Clashes leave dozens dead in Sri Lanka: defence ministry

Sri Lanka marked its traditional new year Sunday with security forces and Tamil separatists locked in fierce combat resulting in heavy losses on both sides, defence officials said.

Security forces pounded Tamil Tiger positions in the rebel-held northern Wanni region and troops smashed bunkers belonging to rebels in the Jaffna peninsula, further north, the defence ministry said.

At least 87 guerrillas had been killed since Saturday, the ministry said.

The latest clashes came as the country marked the new year, which is observed by the majority Sinhalese community and the minority Tamils.

Police said they stepped up security in the capital Colombo and elsewhere amid fears of rebel attacks during the festive period. Most Sri Lankans in cities travel to the provinces to be with their families over the new year.

Festivities were also marred by a nation-wide electricity breakdown for nearly an hour, officials said, adding that a technical failure at a power station caused the blackout.

In the north of the island, ferocious battles erupted on Saturday when the military launched a fresh advance into rebel-held territory, the defence ministry said.

It said troops captured areas from the guerrillas, a claim denied by the Tigers.

The ministry said troops killed at least 77 Tigers for the loss of 12 government soldiers in the Mannar area of Wanni region on Saturday while another soldier and 10 rebels were killed elsewhere.

However, a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam statement said the Tigers lost only three of their fighters in Mannar, adding that the Tigers killed at least 25 government troops and wounded another 75 in eight hours of fighting.

At least 2,845 Tamil Tiger rebels have been killed by government troops since the start of the year, while 171 soldiers have lost their lives during the same period, according to defence ministry figures.

Verification of casualty claims is impossible as Colombo bars journalists and aid workers from travelling to embattled areas.

Tens of thousands of people have died since 1972 when the Tamil Tigers launched an armed struggle to carve out an independent homeland in the island's north and east for Tamils.

Source: AFP

JVP split could bring greater Indian involvement in Sri Lanka: Expert

The split in the anti-Indian political party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), may pave the way for greater Indian involvement in finding a solution to the vexed ethnic question in Sri Lanka, says Sri Lankan researcher Anupama M. Ranawana.

Writing in the latest issue of Groundviews Ranawana points out that the majority Sinhalese community have been very wary and disapproving of Western mediation, but have consistently welcomed Indian initiatives.

“The situation has become more conducive to Indian involvement in the wake of the fractious split in the JVP, which has always been a strong critic of India, ” the author, who is attached to Colombo’s Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), says.

With 11 of the 37 MPs of the JVP taking a moderate stance, the party’s anti-Indian plank is bound to be weakened. The JVP has consistently opposed India’s efforts to encourage the Rajapaksa government to devolve power to the minority Tamils. With the JVP’s voice weakened, the Sri Lankan public will take kindly to an Indian face on a foreign mediator, says Ranawana.

Both Sri Lanka and India have high stakes in finding a political solution to the ethnic conflict, the author argues.

Sri Lanka is faced with a prospect of Western and Japanese economic sanctions because of the war and the consequent violation of human rights. Therefore, Sri Lanka needs to work towards a political settlement with an external third party mediator.

“A strong armed third party must take control of the unstable situation,” Ranawana recommends. And India fills the bill.

“India’s proximity to Sri Lanka and cultural similarities place her in a unique position to be the ideal mediator,” the researcher argues. “India, as a non-Western power, will have chances to advocate a political solution that is home grown.”

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has already accepted the need for a pre-eminent Indian role, Ranawana points out. Rajapaksa has promised to “fully implement” the 13th amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution, a devolution scheme enacted under India’s aegis in 1987 but never properly implemented.

The Sri Lankan author says that India will only gain by taking a greater role in Sri Lanka. Its status as the “leader” of the region will be fostered if it did. And as National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan’s recent remarks show, India is uneasy about the growing influence of China, Japan and Pakistan in Sri Lanka and sees the need to counter it.

Furthermore, India has a growing economic stake in Sri Lanka to defend and build. In 2007, it exported $2.77 billion worth of goods to Sri Lanka, up from $510 million in 1999.

“For both India and Sri Lanka, Indian involvement in the Sri Lankan peace process is no longer an option to mull over on a sunny day; it has become a necessity,” Ranawana concludes.

Source: newindpress

Norway opposes ‘external’ solution to Sri Lanka conflict

No “externally designed solution” will end Sri Lanka’s dragging ethnic conflict, a senior Norwegian diplomat has said, as an international conference here called for a negotiated end to decades of fighting. Norway’s special envoy to Sri Lanka, Jon Hanssen-Bauer, told the two-day meeting that ended late Friday that Oslo would be more than happy to back “any solution endorsed by the Sri Lankan people”.

“One should not be tempted to try impose an externally designed solution to conflicts but assist the parties in defining a domestic one,” Hanssen-Bauer told the meeting organised by the Art of Living Foundation of Indian spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

“The common understanding between the government and the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) has been that talks are aimed at finding a political solution that is acceptable to all communities in Sri Lanka,” he said. “For Norway, any solution endorsed by the Sri Lankan people is acceptable.”

Although Sri Lanka has withdrawn from the Norway-brokered ceasefire agreement of 2002 with the LTTE, Oslo remains the designated mediator between the Tamil Tigers and Colombo.

Hanssen-Bauer’s comments follow criticism from ruling circles in Sri Lanka that Norway has been biased towards the LTTE and that it wants to foist on the island a solution to the conflict not acceptable to the majority.

Reflecting his own style of functioning, Hanssen-Bauer added: “In our view, mediation works best when the mediators opt for a low profile and avoid visibility on their own behalf.

“They should aim for a limited role, be more obsessed with process than results, and stay involved through the complex ups and downs of a typical peace process.”

Participants from Sri Lanka appealed for negotiations to end one of the world’s longest running conflicts that has claimed more than 70,000 lives since 1983 and led many more to flee the country and take shelter in other countries.

Arumugam Thondaman, the Sri Lankan minister for youth empowerment and socio-economic development, said he was “strongly of the opinion that there is no military solution (to the conflict). It is essential to evolve a political solution”.

Buddhist monk Seevali Nayaka Thero said it was time for both the government and the LTTE to think about the lives being lost because of the war.

“In any place, in any country, only by war you cannot solve the problems. Only peace talks and reconciliation can solve the problem,” he added. “This is exactly the message Buddha conveyed 2055 years back. It is very important we have to stop the war, we cannot take any more loss of lives.”

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who has in the past visited LTTE-held areas in northern Sri Lanka, spoke about the importance of spiritualism in resolving any conflict.

“Whether it is inter-religious conflict or intra-religious conflict or it is a conflict between communist or capitalist ideology, it all starts in the minds of people, in the hearts of people.

“When such conflict begins, they shut themselves from reasoning, prejudice overtakes, and communication goes haywire. It’s here we need to build the trust among the communities. Spiritual leaders, religious leaders, can play a bigger role in this.”

Among others who took part in the conference were India’s MDMK leader Vaiko, Chhattisgarh Home Minister Ramvichar Netam, Members of European Parliament Erika Mann and Nirj Deva, Rajiv Wijesinha of the Sri Lankan Peace Secretariat, Colin Archer of the International Peace Bureau (Switzerland), Sri Lankan MP Jayalath Jayawardene and Maduluvave Sobitha Nayaka Thero (Sri Lanka).

Source: thaindian

Musharraf pledges support to end terrorism in Sri Lanka

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Friday voiced his country’s support to Sri Lanka in the fight against terrorism. According to the president’s office here, Musharraf gave the assurance at a meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa in China on the sidelines of the multilateral Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference.

“President Musharraf reiterated his country’s opposition to terrorism in all its manifestations and assured Sri Lanka of all assistance to defeat terrorism in the country,” an official source here said.

The president’s office said that the two leaders discussed bilateral issues, including trade and economic and defence co-operation.

Extending his condolences to Rajapaksa over the April 6 assassination of his cabinet minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, the Pakistani president “condemned such acts of terror and underlined the need for its elimination”.

Congratulating Musharraf over his commitment to restore democracy in Pakistan, Rajapaksa “explained the actions being taken to defeat the terrorism of the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) in Sri Lanka”.

The two presidents also agreed to the need to transform the existing Free Trade Agreement between the two countries to a Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

Musharraf also thanked Rajapaksa for Sri Lanka’s support for Pakistan when “some member states” suspended it from the Commonwealth.

China and Pakistan are the two main military suppliers to Sri Lanka, where a dragging Tamil separatist campaign has left thousands dead.

The BFA conference is being held April 11-13 at Boao in China’s Hainan province. The theme this year is “Green Asia, Moving Towards Win-Win Through Changes”.

The BFA was set up in 2001 as a platform for high-level interaction between leaders from Asia and across the world and with the aim of promoting development goals of Asian countries through greater regional economic integration.

Source: thaindian

Sri Lanka says 26 rebels killed

At least 26 Tamil Tiger rebels, two soldiers and a civilian have been killed in fighting across Sri Lanka's northern districts, the defence ministry said Friday.

Security forces smashed rebel bunkers and exchanged artillery with Tamil Tiger guerrillas in two days of fighting, while air force jets bombed a suspected Tiger sea base on Thursday, the ministry said.

A Tamil laundry owner was shot dead on the Jaffna peninsula on Friday, the ministry said, blaming the attack on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

There was no immediate comment from the LTTE, who have been fighting for autonomy in the island's north and east for Tamils from the majority Sinhalese community.

The latest violence came as both the Sinhalese and the Tamils prepared to celebrate the traditional New Year on Sunday.

Security forces have killed at least 2,750 Tamil Tiger rebels since the beginning of this year, while 158 government troops have lost their lives in the same period, according to defence ministry figures.

The guerrillas have disputed defence ministry figures. There is no independent verification of casualties since authorities prevent journalists and most aid workers from travelling to embattled areas.

Tens of thousands have died since the conflict erupted in 1972.

Source: AFP

Attack on arms sale to Sri Lanka

An arms trade monitoring group has criticised the sale of 10,000 military missiles by Slovakia to Sri Lanka.

The Saferworld organisation says that the sale constitutes an unethical violation of the spirit of the European Union Code of Conduct on Arms Exports.

The 3m missiles are due to be shipped to Colombo on Thursday.

Sri Lanka has been engaged in civil war for 25 years, and Saferworld is concerned that the weapons could be used against civilians.

Roy Isbister, head of arms exports controls at Saferworld, said that the EU code of conduct forbids arms exports where there is a danger the weapons could be used against civilians.

"Where there's a serious risk of human rights abuses," he said, "or where regional peace and security have been undermined, then the document says the sale should not go ahead.

"But although the code of conduct is a politically binding document, it is also too loosely-worded, so that countries have lots of wriggle room to justify selling arms."

Mr Isbister argues that there are reports that the Sri Lankan army sometimes uses its weapons "indiscriminately" and that civilians are caught up in the conflict.

"Because the government bans most independent observers from travelling to the war affected areas, it's impossible to know the full truth," he said.

The European Union would not comment on this specific case, but Christiana Hohmann, spokeswoman for Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European commissioner for external relations, said that "how the code is implemented is up to each member country".

The Slovakian Economy Ministry denies that the sale is in violation of the code.

Ministry spokesman Branislav Zvara said that "the UN Security Council's evaluation of the situation in Sri Lanka has not led it to declare an embargo on arms shipments to the country".

But Saferworld says it will be impossible to ensure that the missiles are used only for military purposes, and not for "internal repression", as the code puts it.

The Sri Lankan government ended a formal ceasefire with Tamil Tiger rebels in January.

Source: BBC

Pakistan, S Lanka to strengthen trade relations

Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka are lucrative investment locations for each other’s exporters as Pakistan is a gateway to resource-rich Central Asian States while on the other hand Sri Lanka enjoys duty-free access to huge European and Indian markets.

This was the consensus developed at a meeting between Sri Lankan High Commissioner Dr Wijeratne Bandara Dorakumbure and Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Mohammad Ali Mian here at LCCI on Wednesday.

The Sri Lankan High Commissioner said that under Generalised System of Preference (GSP) Sri Lanka has a free access to huge European market and under the regional pact it enjoys same facility with India that could be availed by Pakistani exporters for re-export to these markets.

He said both Pakistan and Sri Lanka had signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the accord should be utilised to the maximum for the promotion of two-way trade.

Sri Lanka has secured duty-free access for as many as 7,200 products to the European Union Market under the EU’s GSP Plus Scheme. The main product categories which have vast potential in Sri Lanka under the GSP Plus Scheme include apparel and textiles, clothing accessories, sea foods, activated carbon, artificial flowers, foliage plants, rubber-based products tableware and bicycles.

Source: dailytimes

Over 600 soldiers injured and over 90 killed in Sri Lanka clashes

Ninety-three soldiers were killed while 686 were injured last month in the island's war zone in the northern province in the battle against the Tamil Tiger rebels, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake told parliament here Wednesday.

The Prime Minister said that 38 civilians had also been killed in the clashes.

Sri Lanka's military is currently engaging the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels in three separate fronts in the north and north eastern regions.

The campaign is part of the government's thrust towards the rebel-held Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu districts, their last holds in the north and east region where they want to set up a separate homeland for the Tamil minority.

The government's military offensive in the island's east ended up with last July's clearing of the entire province from the LTTE rebels. The LTTE called it a tactical withdrawal.

The clashes have escalated despite pleas on both sides from the international community to resume the process of Norway backed direct negotiations.

More than 70,000 people have died in the conflict since the mid1980s.

Source: xinhuanet

Weerawansa refutes charge of indiscipline

The ultra-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Perumana (JVP) split on Tuesday with party’s vocal propaganda secretary and MP Wimal Weerawansa along with 10 parliamentarians raising a banner of revolt against the leadership and announcing their decision to function as a separate block in Parliament.

The development, though not unexpected since Mr. Weerawansa was suspended on March 21 from party membership on charges of indiscipline, took political observers by surprise as he managed to walk away with nearly one-third of the party MPs. One of them later walked out of the group.

Mr. Weerawansa chose Parliament to announce the decision of his party to place him under suspension and claimed that the central committee has voted in favour of his expulsion immediately after the Eastern elections.

Mr. Weerawansa said such an action would not please the “members of the party but the will and wish of external evil forces aiming at dividing the nation.”

An emotionally charged Mr. Weerawansa said 20 years ago, he scarified opportunities for higher education for the betterment of the party he represented. He refuted the charges of indiscipline and bemoaned that “shooting within was more painful than being shot from outside.”

Besides the Tamil National Party (TNA), the JVP was the only party to have survived so far without a split. The UNP has been affected the most with nearly half of its parliamentarians defecting to take up ministerial assignments.

At a crowded news conference later, Mr. Weerawansa asked the party rank and file to “probe” how such decisions were made by the party leadership. He said a conspiracy would result in only a “collapse and new births.”
Tigers’ appeal

Amid claims by the military on Tuesday that at least 25 LTTE cadres were killed in the north along the Forward Defence Lines, the Tigers appealed to Norway to end the “military assault” on the Madu church in Mannar district.

LTTE’s political head B. Nadesan alleged that Sri Lanka had launched a “large scale military onslaught with the view to occupy Vanni” and said the onslaughts were targeting the church.

The Foreign Ministry refuted the allegation and said the government was committed to safeguarding the sanctity of the shrine.

Source: Hindu

UN appeals for protection of civilians following suicide attack

The United Nations has urged all parties to the conflict in Sri Lanka to do everything they can to protect civilians, after a suicide attack this weekend in the capital, Colombo, claimed the lives of 15 people.

In a statement issued today by the Office of the Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, the UN strongly condemned Sunday’s attack which occurred during a sporting event. Among those killed were Government Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and several well-known athletes.

Sri Lanka has witnessed several attacks in the past few months, following the Government’s decision earlier this year to end the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement that halted a decades-long conflict with the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Condemning all violence and indiscriminate attacks against civilians, the UN appealed to all parties to seek a negotiated and peaceful solution to the conflict.

Source: UN