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LTTE Plans, PottuVille, South

Published on 22/05/2008 in Blogs, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

Colombo, 21 May, (Asiantribune.com): Latest reports emerging from South of Pottuvil in the Eastern Province reveals that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who were chased out of the Eastern Province last year by the Sri Lankan armed forces has managed to infiltrate and bring in a large number of their armed cadres. According to the latest information, LTTE has at present a strength of 1,500 armed cadres minus the big guns and planning to launch soon a surprise attack in the Eastern Province.

Earlier when the LTTE was defeated and chased out of the East, a small contingent of nearly 100 cadres under LTTEA?a??a??s Colonel Ram managed to infiltrate into the East and were hiding in the Yala National Park and were involved in guerilla attacks.

It is now learnt that Ram is having around 350 cadres of the Mayuran Brigade in Kumana forest area. The balance 1,150 cadres of are said to be lurking in the Madhuru oya and Kudambimalai jumgle areas.

According to villagers living around the Yala National Park revealed that the LTTE is planning to launch a major offensive in the East, whilst the Sri Lankan Armed forces focuses on its operations up North in an effort to liberate the Northern Province from the clutches of the LTTE.

Furthermore, LTTE cadres from the Jeyanthan Brigade have infiltrated into the Kumbukanai area and have begun to ask locals in Kumbukanai for their assistance.

In the meantime reports reveals that a leading commander of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal is now working discreetly with Col Ram and LTTE men.

According to another report, the said leading TMVP commander in the Amparai district who is a close associate of former leader Karuna is said to be in direct communication with the LTTE’s Commander Ram who is based in the Kumana forested area.

Also, it was reported that the said TMVP Commander use to purchase DIALOG phone cards regularly to top up the mobile phones of the LTTE’s Commander Ram and his deputy Jiyaththan.

It was also brought to the notice that the Pro-LTTE Tamil news paper A?a??A?Sudaroli” based in Colombo, which referred Karuna as just Karuna in previous publications has suddenly begun to refer Karuna as “Karuna Amman” similar to how they refer their Intelligence Head A?a??A?Pottu AmmanA?a??A? which is a respectable way the LTTE cadres address their commanders. This reference was made in their latest publication – TuesdayA?a??a??s issue dated 20 May, which clearly indicates a possible collusion of those associated to Karuna and the LTTE.

– Asian Tribune –

source:
http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/11301 Generic glucophage

As gamarala has rightly

Submitted by Raj Gonsalkorale on Wed, 2008-05-21 22:02.

As gamarala has rightly pointed out, it is pathetic that the LTTE and their financiers, the Tamil Diaspora,and their proxies in SL, the TNA, are sacrificing their own innocent bretheren to a lost cause. When will the Diaspora give up this senseless killings? They are directly responsible for all the kilings as the LTTE operates with their money and support. LTTE is nothing without their support. There is a lot of blood on the Tamil Diaspora hands, and its not just Sinhala or Muslim blood, but their own.
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LTTE’s second in command is

Submitted by gamarala on Wed, 2008-05-21 19:06.

LTTE’s second in command is dead. The big man Praba is hiding in the thick jungle. The Terrorist diaspora funding terrorism is away from all action. Poor tamil kids are in the forefront fighting and killing themselves.

What a life?

Even Israel and Syria are negotiating peace. There are discussions to end the crisis in Lebonon.

When will LTTE understand where the world is heading? Do they have to be decimated before they realise the misery they are causing to the civilians. Do they have to sacrifice all the Tamils in their area of control?

If they think that they will be tolerated in the East, it is another big mistake – not second to killing Rajiv Gandhi.

Arugam Bay: Things come and Go

Published on 21/05/2008 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent, press coverage, surf and the bay. 0 Comments





the internet is at best intermittent here in crazy lazy aragam bay – so this post may have a long gestation period. a nine hour, two hundred mile drive from colombo through the hill country navigating horrendous roads delivered me to this bizarre enclave of peace in a crazy civil war ridden, election frenzied (the first in twenty years!) eastern sri lanka. the sound of gunfire and bombing whilst out surfing this evening turned out, of course, to be fireworks at a local buddhist festival!

it was sad to lave the ashram family, they made me very welcome and unusually I felt at home immediately upon arrival which is testament to the spirit of the place. I’d love to see them again, and my imagination has been captured by india. wouldn’t it be great to do a road trip around the coast finding surf spots along the way… anyone interested?

having spent two weeks in lacsidasical coastal karnatika I got an intense blast of what india can offer a rooky when I transferred from mumbai’s domestic terminal to the international one for my flight to colombo. it was a thirty minute ride but it packed in a middle-england’s lifetime’s worth of sound, colour, traffic, dirt, poverty, mayhem and all round sensual overload. there’s almost too much life happening there for my tiny mind to comprehend!

i only managed to get my camera around the lagoon in mulki to the beach for one morning’s photography – that’s a damn shame as we had much better sessions than the one recorded here but on reflection i realised i’ve only put one surfing image up so here’s a few more…

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2 comments:

sis said…
hey the blog is great.. really good to hear your news.. takes me a little time to log in so just a quick hello…
ahhhhh Innndia…..
I really identify with your observation of brimming with life… it is such an extraordinary continent for that.. even the brilliant green leaves seem to have a an extra dose of life force..
there is much I can say about that aspect of india and why it has attracted the ‘inner-world focus’ it has…
compared to any country in the world the indian’s seem to have concerntrated on ‘ what it is to be alive’ …. perhaps this is as a consequence of
having a surfeit of life….. the trapping and extra toppings we have in the west have been, until recently, non existent,….so therefore it is ‘ very good common sense’
to look inwardly at life as opposed to the external focus we have the privilege to experience….. and yet living with an outer world focus without the inner world is empty..
and that is what we experience more and more …..
a balance is required of course..
which is why all the ashrams have ‘good business focus’ of course…. it makes sense…
I don’t know about you but I find the indian’s, broadly speaking of course, to be intelligent and young minded i.e. agile and flexible thinking…
anyway blah blah blah…
very hot here
all well
love sis x

21 May 2008 03:08

Elephants near Arugam Bay

Published on 21/05/2008 in press coverage and wild life. 0 Comments

Lahugala Kitulana National Park

Lahugala Elephants

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Size 1,554 hectares
Main attraction Large herds of elephants
 

The Lahugala Park was initially declared a sanctuary on 1 st July 1966 and then upgraded to a national park on 1 st October 1980. Although this is one of the smallest national parks in the country, this is a popular location for elephant enthusiasts and bird watchers.

There are 3 tanks within the park. They are, Lahugala (243ha), Kitulana and Sengamuwa. The water from these tanks flow in to the Heda Oya. These tanks are largely silted up and support an abundance of Beru grass, which is a delicacy for elephants. These lakes also support a large variety of birds, local as well as migratory.

Lahugala herds

Being in the dry zone, the land is generally flat with occasional boulder formations. In addition to the elephants, the park is home to the endemic toque macaque, common languor, sloth bear, jackal, rusty spotted cat, fishing cat, leopard, wild bear, Indian muntjac, spotted deer, sambar, pangolin and black naped hare. The tanks and the surround area has become nestling places for wetland birds like pelican, purple heron, painted stork, lesser adjutant stork, white bellied sea eagle, grey headed fishing eagle, common kingfisher, stork billed kingfisher and white breasted kingfisher. Endemic comb duck, rare red-faced malkoha and Sri Lankan Spur fowl too can be seen the park.

There is no accommodation in the park it self, but Pothuvil and Monaragala can be used as the base when visiting the park.

Ancient temple

On the nor then edge of the park is the Magul Maha Viharaya, an ancient temple built by king Devanmpiyathissa in the second century BC. This is said to be the location the king married princess Vihara Maha Devi. The foundations of the A?a??A?Magul maduwaA?a??A? where the wedding ceremony took place can still be seen in the vihara premises. The entire Vihara complex had covered an extent of around 10,000 acres where ruins of a palace, moonstone, monastery, bo-maluwa, stupas, ponds etc. are found scattered all over. The moonstone here is said to be unique in the country as this is the only location where elephants are carved with their mahouts in the moonstone.

Location

Lahugala National park lies in the basin of the Heda Oya, 16km inland from the coastal town of Pottuvil in the Monaragala District. The Pottuvil-Monaragala trunk road runs through the south-eastern sector of the park. It is 2 km off the main Monaragala A?a??a?? Pottuvil road some 5 km from Pottuvil.

source:
http://www.lankalive.info/wildlife/lahugala/lahugala.php

Humanitarian Vultures Circle Again

Published on 21/05/2008 in From our own Correspondent, Money Matters, people and press coverage. 2 Comments

…. Unsurprisingly, the waves at Cheap inderal uses Purchase stromectol vidal Arugam Bay (one of the top ten surf beaches in the world) continued to be crowded on weekends with the hard working humanitarian brigade…..
Wed, 2008-05-21 04:34By T.B. Tennekoon

Oh what joy to the global flock of humanitarian vultures. Just as things were looking bleak and the offal train was emptying for these hoards who pray on human misery, Nargis lashed recalcitrant Myanmar and the violence of a restless earth rocked the Sechuan Province of China. Thousands died. Many more were left homeless. Hopeless eyes stared sadly from countless newspaper cover pages. The numbers being quoted by the international humanitarian brigade, readily repeated by the global media, kept growing although they had no verifiable access to the affected areas to determine actual figures. Prospects of feeding on the trail of misery left behind by nature’s rage brought back joyful whoops to the global humanitarian brigade, including sadly, at the UN.

Unfortunately, the motives of the entirety of the global humanitarian brigade have not always been pure. While one would expect the misery caused by human acts of omission or commission or by the vagaries of nature to pull heavily on sympathetic heart strings of the good and produce the best in human nature, this has not been the case always. The genuine feelings of charity of the many has paved the road to five star hotels, four wheel drive vehicles and hedonistic life styles for the humanitarian vultures.

Post tsunami Sri Lanka was a clear example. Billions of Dollars were collected around the world to help devastated and shell shocked Sri Lanka. Little children stood on freezing street corners that winter to collect the pennies from the charitable. Only a fraction of this amount ever reached the country and every effort by government agencies to obtain a proper accounting, including by the Peace Secretariat, has proved futile. UN agencies have been equally coy about revealing the way they have expended the millions collected. Even if one were to discount the huge amounts pledged by certain countries in a blaze of publicity, and never delivered, millions collected by NGOs from the public remain unaccounted.

But a casual visit to Colombo during the immediate post tsunami period would have shed some light on this matter. The place was crowded with white humanitarian workers of all sizes and shapes. Some genuinely motivated by a desire to help but most drawing international salaries. Some were happily established in this tropical paradise in substantial mansions with their families. The roads were crowded with expensive four wheel drive vehicles which most locals could never afford. Five star hotels, night clubs and restaurants depended on the custom of these global do-gooders.

One begins to get an idea as to where most of the funds collected for tsunami victims went. Thousands of these victims continued to suffer in plastic tents for months with little access to clean water or sanitation. There were international NGOs that blatantly engaged in religious conversions under the guise of providing tsunami assistance. Some NGOs were forced to return land allocated to them for constructing houses for tsunami victims as no construction had taken place. Millions of Dollars collected from a gullible public ostensibly to restore the Galle Cricket Ground never arrived in Sri Lanka. A Colombo newspaper famously reported a comment by a buxom blonde aid worker overheard in a nightclub. “This country sucks. There is no sex”.

As the months and years drifted by and Sri Lanka pulled itself up by its boot straps, largely by its own efforts (over 83 per cent of tsunami reconstruction is now complete), the army of do-gooders found other excuses for continuing to stay in the lazy tropical paradise. The ongoing conflict and the resulting displacements provided a ready excuse for extended stays. Often the numbers of displaced persons and violations of human rights were exaggerated and these stories were readily picked up by the international media and the international community based in Colombo. After a military incursion into Sampur in 2006, the BBC reported that 41,000 civilians had been displaced when the entire peninsula was the home for only about 16,000 persons.

The donor community was encouraged to create a new use for the thousands of humanitarian workers who yearned to stay. Interestingly a new refrain began to be heard, often parroted by donor missions, demanding access to the conflict areas by humanitarian workers. The western missions found a ready source of information (or misinformation) in the thousands of humanitarian workers scattered around the country and, relying on these, were not reluctant to take free kicks at their host government with little check on their self serving nature.

Amazingly, these workers were encouraged to resort to their embassies for help rather than the local authorities at the drop of a hat causing unnecessary irritations. The urge to stay on the part of the humanitarian brigade was great. The UN Office for Coordinating Humanitarian Affairs curiously took over a human rights role when they had been invited to Sri Lanka to deal with post tsunami reconstruction.

Unsurprisingly, the waves at Arugam Bay (one of the top ten surf beaches in the world) continued to be crowded on weekends with the hard working humanitarian brigade.

Sri Lanka has gradually encouraged the humanitarian brigade to leave. It has insisted that UN agencies and the ICRC replace international staff with locals who are often better qualified and very much cheaper. The international agencies have reluctantly begun to comply with this demand echoed by the Foreign Ministry. The Thais have also recovered substantially from the tsunami. India never allowed the global do-gooders into the country after the tsunami.

Against this background the raucous clamor to enter Myanmar and China in the aftermath of the cyclone and the earthquake assumes a sad and understandable complexion. The reluctance of resurgent China, reflecting the pride of Asia, to permit international aid workers to enter the country following the Sechuan earthquake has been particularly irksome to the do-gooder brigade. What an opportunity to miss to visit and enjoy the glories of China.

Similarly, Myanmar’s reluctance to permit the do-gooder brigade into the country has been met with noisy disappointment and strident criticism. The fact that these countries may be able to deal with the twin disasters with their own resources may just not be palatable to the white humanitarian vultures. (Myanmar has permitted aid to flow through its ASEAN neighbors suggesting that it is all too aware of the post tsunami experience of countries such as Sri Lanka).

It is particularly disappointing that an Asian Secretary-General of the UN should join the demands of the white humanitarian brigade for access to Myanmar and China. Is it not possible for us to accept that these countries may just be able to deal with the emergencies in their own way, perhaps with limited assistance from the outside. In contrast, we did not hear a similarly persistent clamor from the UN to assist the US where the devastation caused by Katrina still remains or in the aftermath of the disastrous Californian fires. Perhaps the response of the remaining super power was all too predictable.

– Asian Tribune –
source:
http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/11298

Paddling in the right directionA?a??A?

Published on 18/05/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters, people, press coverage, surf and the bay. 2 Comments

Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka
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tim-at-arugam-bay.jpg
A?a??A?a surf trip to a country struggling through the aftermath of tsunamic devestation whilst in the grip of civil war certainly leaves you with some intense and varied emotional responses – the most potent being at the epicenter of destruction on the east coast at buy trimox Arugam Bay. At times the despair and futility of life there could be overwhelming but then miraculously overshadowed by the genuine joy and laughter of the local children playing innocently in the water that swept away lives that they will only ever know about through story telling from the survivors.

The world was told that this country had been rebuilt and that the millions of dollars that left the western world found itA?a??a??s rightful place sheltering and feeding families but we saw little evidence of that – a half built housing complex with a billboard thanking A?a??E?OprahA?a??a?? or dozens of unused fishing boats. It seems a lot of good things were started with the best of intentions but many projects still remain unfinishedA?a??A?

What we did find were a few good people taking small but vital steps towards rebuilding a forgotten corner of the planet. One being Tim from Paddle 4 relief – a Devon surfer that has made Sri Lanka his home. Disgusted by the horrendous mishandling of funds he started his own charity – organising sponsored paddling events and small gigs in the UK to raise cash that would go directly to the people that needed it. A new pre-school has been built, water supplies cleaned and roofs mended. A plea in the West country for used surfboards produced the start of the Arugam Bay surf club and swimming school.

Of course itA?a??a??s not all about saving lives and digging wells – Tim still finds time to drop in on a few mates at the point every day getting his 9A?a??A? 6A?a??A? nicely slotted into the face of one of the best rights in the Bay of BengalA?a??A?

I didnA?a??a??t surf today but I did sneak a few off the locals at Abay a couple of weeks ago.

Walling, peeling, walling, peeling, walling, peeling, hmmmA?a??A?..

source:
http://www.papersurfer.co.uk/?p=333

Arugam Bay on Thorntree

Published on 17/05/2008 in Blogs, people, press coverage, Security & Safety and the bay. 1 Comment

Arugam Bay – current situation

hi,
have someone currently is or was in Arugam Bay lately? whats about safety there?
news from Sri Lanka aren’t optimistic, another bomb attack… and another victims… it’s so sad!

Sarawak
Posted
27-Apr-2008 00:46
by: Sarawak Posts: 1
Registered: 27/04/08

Hi sarawak,
No ones come in on this , so I can give you an answer even if I wasn’t there.
I was in Lanka a few weeks ago and as usual, before flying home I spent a couple of days in Negombo.
In the same place a driver/guide , from Arugam Bay, was staying and over a few beers we got along well and chatted a lot.
He assured me that there is no problem in Arugam Bay Cefadroxil order except the lack of tourists. The nearest they came to the troubles was the attack on a bus about 2 months ago which was on the road used to get to Arugam Bay.
So, if you’re going to Lanka and want to go to Arugam, then head there.
The people there connected to the tourist trade are really suffering, so if you’re thinking of going there with a car and driver, call this guy,
K.M.Rifai, ( just known as Rifai). Nice Place, ArugamBay, Pottuvil.
Tel; +94-63-2248193 or 077 3412240
He’ll be happy to collect rom the airport , or Negombo, or Haputale , or Ella, where ever.
Rod.

Posted
28-Apr-2008 10:32
by: Rod_B Posts: 528
Registered: 09/12/03

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Travel bus bus is not recommended at present due to bomb threats on the way.
Best may be to arrange a shared taxi/mini bus.
Simply drop a mail to:
ArugamTaxi@Gmail.com
and they will suggest your best and most economical option.

2

Hi! I was just in Arugam Bay for 10 days last week. It was perfectly safe though there were only a handful of surfers there (the surf was up!). There is an increased military presence, especially on the road between Monoragula and Pottuvil due to the upcoming elections in the Ampara district but these military guys were exceptionally pleasant to me (even stopping me to show me elephants and practice their english). There are lots of police and military checkpoints in the Ampara district which slows down travel considerably if you are travelling by bus (though my things were never checked) but, when travelling by tuk-tuk, I just got waved through. I stayed at the Tsunami Hotel, prices are low because there is not much tourism happening. If you go, call Najeem (0776163459); he took me out every day in his tuk tuk to see the elephants and crocodiles, speaks good english, charges “whatever you want”, and is a young and silly guy. He is also a retired Sri Lankan Army guy so is great at knowing what is going on and speaking to the military guys. He also knows all the great surf spots, if that is what you are into.

I spent six weeks in Sri Lanka (solo as a woman-apparently a rare occurance!) and had no problems with the situation except that I would recommend not travelling to the north (north of Anarandapura) or spending more time than necessary in the Colombo bus station. Have fun!

Posted
28-Apr-2008 20:45
by: zorra666 Posts: 8
Registered: 31/03/03

3

Great to hear that all is well in Arugam Bay – we stayed at the Tsunami hotel in 2004 – wasn’t really sure how it faired after the tsunami – Naleem was the manager when we were there – is he still there? – he had 3 little girls and lived in Pottuvil. Is it possible to catch a bus from Colombo to Pottuvil? We got terribly lost trying to get there!

Posted
06-May-2008 10:30
by: kimm Posts: 58
Registered: 24/02/01

4

Hi Kimm,
Best is to get a train from Kandy, south through the hill country, then a bus from Haputale to Pottuvil. Gets you there easy and you get to enjoy the scenery of the hill country from the train.
Rod.
Posted
06-May-2008 17:40
by: Rod_B Posts: 528
Registered: 09/12/03

5

You can go to A’Bay as far as I know. I am in regular contact with Fred, owner of Siam View Hotel there, who assures me there are no partic. problems at all! It is a great place and lovely unspoilt jungle to visit south of the area as well as fine surf of course. I am from France and upcountry Sri Lanka by the way!

Posted
09-May-2008 20:45
by: suryanamaska Posts: 27
Registered: 07/06/07

source:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/message.jspa?messageID=14049614

Plans to revive Arugam Bay

Published on 16/05/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters, press coverage, Security & Safety, services and the bay. 0 Comments

Post-Eastern polls forecasts A?a??E?vibrantA?a??a?? economy

By Dilrukshi Fernando and Ravindu Peiris

The business community has expressed concern over who is to be appointed as the Chief Minister of the Eastern Province. A?a??A?As the Pillayan faction is reported to be armed, it is definitely not a positive sign. However, he did contest the electionsA?a??A? Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairman Mahen Dayananda said while adding that opposing parties have complained to the Elections Commissioner about flaws in the Eastern PC polls, which is a sign for concern.

President of the Federation of the Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) Nawaz Rajabdeen stated that people should not consider Pillayan as a terrorist when allowing him to sort out the problems in the east. A?a??A?If you consider him a terrorist and draw differences, then you create animosityA?a??A? Rajabdeen affirmed. He pointed out that if there are internal conflicts in the east, it would not be a peaceful environment for the locals.

Rajabdeen further observed that although all politicians have their own personal agendas, they should set aside their differences and support the people. A?a??A?How many politicians visited the area when the tsunami hit? But for the Eastern polls all of them went there and promised various things,A?a??A? he noted.

The UPFA won the election, with the Chief MinisterA?a??a??s position falling vacant for either L.A.M Hizbullah or Pillaiyan. Despite entering the democratic process, the TMVP faction still carry arms claiming it is for personal security purposes.

Infrastructure essential

A?a??A?Infrastructure leaves much to be desired. Electricity, water and basic requirements are some of the necessities that are in need of immediate action,A?a??A? Dayananda said. He divulged that the Chamber had been supporting the East with financial assistance through their regional chambers particularly Batticaloa. A?a??A?We will continue to support them and if all goes well on a structured framework a noticeable change will occur in the economy with the East contributing. It will definitely be converted into a realm of possibility.A?a??A?

Rajabdeen in the meantime claimed that the private sector was positive about the elections in the East so long as development takes place.

They had established several A?a??E?Back to BusinessA?a??a?? initiatives in the aftermath of the tsunami which had assisted those victimised entrepreneurs to get back on their feet. It was revealed that now that the elections have been held, the FCCISL is examing the possibility of commencing a similar project to this as well in addition to a project to boost the livelihood of women. Rajabdeen furthermore conveyed that if a conducive environment remained, investments were bound to increase. A?a??A?Poverty alleviation is a priority. The government must think of this and also regional development and should especially support the agro based industry,A?a??A? he stated.

Tourism foresees boost in benefits

Sri Lanka Tourism is anticipating a bright future with the Eastern Province contributing. Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Chairman Renton De Alwis stated that the country should not rush-in for international tourism and that we should first boost the local tourism sector. When questioned if revenue from tourism will increase due to the recent political developments in the East, he said A?a??A?Certainly it would increase but not as direct revenue to the government but as benefits to the local community.A?a??A?

He added that even before the elections, the government was attempting to promote tourism but now further stability was evident in the area. Delving into the programmes they intend to conduct in the area, Alwis said that they are going to build an exquisite resort in Pasikuda with the help of seven investors and the Institute of Architects. Sri Lanka Tourism plans to revive the areas of Kalkuda, Nilaweli and Arugam Bay. Other plans include steps to overcome the issue of shortage in accommodation through measures such as recreational vehicle parks (Caravans).

A?a??A?The East can help reduce the economic imbalanceA?a??A?- Trade Minister

Commenting on the impact of the recent elections, the Minister of Trade Bandula Gunewardena sid A?a??A?Business people cannot control terrorism, which is a huge obstacle to conduct business and trade.A?a??A? According to Gunewardena, the elections were of high importance as it enabled the removal of terrorism, which was a high risk factor in the region. Liberating the East from LTTE control has opened avenues for the initiation of development projects relating to infrastructure and healthcare the Minister added. A?a??A?Now the people have an opportunity to address their own issues. The A?a??E?Nagenahira NavodayaA?a??a?? programme of the National Task Force can now confer its power to the Provincial Councils because of election,A?a??A? he added.

The province is rich in natural resources and contributes to the industries of agriculture and fisheries. A?a??A?If utilized properly the region can contribute to the increment of the countryA?a??a??s GDP, and work towards achieving a balance in the economic development,A?a??A? the minister opined.

Order rosuvastatin Entrepreneurs donA?a??a??t see any significant change for the futureA?A?

Although the ground situation doesnA?a??a??t look as favourable, Anwer*, an entrepreneur from Trincomalee said the elections have not expressed the voice of the people. A?a??A?It was a government election. Initiated by them and finally carried according to their own advantage. Tamils are not happy with the result,A?a??A? he said. Anwer divulged the plight of large scale businessmen who have to pay bribes to the TMVP in order to continue their business. A?a??A?The Stuffing of ballot boxes and obstructing voters were issues for us at the election but we are more worried about the consequences that will follow the election,A?a??A? he said adding that the fear instilled in traders and civilians by the armed personnel have restricted the movements of the public. A?a??A?How can there be a change when the same government that ruled before the election will continue to rule hereafter?A?a??A?

In contrast was Haroun* from Batticaloa who is engaged in the agricultural sector said A?a??A?we are happy that the elections were finally held in the East after two decades. This will give us an opportunity to address several regional problems which have long been neglected by the central government,A?a??A? he added. His optimism comes with hopes of expanding his business in the future.

source: Buy liquid isotretinoin
http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=14911

The tsunami in Sri Lanka: A case study in US humanitarian missions

Published on 14/05/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters and press coverage. 0 Comments
14 May 2008
By K. Ratnayake

Use this version to print | Send this link by email | Email the author

Since the cyclone engulfed Burma on May 3, there has been an incessant campaign in the international media to push for foreign militaries, along with aid officials, to be allowed into the country. Article after article contrasts the paranoia, incompetence and callousness of the Burmese junta with the supposed willingness of the US and other major powers to generously provide humanitarian assistance.

The Burmese junta has clearly demonstrated once again its repressive methods and callous disregard for human life. But the claim that Washington and its allies are acting purely out of concern for the Burmese people is simply a lie. As in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush administration is pursuing its strategic and economic interestsA?a??a??in the case of Burma to undermine a regime that is allied to China, which the US regards as a potentially dangerous rising rival.

In making the case for an intervention in Burma, the media commentary frequently raises the 2004 tsunami, claiming that the international response, including the deployment of foreign militaries, was a model of efficiency and benevolence. Completely ignored is what actually took place in 2004, its political implications and the fate of the tens of thousands of survivors who are still struggling to survive in countries around the Bay of Bengal.

The case of Sri Lanka contains important lessons. After Indonesia, Sri Lanka was the country hardest hit by tsunami. According to official figures, at least 30,920 people died, 519,063 were displaced and 103,836 houses destroyed. The devastation was horrendous. Homes, schools, hospitals, road, rail lines, communications were all swept away. Whole villages disappeared. The survivors were left without shelter, food, clean water and medicine. Many, particularly fishermen, lost their livelihoods.

Burma is not alone in having an incompetent, repressive administration. For days the government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga did nothing, particularly in the East and North where a tense ceasefire was holding with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). It was above all ordinary working people, including those with skills such as doctors and nurses, who streamed out of Colombo and provided the first assistance to desperate survivors.

The reaction of the government was to deploy soldiers and troops and place the entire aid operation under military control, including the teams of volunteers. Their prime concern was not to help the survivors, who faced appalling conditions in squalid improvised refugee camps, but to suppress any opposition or protests at the governmentA?a??a??s indifference and lack of aid. Above all, the way in which ordinary Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims had come together to assist each other, cut directly across the decades of anti-Tamil communalism on which the Colombo political establishment has rested.

It was in this context that the Bush administration dispatched the US military to Sri Lanka. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell did not so much ask as demand that marines be allowed into the south of the island. Even in ruling circles, eyebrows were raised at allowing American troops into the country for the first time. An editorial in the Daily Mirror openly questioned whether the military intervention had ulterior motivesA?a??a??to further US interests in Central Asia and the Middle East.

Kumaratunga quickly acquiesced, however. Three hundred marines landed in the south of the island and were deployed there and at Arugam Bay in the East. The aid operation was very limited. The soldiers helped clear debris, handed out some relief supplies, posed for the media and then pulled out several months later. Undoubtedly some survivors received assistance, but the overriding purpose of the US military presence was political.

The operation had a number of motives: to overcome decades of deep hostility among the Sri Lankan masses towards US imperialism and to set a precedent that is now being invoked in the case of Burma. But as the Socialist Equality Party warned, above all Washington was seeking to forge closer military ties, including with Sri Lanka, to pursue its economic and strategic ambitions throughout the broader region.

Sri LankaA?a??a??s strategic significance
Femara online That warning was confirmed. Sri LankaA?a??a??s main strategic significance is its position astride the main sea-lanes of the Indian Ocean, including the main route from the Middle East through the Malacca Strait to the Pacific. In particular, the deep-water port of Trincomalee on the eastern coast has been long been regarded as an important prize. After the 2002 ceasefire was signed with the LTTE, a high-level team from the US Pacific Command visited Sri Lanka to make a detailed study of Trincomalee harbour and assess the potential LTTE threats.

At that point, the Bush administration was still publicly supporting the so-called international peace process as the means for ending the islandA?a??a??s bitter 20-year civil war. WashingtonA?a??a??s concern was not, however, with the devastation that the war had brought to Sri LankaA?a??a??s population, but rather that the conflict was a destabilising influence which threatened US interests in the region, particularly in India.

By December 2004, however, the peace process was already at the point of collapse. Peace negotiations had broken down in April 2003 and in early 2004 President Kumaratunga summarily dismissed the United National Front (UNF) government for A?a??A?undermining national securityA?a??A?. In the background, the military and Sinhala extremist parties, such as the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)A?a??a??a partner in KumaratungaA?a??a??s new government, were already pressing for a renewed war.

The US and other major powers used the catastrophe created by the tsunami to push for a joint mechanism between the government and the LTTE to distribute international aid. The proposal was regarded as the first step towards restarting peace negotiations. Kumaratunga tentatively embraced the suggestion, in part because of broad popular sentiment that the tsunami had demonstrated that all Sri Lankans were in the same boat and that the fratricidal war should be ended. However, the military high command and the JVP regarded the temporary aid body as an impermissible concession to the LTTE.

The tsunami was a convenient pretext for forging closer political and military ties with Washington. Powell visited Colombo in early January as part of his tour of affected countries. In April, Admiral William J. Fallon, then head of the US Pacific Command, visited Sri Lanka, met with government leaders and toured areas hit by the tsunami, including Trincomalee. In the same month, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Christina Rocca arrived in Sri Lanka to discuss the joint aid mechanism.

The Bush administration was clearly pursuing a two-pronged strategyA?a??a??publicly pushing for peace talks, while privately holding top level discussions with the Sri Lankan military over possible war plans. Discussions over a joint aid administration dragged on for months. A conference of major aid donors on May 16-17 issued an ultimatum to Colombo to establish the body as the condition for a $US3 billion aid package.

Kumaratunga reluctantly established the Post-Tsunami Operations Management Structure (P-TOMS) with the LTTE, but it was a lame duck from the outset. The JVP withdrew from the government and successfully challenged the constitutionality of P-TOMS in the Supreme Court. At presidential elections in November 2005, the JVP backed the new candidate of KumaratungaA?a??a??s Sri Lanka Freedom PartyA?a??a??Mahinda RajapakseA?a??a??on a platform that scrapped P-TOMS completely and set the course for a renewed war.

Having narrowly won office, Rajapakse with the tacit backing of Washington immediately adopted a highly provocative stance towards the LTTE. In January 2006, the US ambassador in Colombo Jeffrey Lunstead signalled WashingtonA?a??a??s support for a renewed war, demanding the LTTE accept the governmentA?a??a??s terms for talks. A?a??A?If the LTTE chooses to abandon peace,A?a??A? Lunstead warned, A?a??A?we want it to be clear, they will face a stronger, more capable and more determined Sri Lankan military. We want the cost of a return to war to be high.A?a??A?

A covert war of provocation and murders erupted into open conflict in July 2006 when Rajapakse ordered the army to seize the LTTE-held area of Mavilaru in open breach of the 2002 ceasefire. This open act of aggression brought not a murmur of criticism from the US or the other sponsors of the A?a??A?peace processA?a??A?. Today the island is bogged down in a brutal civil warA?a??a??with the US providing political and military support.

According to a report by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), direct commercial sales of defence materials to Sri Lanka increased from $US1.9 million in 2004, to $3.1 million in 2005 and $3.9 million in 2006. In return, the Rajapakse government quietly supports the Bush administrationA?a??a??s occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan and last year signed an agreement to allow the US military to use the island for logistical support.

As for the victims of the tsunami, they have been completely forgotten. According to the governmentA?a??a??s Reconstruction and Development Agency (RADA), 6,718 families or more than 25,000 people were still living in appalling conditions in refugee camps in MarchA?a??a??that is, more than three years after the tsunami. Most of the familiesA?a??a??5,820A?a??a??are in the North and East where the renewed fighting is taking place. Even in the district surrounding the capital of Colombo, there are 803 families in camps.

These official figures are undoubtedly an underestimate. Moreover, many more of the survivors, including those who have been re-housed, still face enormous economic difficulties. Many fishermen lost their livelihoods and were resettled away from the coastline. On the pretext of protecting the population, the government exploited the opportunity to clear away fishing villages to pave the way for luxury hotels and resorts.

The plight of these refugees speaks volumes. Hakeem from the eastern rural town of Marathumunai told the WSWS this week: A?a??A?In our village 186 families were affected by tsunami. Hundreds were killed when the tsunami hit.A?a??A? He said that no one in his village had a house. Many had no full time work and earned a little money as casual labourers. The central school at Maruthumunai has not been built.

The story is the same in the Western Province. An old abandoned government building in the Colombo suburb of Katubedda is where 56 families are currently living. The building is dilapidated. Each family has about 40 square metres partitioned off. Toilets overflow with effluent. Electricity has been cut off because the Disaster Management ministry has not paid the bill. None of the adults have a proper job.

A 19-year-old girl told the WSWS: A?a??A?You ask about the situation in Burma. As we canA?a??a??t watch television or have access to any other media we donA?a??a??t know whatA?a??a??s going on there. I only know from you about the situation. It sounds somewhat similar. Throughout the world we see how ordinary people are hit by natural disasters and how the rulers treat them.A?a??A?

The US marines have long since moved on, international tsunami aid to Sri Lanka has dried up and the government is diverting money from basic services into its renewed war. The story will undoubtedly be similar in Burma. The push to intervene in Burma is motivated by the economic and strategic interests of the major powers which are diametrically opposed to those of the majority of Burmese and will inevitably produce to new tragedies.

See Also:
A socialist and internationalist perspective to confront the Asian tsunami disaster
[9 February 2005]
Over the counter albendazole Why the propaganda campaign for international intervention in Burma?
[10 May 2008]
A new Asian disaster: Cyclone kills tens of thousands in Burma
[7 May 2008]
Bush administration moves to exploit Burma cyclone disaster
[7 May 2008]

source:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/may2008/sril-m14.shtml

Stuffing boxes

Published on 12/05/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments
by Zacki Jabbar
at Arugam Bay

The UNP yesterday rejected the result of the Eastern Provincial Council Election,which the UPFA won by one seat,saying it would legally expose the widespread vote rigging and intimidation of candidates and voters by government goon squads.

The partyA?a??a??s media spokesperson Lakshman Kirielle told a news conference in Colombo,that they will prove to the people that the government backed UPFA circumvented the peoples will by resorting to violence and blatant vote rigging.”We have already written to the Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake listing out the election violations by ministers and UPFA candidates.”

“Serious malpractices took place especially in the Ampara District.In Pottuvil Is there a generic version of avapro , Akkaraipattu and Muttur, government goon squads invaded 40 polling booths and stuffed the ballot boxes to their hearts content while the presiding officers and police simply looked on.” Order colospa retard

Kirialle,said that at the last Presidential Election the UNP won the Pottuvil seat by 20,000 votes but on Saturday it lost that seat.”Such a thing could not have happened at a free and fair election.All the election monitors are agreed that there were serious election violations.I challenge the government to produce at least one report to the contrary.”

General Secretary of the UNP,Tissa Attanayake said that the government despite resorting to violence and abusing all the resources at its disposal, was able to get only one seat more than the opposition.

“Stuffing of ballot boxes were reported from 99 polling stations and in 91 of them the UNP was prevented from having polling agents.”

Attanayake, called on the Speaker to summon parliament immediately to discuss the serious break down in the law and order situation and also urged the government to immediately disarm all para military groups .

source:
http://www.island.lk/2008/05/12/news3.html

Bank set up in Lahugala

Published on 11/05/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters and press coverage. 0 Comments

by Chamikara WEERASINGHE
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A Samurdhi Development Bank was opened on Wednesday at Lahugala in accordance with a pledge made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the people of the Eastern Province during his Janapathi Janahamuwa programme, telecast via satellite on Thursday.

Director General of Samurdhi, Bandula Thilakasiri and Road Passenger Transport Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna had taken steps to establish the Bank on the directions of President Rajapaksa, Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Ministry sources said.

The President listened to the people in the Eastern Province and the problems they presented about their areas and its development through Janapathi Janahamuwa (The President Meets People) programme.

The request for a Samurdhi Bank came from a woman who was a participant .

As there was no Samurdhi Bank in the Lahugala area, the people in Lahugala had to go to Paanama where there is a Samurdhi Bank, travelling a distance of 37 kilometres, she told the President in the programme pointing out the need in Lahugala for a Samurdhi Bank.

President Rajapaksa promised to fulfil this need of the public in Lahugala for a Samurdhi Bank within the next 24 hours, and instructed the officials concerned to ensure that they establish a Samurdhi Bank in Lahugala.

source:
Diltiazem hydrochloride cream cost http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/05/10/news12.asp

Sri Lankan government wins vote

Published on 11/05/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters and press coverage. 0 Comments

Arugambay, 11th May, 2008:

Sri Lanka’s ruling coalition has won a provincial election in the east of the island, seen as key to its strategy to win a war against the Tamil Tigers.

Voting in the East

But opposition leaders and rights groups said the poll was marred by fraud and voter intimidation.

The vote was held in a region which was under Tamil Tiger rebel control until it was seized by the army last year.

The government says the result is a blow to the Tamils’ demand for an independent state.

In voting for the 37-member council:

  • The United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) of President Mahinda Rajapaksa took 20 seats;
  • The opposition United National Party (UNP) and its allies won 15 seats;
  • Two smaller parties won one seat each.

Economic development

“The government victory at the eastern polls has shattered the wild dreams” of Tamil separatists, said Sri Lanka’s environment minister Patali Champika Ranawaka.

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This is a totally distorted mandate that they got. This is obtained by fraud
Rauff Hakeem, opposition leader

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But Rauff Hakeem, leader of the UNP-allied Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, said opposition leaders were due to meet in Colombo to decide whether to legally challenge what they view as a fraudulent election.

“This is a totally distorted mandate that they got,” he said. “This is obtained by fraud.”

The government said allegations of fraud were an attempt to cover the opposition’s defeat.

The winning alliance included a party that had defected from the Tigers in 2004.

They stood for office despite accusations levelled against them of killings, extortion, and abducting children for military training.

The election was seen as a critical test of the government’s support as it continues a military campaign to try to crush the Tamil Tigers in their remaining stronghold in the north, says the BBC’s Roland Buerk in Colombo.

It will lay the foundation for limited devolution that the government says is the answer to Tamil complaints of domination by Sinhalese-led central governments, our correspondent adds.

The government hopes this will negate the rebels’ fight for a separate state – even as a civil war with the separatists rages on in the north where the rebels have their main stronghold.

About 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began in 1983. The rebels want an independent state for minority Tamils in the north and east.

source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7394488.stm

Latest News from Eastern frontA?a??A?

Published on 11/05/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments
Posted by Ajith on May 9, 2008
This is the latest news I received from Ampara today morning A?a??a?? which PAFFREL or most of the media will not want to tell.Panama – Pillayan has setup a new camp in Panama on May 7, 2008. This is supposed to house 200 of his cadre. For this he has forcefully occupied houses of few Sinhalese villagers. The villagers could not protest as PillayanA?a??a??s men were assisted by the security forces.

There is no other logical reason for Pillayan to establish this camp at a predominantly (80%) Sinhalese area at this point if not for intimidating voters at the elections.

The villagers of the area will carry out a protest today.

Meanwhile, sources at Lahugala reveals there is an attempt to set up a similar camp at Lahugala too. Most probably this will happen today. Purchase himcolin

I am at Lahugala, in the Ampara district. Write this just after finishing another round of campaigning and conducting pocket meetings.

Entire Eastern province has caught the election fever.

Election campaigning is fun. What adds to our enthusiasm is the awareness of the impending danger.

Cost of precose PillayanA?a??a??s henchmen are waiting to kill us. He is a terrorist and should not be trusted. The only shield we have against his arms is the support of the people. Whatever the powers this terrorist has we do not think he can just shoot anyone and flee. But the danger is there, everywhere. We have got over with is now. PillayanA?a??a??s terrorism should not stop us in our fight for democracy.

Just a brief background of the work I do.

I am in charge of six villages in Lahugala. They are Panama North, Shastrawela, Panama West, Lahugala, Pansalgoda and Hulanuge. My job is to campaign but I take pleasure in educating them on the danger of electing an armed terrorist A?a??a?? or more precisely letting his get elected through inaction. (That is what Pillayan tries to do. Massive pool riggings are expected on May 10th. That is why I said this is a fight for democracy. If Pillayan wins the losers will only be the people of this country.)

The areas I cover are predominantly Sinhala. Lets say 80%. But there are Tamils and Muslims as well. Travel few kms away the composition changes. For example the nearby Pottuvil area is predominantly Muslim (more than 90%)

JHU tries to do some campaigning here, with the backing of PillayanA?a??a??s gunmen, but without much success. JHU MP Akmeemana Dayaratne thero is using 16 government vehicles. (This is illegal but there is little we can do. Baduth hamuduruvange, naduth hamuduruvange!) We see these government vehicles run everywhere with PillayanA?a??a??s henchmen in black sit in the front seats. They do not show arms openly but surely they are under the clothes.

People themselves have started responding to JHU campaign negatively. Villagers ask where were all JHU supported when they were in trouble. JHU had to give up their initial idea of having a political meeting at the Lahugala temple, because villagers vehemently opposed it.

There is no sign of JVP A?a??a?? either faction.

I am still not sure exactly what sort of tricks Pillayan will pay in pool rigging, but even with that I am sure we would win Ampara with a significant margin. That is the level of support we receive at ground level from poor people who no more want to live under the twin tragedies of war and rising cost of living. People are determined to end the suffering and I do not think even the guns of Pillayan can stop that kind of determination.

Finally, this is a beautiful area. I wish I am on vacation. (More about the area on my next posts)

source:
http://bandaragama.wordpress.com/tag/lahugala/

UPFA leads in Arugam Bay & Pottuvil

Published on 11/05/2008 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent, Money Matters, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

Sun, 2008-05-11 12:34 To buy xeloda Buy nizagara india Colombo, 11 May, (Asiantribune.com): UPFA Leads in Pottuvil polling Division in the Pottuvil district with 58.56% percent, out of the total votes polled.

In the East Provincial Council Election, Pottuvil Polling Division in Pottuvil district, votes counts released.

Out of the total of 133,765 registered votes in the polling division,99,610 votes were polled. At the counting 6,344 votes were rejected.

Out of the 93,266 valid votes, United People’s Freedom Alliance obtained 54,619 votes which is 58.56% of the total votes polled, followed by United National Party which received 37,488 votes which was 40.19 %, and Janatha Vimukthi Perumuna received 490 votes which was 0.53%.

Given below the Pottuvil Polling Division votes received in the Amparai district by Political Parties and Independent Groups:

United People’s Freedom Alliance – 54619

United National Party – 37488

People’s Liberation Front – 490

United National Alliance – 270

United Socialist Party – 98

Independent Group 1 – 71

Nawa Sihala Urumaya – 52

Independent Group 9 – 32

Jathika Sangwardena Peramuna – 31

People’s Front of Liberation Tigers – 27

Independent Group 15 – 16

Independent Group 22 – 16

Independent Group 7 – 10

Independent Group 6 – 7

Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Pakshaya – 6

Independent Group 2 – 6

Independent Group 16 – 4

Independent Group 18 – 4

Independent Group 3 – 3

Independent Group 5 – 3

Independent Group 13 – 3

Independent Group 17 – 3

Independent Group 19 – 2

Independent Group 21 – 2

Ruhunu Janatha Party – 1

The Liberal Party – 1

Independent Group 10

– Asian Tribune –

source:
http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/11087

Election ‘fun’ in PottuVille

Published on 11/05/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments
 
 
Saturday, May 10, 2008

Aswar too becomes a rowdy

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(Lanka-e-News) President’s Adviser A.H.M. ASwer arrived in Sammanthurai, Al-Arfat school polling center in a vehicle bearing the number HW9736, trespassed No: 39 polling center Hall No: 01 and chased away the voters who had come for voting.
UNP media Bureau said that a group of thugs who came in vehicles bearing numbers 64-9347 (Pajero Intercooler), WP HH-7288 and 58-4198 assaulted a group travelled with MP Sarathchandra Rajakaruna at Thampalagamuwa in Trincomalee district.
The Vice Chairman of Ampara Pradeshiya Sabha Udeni Chinthaka came last night around 10 PM in a vehicle numbered 64-1804 and wielding a T-56 rifle and threatened W.A. Subasinghe, a UNP candidate.
UNP media bureau said that a group came in several vehicles with Minister Rishad Badurdheen attacked the vehicle of UNP MP Gayantha Karunathilaka and a group of people who were with him at Thoppur.
Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna came to Hulannuge polling center in Pottuvil in an Irrigation Department vehicle bearing the number 65-7293 and a led a mob to prevent people voting. UNP media bureau further said that armed cadres of Pillaiyan Group allied with UPFA chased away the voters from polling centers in Trincomalee, Thiriyaya, Kiliweddi and Seruwila.

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source:
Biaxin price list http://www.thecolombotimes.com/2008/05/aswar-too-becomes-rowdy.html

Tigers sink ship on polling day

Published on 10/05/2008 in press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

Tamil Tiger rebels have sunk a naval cargo ship in eastern Sri Lanka, hours before voting got under way in important local elections. Buy evecare himalya

The navy said a 65-metre (213-ft) ship was hit by an underwater blast caused by a suicide diver, though no other casualties were reported.

Rebels said the ship had been loaded with munitions destined for Sri Lankan troops operating in the north.

Saturday’s local polls are the first in the region in 20 years.

They follow a government offensive last summer.

Troops drove the Tamil Tigers from their bases in the region, which they had controlled for 13 years.

Thousands of extra troops and police have been deployed to ensure security for the elections in the east coast towns of Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Ampara.

On Friday, at least 11 people died in a bomb attack on a cafe in Ampara, which was blamed on the Tigers. There was no immediate comment from the rebels.

‘Sea Tiger’ attack

A Sri Lankan navy spokesman, Commander DKP Dassanayake, said the cargo vessel Invisible “sank due to an underwater explosion” at around 0215 local time (2045 GMT Friday).

“We suspect the blast was carried out by a suicide diver,” he said.

He gave no details of the ship’s cargo.

A rebel statement quoted by AFP news agency said “Sea Tiger underwater naval commandos” had attacked the ship just before dawn.

The army blamed the Tigers for the attack on the cafe in Ampara, in which 36 people were also wounded.

Fighting is continuing in the north where the rebels have their main stronghold.

About 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began in 1983. The rebels want an independent state for minority Tamils in the north and east.

The BBC’s Roland Buerk in Colombo says Saturday’s vote will lay the foundation for limited devolution that the government says is the answer to Tamil complaints of domination by Sinhalese-led central governments.

Story from BBC NEWS:
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New dawn in East

Published on 10/05/2008 in Money Matters, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

Monday’s live telecast of the Janapathi Janahamuwa (Meet the President) was perhaps a unique programme as it gave the Eastern people, including those in newly-liberated Vakarai (Batticaloa District), an opportunity to interact directly with the President via videoconference.

The sentiments of the people in the three Eastern centres (the others were Kinniya and Lahugala in Trincomalee and Ampara districts) were similar – they were thankful to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and to the Government for liberating the East from terrorism and giving them a chance to breathe freely again.

They also urged the President to accelerate the Eastern Resurgence drive. They also pointed out some problems unique to their own areas. President Rajapaksa noted that this was the very reason why the Easterners needed a separate Provincial Council and local bodies represented by their own representatives who know the needs and aspirations of the local population.

The Easterners were also adamant that the terrorists should never ever be allowed to raise their ugly head again in the East. The President vowed that the LTTE would never gain a foothold in the East again.

The LTTE will be cornered once the civilian administration takes over and addresses the social and development grievances of the people. The Easterners have already realised that LTTE domination resulted only in misery and that only the Government can offer a comprehensive development and welfare programme.

That goal will be affected if a party that is hostile to the Central Government is elected to govern the Provincial Council.

Another significant revelation was that the people have had no trouble from armed groups as alleged by certain parties.

As the President told the Eastern residents, it is time that we stopped casting aspersions on the TMVP simple because it remained as an armed group.

This is certainly not the first time that such a transformation has taken place. Indeed, there are some senior politicians who had participated in the youth insurrection of 1971.

All Tamil militant parties except the LTTE have entered the democratic mainstream today. Should we marginalise and criticise them all because of their past ?

Such a step would be an affront to democracy. It is hard to imagine now, but even the LTTE should be inducted to democracy one day if possible. That is the very essence of democracy – solving problems through the ballot, not the bullet.
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Terror funds

It is rarely that we get a glimpse of the secret operations of the Tigers away from the battlefield. When they do come out, one can realise the extent to which the Tigers will go to secure funds for their campaign of death and destruction.

Such revelations are now being published almost on a daily basis in the Canadian press. According to the National Post, counterterrorism investigators in Toronto have seized a letter signed by the leader of the LTTE directing Canadian Tamils to send him C$ 3 million.

This is by no means a small sum.

It indicates that the extortion of Tamil expatriates remains one of the most effective for the LTTE to fill their coffers, a fact that was also highlighted by the US State Department in its Sri Lanka section of the Country Reports On Terrorism 2008.

Prabhakaran’s letter also proves beyond any doubt that the LTTE operates several front organisations for this purpose, as it was found during a search of the Toronto office of the World Tamil Movement, which had earlier denied any links to the Tigers. In fact, the Canadian Police has described the WTM as the “Canadian branch” of the Tigers.

International cooperation is vital to check the Tigers’ money trail and for that matter, the money laundering activities of all terror groups.

The LTTE has collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in Quebec and Ontario and remitted it overseas to pay for arms and other materials.

The LTTE has been banned in Canada, US, European Union and many other countries. Hence, it cannot raise funds under its own name in these countries.

But the LTTE has always circumvented this problem by establishing so-called cultural or social organisations that seemingly have no connection to it.

Other countries should follow the Canadian example and investigate the front organisations of the Tigers.

Cutting off funding is one of the most effective ways of crippling terror outfits and the LTTE is no exception.

In this context, the UN must move quickly on the urgent implementation of international laws on terrorist financing.

source:
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/05/08/main_Editorial.asp