critical protection gap.”

The phantom limb in human rights protection

A phantom limb is the sensation that an amputated or missing limb is still attached to the body and is moving appropriately with other body parts. The pronouncement of the Sri Lankan government that it has adequate local mechanisms to deal with investigations into human rights violations reflects a similar mentality. The recent statement of Mahinda Samarasinghe, the Minister for Disaster Management and Human Rights is the latest expression of this same mentality. Where are these investigation mechanisms, one may ask and the answer would not be different to one that might come from an amputee who feels as if his missing limb still exists, like the missing limb a credible investigation mechanism simply does not exist.

The amputation of the investigation mechanism for human rights abuses has taken place over a long period of time with the operation of emergency regulations, anti terrorism laws and the deliberate dismantling of the basic institutions of public administration including the institutions of the administration of justice. The large scale killings that took place in 1971 and 1986 to the 1990 period in the south and the continuous repression in the north and east from 1978 to the present day required that no credible investigations could be allowed into allegations of human rights abuses as it would cause unrest in the military and this would affect the stability of the ruling political regimes. The limitations imposed on investigations naturally infected the prosecution system under the Attorney General's Department, which was often required to cooperate in the cover up of the perpetrators and guarantee them impunity. The independence of the judiciary was crushed by the pressures from the presidential system as well as through legal limitations imposed by various constitutional amendments and emergency laws.

The former Supreme Court Judge K.M.M.B. Kulatunga recalls a time when Sri Lanka did have a competent criminal investigations capacity within its police, even to deal with very serious crimes as evidenced in many cases reported in the new law reports. These included political cases such as the assassination of Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and the attempted coup of 1962. However, this system was seriously interfered with in order to facilitate the causing of extrajudicial killings, disappearances and torture on a large scale through the police, military and paramilitary groups. Today the system does not have the capacity to even investigate ordinary crimes let alone those crimes done with the connivance of political authorities for military purposes. The ugly situation that prevails is manifested through the constant killing of arrested persons in police custody, allegedly whey they try to throw grenades at police officers while they are taken to find concealed objects. The falsification of information in order to justify crimes committed by state agencies, which would appear to any reasonable person as pathetically ridiculous, is offered in the name of the sovereign state of Sri Lanka by the state agents and its propaganda units.

The phantom limb on criminal investigations in Sri Lanka is manifest daily in many of the statements that come out under various propaganda units such as the Peace Secretariat, the Geneva Consulate, the office of the Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights, the Secretariat of Defense and even in the name of the President himself. The claim of the existence of a competent and credible criminal investigation capacity is offered both as a cover up for the incapacity and unwillingness to investigate human rights abuses, as well as to counteract any calls for assistance to the Sri Lankan government by the international community by way of human rights monitoring through the United Nations. The phantom limb mentality prevents the finding of real solutions to the real problems that make Sri Lanka one of the most lawless places in the world.

The Asian Human Rights Commission in the past ten years has consistently pointed out the way the Sri Lankan criminal justice system has become dysfunctional (kindly see http://www.ahrchk.net/pub/ - Sri Lanka's Dysfunctional Criminal Justice System). As long as this situation remains, life will remain a nightmare to all civilians in the country. To this civilian nightmare is now added the targeting of civilians by the LTTE, the government as well as other paramilitary groups which operate freely in the country. This climate is also unscrupulously used naturally by the criminal elements who try to profit from this situation by way of all sorts of crimes including kidnapping for ransom.

It is not possible to protect the people with a phantom limb. The sooner this illusion is demolished the better it will be for all the people of Sri Lanka.

Human rights monitoring and the independence of the judiciary

In the reply of the Sri Lankan government to the High Commissioner’s speech there was an insinuation that such monitoring would infringe upon the sovereignty of Sri Lanka and particularly the independence of the judiciary. There is no basis at all to see a conflict between support for investigations into human rights abuses by the United Nations and the independence of the judiciary. The judicial branch will have all the powers it presently has for pre-trial, trial and appeal functions, as well as other functions under writ jurisdiction and fundamental rights. Human rights monitoring is about how the investigations are done and not about how courts conduct their affairs under the laws of Sri Lanka. The only problem that the human rights monitors would address is the very absence of such investigations, which prevails at present due to problems within the policing system. By engagement in such investigations the present impasse can be addressed and the police themselves will benefit when the likelihood of political interference into investigations is removed. Once United Nations human rights monitors can address the limitations imposed on the Sri Lankan police for political and other reasons, competent Sri Lankan criminal investigators themselves will be able to play their role and regain their lost professional prestige and dignity.

Therefore we call upon the citizens of Sri Lanka to avail themselves of this invitation made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in order to address one of the problems that all citizens are well aware of in terms of the defective policing system of Sri Lanka. Here the country has an opportunity to deal with the problem that has troubled the nation for several decades now. If the country’s criminal investigation section is resuscitated it will be possible for the people to deal with such massive problems as corruption. To defeat corruption is not to defeat sovereignty but to assert it. It is quite clear that what the spokesmen against human rights monitoring are concerned about is not defending the sovereignty of Sri Lanka but defending a bad policing system, abuse of power and the massive corruption that prevails within the country.

Source : scoop.co.nz

APRC’s political proposals handed over to President

The political proposals of the All Party Representative Committee for the resolution of the national conflict were presented to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees around 4.00 this afternoon (Jan. 23rd).

The APRC suggestions, presented by its Chairman Tissa Vitarana, have been formulated after an estimated 500 hours of talks at 63 meetings spanning over 18 months.

Rajapaksa fulfilled his presidential election promise and formed the APRC to recommend proposals for the devolution of powers as a solution to the ethnic issue.

However, from the very beginning, differences surfaced as political parties represented at the committee have been having their own predetermined opinions.

The JVP pulled out from the APRC in December 2006 in protest over the devolution of power as a solution to the national question.

The UNP too, withdrew in September 2007, accusing the government and the APRC of lethargic in their approach to the issue in question.

All the other political parties have given their consent to the 12-page package of proposals.

Speaking at the hand over of the proposals, President Rajapaksa said that a political problem needed a political solution.

However, terrorism will be answered differently and suitably, he said.

Also speaking on the occasion was EPDP leader and Minister Douglas Devananda, who thanked both the APRC and its chairman for presenting the proposals.

Devananda added that he was happy that these proposals have been presented to the satisfaction of the Tamil community.

Source: lankadissent
Pictures: lankadissent

Sri Lanka jets target Tiger leader

COLOMBO (AFP) - Sri Lankan war planes bombed a suspected base of the top Tamil Tiger leader in the island's north Wednesday as ground attacks killed at least two rebels, the defence ministry said Wednesday.

Aircraft hit a base of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at Iranamadu where the separatists have a clandestine airfield, the ministry said. It gave no details of casualties or damage.

Military sources said six aircraft were deployed for the bombing raid based on intelligence reports that Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was receiving medical treatment at a jungle hideout in the region.

There was no immediate reaction from the guerrillas to the military statement.

Sri Lanka's military has already claimed either killing or wounding Tiger chieftain Prabhakaran, 53, in previous air attacks inside rebel-held territory.

The guerrillas have made no comment, but released pictures of the Tiger leader at meetings with his fighters.

The latest air attack came as the defence ministry said two suspected Tiger rebels were shot dead in skirmishes just outside the guerrillas' de facto mini-state on Tuesday.

Since the start of this month, Sri Lanka's defence ministry has said government forces have killed 594 rebels while just 26 soldiers have died.

The military's claims cannot be independently verified as journalists and human rights workers are not allowed access to the embattled region.

The bombing raid came a day after President Mahinda Rajapakse defended his decision to formally withdraw from a tattered 2002 truce with the LTTE at the same time as declaring he had no plans to advance into territory held by the guerrillas.

Rajapakse also stated that he did not believe in a military solution to the decades-old Tamil separatist campaign. But he said he would not negotiate with the LTTE until they stopped their armed struggle.

The remarks were in sharp contrast to earlier statements by the military and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse -- his own brother -- vowing to seize the rebels' mini-state and eliminate the guerrilla leadership.

The government, which believes it has gained the upper hand in the conflict, pulled out of the Norwegian-brokered truce with the rebels this month.

Source: AFP

Army makes steady progress

Army fire power is divided into five areas (Jaffna, North Mannar, North Vavuniya, South Vavuniya and Welioya) in Eelam War IV.

The LTTE has deployed their limited cadres and resources on five fronts. Therefore, the LTTE is targeting innocent civilians in the south. I mentioned in this column, two weeks ago, that the LTTE’s main intention is to withdraw troops from the battlefront for redeployment in the south.

But a senior officer said that it would never happen, as the Army has enough troops.

Double standards of Human Rights (HR) organisations

On January 16, 2008, the LTTE ambushed a bus with about 80 passengers, including school children, at Helagama on the Buttala-Moneragala Road, around 7:40 a.m. The bus was first attacked with a powerful claymore blast and then fired on by the terrorists.

Why didn’t the so called HR groups condemn this attack or make any statements? Is this because the victims were Sinhalese? Not only Sinhalese, even Muslims were killed by the LTTE, but why were the HR groups tightlipped? An NGO, working with children and women, was silent regarding the above incident. This raises serious doubts about HR INGO’s, both within and outside Sri Lanka.

HR should be applicable for the majority as well as the minority.

Some powerful countries condemned the attack, but they urged the Sri Lankan government to resume peace talks.

Jaffna battle
On the instructions of Army Commander Lt Gen Sarath Fonseka, Jaffna Security Forces Commander Maj. Gen. G.A. Chandrasiri summoned a conference of field commanders at Palali military base.

General Officer Commanding (GOC) 53 Div. Brig. Samantha Suriyabandara, his Deputy, GOC 55 Div. Brig Kamal Gunarathne Air Mobile Brigade Commander Col. Shantha Dissanayake, 552 Brigade Commander Col. Kapila Udalupola, 553 Brigade Commander Col. Athula Koddipili, 551 Brigade Commander Nissanka Ranawake and Artillery Brigade Commander Brig. Mahinada Hathurusinghe as well as engineering officers, were present at the high level conference.

The conference was to invade the LTTE’s forward defense line (FDL) with maximum damage and return to base.

On Monday (21) early morning, around 2:30 am, from Muhamalai, Nagar Kovil and Kilali FDLs, troops moved ahead. Small groups of soldiers crawled close to the enemy line and kept rest of troops behind, well informed of enemy movements.

LTTE cadres were taken unawares.
According to ground assessment, troops moved towards the LTTE’s FDL and attacked with RPG (rocket propelled grenades) from three areas Muhamalai, Nagar Kovil and Kilali, simultaneously.

At the same time troops requested artillery support to attack the LTTE’s second defence line. When troops attacked the LTTE’s second defence line, they weren’t able to send reinforcements and get their artillery support on a large scale. The LTTE fired 81mm mortars killing two soldiers and wounding nine.

The Army was able to destroy 24 well fortified bunkers in Muhamalai, Nagar Kovi and Kilali.

A battlefront officer said he had seen many LTTE bodies inside the bunkers.

According to LTTE transmissions many LTTE cadres died in this operation.

With strategic and tactical planning the Army were able to minimise their casualties while inflicting heavy enemy casualties, a senior military officer from Jaffna said.

The Army seems to have learned from past mistakes, when it suffered heavy casualties in similar operations in October 2006 and November 2007.

In this operation, the Army gave a clear signal of advancing toward Elephant Pass.

Area leader killed
During the ceasefire period, a powerful LTTE leader, Chengan, was operating in Jaffna. An expert in handling explosives and sophisticated weapons, he was responsible for claymore attacks on troops from time to time. He was constantly in touch with the LTTE leadership via satellite phone.

He was unable to comply with a request by the LTTE leadership to repot to Muhamalai or Pooneryn because of tight security.

Chengan was a driving force among the youth of Jaffna.

A woman he associated tipped off the Army. On January 20, troops were ready to apprehend Chengan, and went towards Thendamarachchi, north of Kaithady. The location was a chena cultivation of tobacco and beans. In a jungle 200 meters away there was a hut covered by black polythene. Troops surrounded the area and asked him to surrender. He opened fire at the troops. The troops returned fire. After a few minutes of the exchange of fire, firing ceased from the hut. On investigation, troops found a bullet-riddled body, along with a satellite phone, camouflage rifle, micro pistol, GPS and a stock of T.56 ammunition.

Mannar battle
GOC 58 Div. is leading the battle in Mannar. 581 Brigade Commander Col. Sujeewa is leading his brigade through Parappakandal, via Giant’s tank.

582 Brigade Commander Col. Heshan de Silva and 583 Brigade Commander Suraj Bansajaya are advancing with their troops towards south and west of Adampan.

From west of Adampan, it is only a km to Adampan town and from south of Adampan, it is only 2kms to Adampan town.

Yesterday, an LTTE female cadre was killed in action but troops didn’t remove the body. They waited in ambush, for the LTTE to collect the body. When the LTTE cadres arrived to collect the body, the troops opened fire and killed many LTTE cadres.

The LTTE attacked advancing troops with 81mm mortars and 2000 Pasilan (LTTE manufactured mortars), killing two soldiers and wounding 12, while troops killed around 10 LTTE cadres and recovered two bodies with weapons and radio sets.

LTTE leaders Banu, Swarnam, Luxman, and Jeam are in Mannar to coordinate the battle.

Today, early morning 2:30 am, the Army monitored ‘Tiger talk’ and fired MBRL (Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher). 57 Div. commanded by Brig. Jagath Dias advanced troops towards Madhu as well as north Mannar. Small groups and ambush teams were waiting for the LTTE to attack. Army recovered five bodies and two more in bodies in Vavuniya.

The Army handed over nine bodies to the Vavuniya Hospital and the ICRC is scheduled to hand them over to the LTTE.

In Welioya, 59 Div. troops commanded by Brig. Nandana Udawathe advanced in small groups and ambushed LTTE cadres.

“The Final War”: LTTE fundraising and extortion with in the Tamil Diaspora



The majority of Sri Lankan Tamils are found in Western Europe, India, Australia, and North America. The largest numbers are found in Canada (approximately 300,000-250,000), USA (200,000-300.000) India (approx. 150,000), UK (approx. 110,000), Germany (approx. 50,000), Switzerland, France, and Australia (approx. 30,000 each).

Although many Tamils unwillingly contribute money to the LTTE, many others do so because they feel they have little choice. The same fear that silences critics of the LTTE, prompt many members of the diaspora to provide financial support for the LTTE. In the US, Canada, the U.K., and other parts of Europe, and Australia,

LTTE representatives go house to house, visit Tamil businesses, requesting substantial sums of money, often using intimidation, coercion, and outright threats to secure pledges.

In Toronto, individual families, typically, are asked to pay between Cdn$ 2,500 and Cdn$ 5,000, while some families were reportedly asked for as much as Cdn$ 10,000. Businessmen were asked for amounts ranging from Cdn$ 25,000 to Cdn$ 100,000.

One Hindu temple reported being asked for Cdn$ 1 million.

In the US, LTTE agents maintain records of Tamils living in there. One well established Tamil businessman (IT trade, software developer) pays US$ 50,000 to LTTE, due to threats. Any Tamil living in the US, has to pay a minimum US$ 200 per month, depending on the income. If they earn more, they have to pay more.

In London, individual families were asked £ 2,000 and businesses were approached for amounts ranging from £ 10,000 to £ 100,000. Members of Tamil communities in France and Australia provide funding to the LTTE. LTTE agents maintain lists of Tamils living in Australia and their income and seek payment over the telephone.

LTTE imposed on every family a minimum of AUS$ 500 and above, depending on income.

Tamils businessmen are compelled to pay AUS$ 5,000 to 20,000

What does the LTTE spend this money on?

Purchasing -

Arms and ammunition

Communication equipment

Chemicals

Ships

Aircrafts parts and small Aircrafts

Medicines

War related materials

Funding -

Propaganda

Bribes for MPs in respective

countries

For various Media personnel

For Military officers in

respective countries

Billions flow into the LTTE coffers and it has its own business organisations such as restaurants, clubs, transportation and shipping network. They also invest in stocks in the respective countries.

LTTE can influence politicians and diplomats through funds. At the moment they are doing so and despite the Sri Lankan public being aware of it, the authorities turn a blind eye.

Although LTTE is banned in these countries, there is strong funding for the LTTE from the US, Canada, India and Euope.

Source: bottomline.lk

Peace delayed

APRC fails to meet deadline but President to get 2-page outline on 13th Amendment today

By Munza Mushtaq

The much awaited final report of the overly hyped All Party Representative Committee (APRC) has ended in a farce. APRC has failed to submit its main document in keeping with a deadline specified to the committee by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, which is today.

However, instead, the APRC will hand over a mere one and a half page long document outlining the committee’s recommendations on how to maximize devolution under the 13th Amendment to President Rajapaksa today at an auspicious time in keeping Sri Lankan traditions, The Bottom Line learns.The document recommends the conducting of elections in the Eastern Province and as a temporary measure to establish an interim set up for the Northern Province, which will be identified as the Interim Executive Council.

The committee’s chairman, Prof. Tissa Vitarana admitted to The Bottom Line that although the APRC was initially scheduled to hand over its main report, also today, along with the recommendations on how to implement the 13th amendment, last minute inputs by some of the APRC members had resulted in the delay in handing over the main document, which has been much awaited, even internationally.

“We have almost finalized the main proposal, aimed at finding a solution to the ethnic conflict,” he said while adding that they had a few more additions to make.

The main parties, who have been allegedly instrumental in delaying the final report, are government allies, Mahajana Eksath Peramuna and Jathika Hela Urumaya. They have demanded a reduction in the level of devolution offered to the provinces.

However, during a nearly three hour long meeting, held at Temple Trees yesterday, between the members of the APRC and President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president is reported to have requested the members to ‘continue’ their deliberations on its original mandate.

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress representative Nizam Kariapper told The Bottom Line soon after the meeting that the president had requested the APRC to continue its deliberations although the committee had so far met a whopping 63 times.

The committee is now likely to meet again next week to continue its deliberations from where they left off, Monday night.

National Unity Alliance representative Abul Kalaam told The Bottom Line that it was now up to the government to put the recommendations in to action after the APRC hands over the document to the president today.

Sources meanwhile said that although the initial recommendations ran to around ten pages, following deliberations at Temple Trees yesterday night, the committee had finally minimized it to a mere one and a half pages.

At the time this edition went to press, a time for today’s meeting had not been set.

Source: thebottomline.lk

Lankan airline offers stake to Jet, Kingfisher

SriLankan Airlines, the emerald island's national carrier in which Dubai-based Emirates has over 40% management stake, has approached leading private Indian carriers like Jet and Kingfisher for buying the Gulf carrier's shares. SriLankan had a 10-year management contract with Emirates that ends this April but due to sharp differences that erupted recently, the latter has made clear that it would not extend the same. The Gulf-based carrier is learnt to have evaluated its stake at nearly $150 million that is now up for garbs.

Kingfisher's executive V-P Hitesh Patel confirmed that the airline has approached them and some other Indian carriers. "We were offered that stake and SriLankan asked us if we were interested. We told them that as of now our hands are full with the Deccan merger and we are not interested at this point of time."

Jet Airways, however, maintained a "no comments" stand. Indian carriers are learnt to be offered a 43.6% stake. The Sri Lankan government holds a 51% stake in the airline, while employees have the rest.

Sri Lanka privatised its national carrier, Air Lanka, in April 1998 when it sold 40% stake to Emirates who agreed to manage the airline for a decade. Now the airline operates 100 flights a week to and from India and a majority of the traffic flying from here to Colombo takes connecting flights to Europe, Gulf or other parts of the world. "SriLankan acts just like a Gulf carrier who also take away traffic for onward connecting flights to Indian passengers," said an airline official.

Trouble erupted around last Christmas between SriLankan and Emirates when Sri Lanka's president Mahinda Rajapaska wanted to fly back from London to Colombo. SriLankan was asked to make available 35 business class seats. The airline's CEO, Peter Hill who was brought in by Emirates, said that these many seats couldn't be made available by offloading paid passengers unless an Presidential decree is issued. A Miffed government then ordered its low cost carrier Mihin to fly an A-320 to London in which the presidential party returned to Colombo.

Once the president returned, the government cancelled Hill's work permit. Then on January 6, Emirates president SriLankan MD Tim Clark issued a statement in Dubai, saying: "Emirates has notified the Government of Sri Lanka that it will not be renewing the shareholder's agreement which expires on March 31, 2008, and accordingly, with effect from April 1, management control of Sri Lankan Airlines will pass to the Government of Sri Lanka."

As a result, Sri Lanka is now looking for some experienced airline with deep pockets to run it. While with 100 flights a week, SriLankan could have been an attractive deal for big boys keen on expanding their global footprint like Naresh Goyal or Vijay Mallya, the troubled conditions in the island nation could keep them away.

Source: Times Of India

Lanka mines sea borders to block Tamil Tigers

by K Praveen Kumar

The Sri Lankan Navy is believed to have laid mines along its maritime borders in an attempt to prevent LTTE cadre from fleeing to Tamil Nadu coast.

Highly placed sources said that the Tamil Nadu Police has received ‘unofficial information’ regarding this. “We learnt unofficially that the Sri Lankan Navy has mined their maritime border.

So we have warned fishermen not to cross the international boundary line for fishing,” a police official from Ramanathapuram told this website's newspaper. However, fishermen are said to be agitated about the move, as they get a good catch only when they cross the maritime boundary.

But the State police see it as a welcome move that could bolster their efforts to prevent incursion of the Tamil Tigers into the State. Since the crisis in Sri Lanka worsened, the LTTE cadre have been trying to flee to Tamil Nadu.

Sources said that several Lankan Tamils found it safer to cross the seas to Tamil Nadu, making use of its vast and highly porous coastline.

“Many Lankan Tamils are trying to escape, not only because of the fear of air raids, but also because of the fear of LTTE, which is now on a desperate recruitment drive,” sources said.

Source: newindpress.com

32 killed in north Sri Lanka, additional security for south

At least 31 Tamil Tigers and a soldier were killed in fierce clashes between the rebels and troops in restive northern Sri Lanka, even as the government on Tuesday decided to draft in 2,000 paramilitary personnel for the Sinhalese-dominated south to fend off LTTE attacks.

Army troops stormed and destroyed four Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) bunkers in Pallikulam in Mannar and killed ten rebels on Tuesday, besides injuring scores, the government's Media Centre for National Security said.

In Parapakandal area of the same region, troops destroyed two LTTE bunkers and killed five guerrillas manning them, it said. In the wake of a spate of attacks in the Sinhalese- dominated southern Sri Lanka, the authorities decided to beef up the security there by recruiting village defence personnel.

"We have decided to enlist an additional 2,000 personnel for the Village Defence Department to increase security in the south that came under attacks from the militants recently," a military spokesman said adding, there was no proposal to increase the strength of troops in the region.

The decision was taken after a string of suspected LTTE attacks that left 37 civilians and three policemen dead.

Source: newindpress.com