News vom 03.01.2006

[srilanka1998]

Sinhala Government Should Take Full Responsibility for the Murder in the Cathedral
[ TWG ] [ 12:28 GMT, Jan. 3, 2006 ]

This killing is not the single dastardly act committed by a madman on the spur of the moment. It is a calculated act of political assassination of Tamil leaders carried out by the government and its unscrupulous surrogates to eliminate the leadership of the Tamil people and to cower them into subjugation. This is what the odious apartheid regime in South Africa did to the leaders of the African National Congress. The roll call of our leaders killed by the Sinhalese is long and painful. We cannot forget the more than 75,000 Tamil victims of this cruel war on our people. The Sinhala establishment and their surrogates have assassinated in so-called peace-time, our top leaders such as Kumar Ponnambalam, Sivaram, and now Joseph Pararajasingham. How much more can we take before they come for us too.!


Canadians pay tribute to "Mamanithar" Pararajasingham
[ TamilCanadian ] [ 12:53 GMT, Jan. 3, 2006 ]

Canadians on January 2nd, Monday evening paused to mourn and pay tribute to the slain senior Tamil parliamentarian and human rights activist, Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham at the St. Columbia Church in Toronto, Canada, in a memorial organized by the Canadian Tamil Congress. Led by Canada's Minister of Defence, 4 parliamentarians from the Government, 5 representatives from official opposition, the Conservative Party and the third party, the New Democratic Party, a number of prominent Canadian human rights and peace activists, and a strong showing from the local Tamil community filled the church beyond its capacity. The Canadian Defence Minister and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Bill Graham, who had met Mr. Pararajasingham on two occasions, spoke at the memorial. 'It is a great privilege for me to be joined by fellow members of parliament and candidates of this election to pay tribute to a courageous, wise intelligent member of parliament for Sri Lanka,' said Minister Graham.


Five Tamil students killed by SL Special Forces in Trincomalee
[ LTTE Peace Secretariat ] [ 13:13 GMT, Jan. 3, 2006 ]

Five high school students, all under the age of 20, were shot through their ears and killed on Monday. The students, from Trincomalee Sri Koneswara Hindu College and St. Joseph's College, were as usual spending an evening at the popular family seaside location, near the seaside junction of Koneswara Road and Dockyard Road. Some of the students' parents were also with them. As they were standing with friends and family, a grenade was lobbed from an auto that drove past them. Witnesses said after the grenade attack on the students, the auto drove toward the Trincomalee Fort, where a Sri Lankan Army (SLA) camp is situated.


COLOMBO (AFP) - Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels accused troops of shooting dead five Tamil students in the restive northeastern port town of Trincomalee.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said the victims together with family members were relaxing at a seafront park on Monday when they were initially attacked with a grenade.

Within minutes, troops rushed to the scene and opened fire, a rebel statement said on Tuesday.

"As five of the students were being shot and killed, four other students tried to escape by running," it said.

"As they ran, the Sri Lankan military's special forces fired at them and the escaping students incurred injuries on their arms and legs."

The defence ministry said a grenade the students were carrying had exploded prematurely and caused the deaths of the five.

"Those young men, suspected to have arrived there in order to carry out an attack on the troops or the police, were on the beach at the time their grenade went off bringing death to five of them," the ministry said in a statement.

It said troops and police rushed to the scene and recovered one more grenade, an abandoned motorbike and four bicycles, believed to have been used by the victims.

The incident sparked tension in Trincomalee, 260 kilometres (160 miles) northeast of the capital. Large crowds gathered outside the main hospital while forensic tests were being carried out on the victims, local police officials said.

There has been a spate of deadly bomb attacks against security forces in the embattled northeast since last month in violence linked to the island's decades-old ethnic conflict.


Tamils flee Sri Lanka enclave, some want to fight
[ Reuters ] [ 13:14 GMT, Jan. 3, 2006 ]

Carrying their belongings in plastic bags and cardboard boxes, hundreds of residents are fleeing Sri Lanka's army-held northern Jaffna peninsula for Tamil Tiger territory. Some crossing a desolate no-man's land that separates military from Tiger-held areas said they were fleeing military harassment and feared the resumption of a two-decade civil war. Others said they wanted to fight alongside the rebels. At the Muhamalai border crossing to the de facto state the rebels control, a Tiger customs officer said on Tuesday 1,000 families had headed south in the last week. There is no official data.


The Pararajasingham murder ' the fall-out
[ TamilCanadian ] [ 14:39 GMT, Jan. 3, 2006 ]

A senior Tamil politician, a member of Parliament with a national and international standing who is totally committed to the Peace process has been murdered by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces and/or their agents. He had the complete backing of the Tamil Tigers and was clearly an important conduit between the Sri Lankan Government and the Tamil Tigers in any peace negotiations. His murder must put the Peace process in jeopardy. There must be a national and international response to this outrage.Where the Tamil people are concerned, there must be some decisive action taken. The Tamils are losing those who can effectively present their problems- nationally and internationally. People who could be their future leaders are being gradually taken out. The Tamils have some serious decisions that they will have to make.


Functioning National Police Commission essential in eliminating crime
[ HREA ] [ 16:01 GMT, Jan. 3, 2006 ]

At present then, the body given power by the constitution to exercise disciplinary control is not functioning. The sentiments expressed by the IGP and the Advisor to the Ministry of Defense will not carry much substance until disciplinary control is exerted. Further, crime and corruption will continue to increase, constituting a national menace and threat to people's security. This situation must not be allowed to continue. Those in positions of power must implement the provisions of the constitution without delay; the Constitutional Council must be appointed immediately, to allow for the appointment of commissioners to the NationalPolice Commission.


Card. O'Connor meets president of Sri Lanka
[ Asia News ] [ 16:35 GMT, Jan. 3, 2006 ]

The fragile peace process of Sri Lanka was at the centre of a meeting yesterday between Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor and President Mahinda Rajapakse. The Catholic Archbishop of Westminster is in the country to visit tsunami-hit areas on the first anniversary of the catastrophe on 26 December 2004.Cardinal O'Connor assured the president that the 'British Community and myself are very much with you and the people of Sri Lanka to bring peace to this beautiful island.' As regards the question of conversions and freedom of worship in the country, the president had announced ' during a visit to Buddhist monks in Kandy shortly after his election ' his intention of making the Religious Consultative Council effective to resolve controversies which may arise.


Sri Lanka divided on president's India visit
[ World Peace Herald ] [ 16:40 GMT, Jan. 3, 2006 ]

Rival communities of Sri Lanka are divided on President Rajpaksha's recent visit to India. According to The Times of India the majority Sinhalas feel that precious little has been achieved in terms of the country's number one problem -- the ethnic issue. But the minority Tamils feel that India has shown greater sensitivity to the Tamils sentiment than ever before. "India has indeed been treating us like a leper and avoiding involvement like the plague only because president Premadasa requested them to leave as they had not completed their obligations even after three years in this country, "wrote K Godage, senior columnist. He said India had made no comment on the LTTE's proposal for an Interim Self Governing Authority for the north eastern province though it did not accord with any known concept of a federal structure. "India has treated our leaders like children, "Godage said.


LTTE member and a Tamil Nationalist killed in Claymore attack by the SLA
[ LTTE Peace Secretariat ] [ 17:29 GMT, Jan. 3, 2006 ]

Major Jeyananthan, Vavuniya West LTTE Political Head and Mr. Vinotharan Thevarasa, a Tamil Nationalist were killed in a Claymore attack at Valaiyankattu, in Mullikkulam in Vavuniya District today 3 January 2006. The Claymore mine went off when they were travellling on a motorbike around 4.00 pm. Sri Lankan Army's deep penetration team was allegedly behind this Claymore attack, which killed Mr. Jeyananthan, a disabled cadre and the Nationalist.


Tamils youths 'shot in the head'
[ BBC ] [ 17:36 GMT, Jan. 3, 2006 ]

Tension remains high in the eastern Sri Lankan town of Trincomalee following conflicting reports regarding the deaths of five Tamil students. The Tamil Tiger rebels have accused government troops of a grenade attack on the students as they were sitting on the beach then opening fire as they tried to escape.However a spokesperson for the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM,) Helen Olafsdottir told BBC Sandeshaya there was evidence that all five of the students had been shot in the head in a manner that she described as resembling executions.Large crowds have gathered outside the main hospital while forensic tests are being carried out on the victims.

 

[diver]

tamil net:

Tamil businessman shot, injured in Wellawatte

[TamilNet, January 03, 2006 18:39 GMT]
Mr Balenthiran, a Tamil businessman and father of two children, was shot and seriously injured by unknown gunmen on Tuesday night 10.30 p.m. at Wellawatta in Colombo, near the Rolex Bakery, sources in Colombo said. He was rushed to the Kalubowila Hospital in critical condition and is expected to be transferred to Colombo General Hospital, medical sources said.
Motives behind the shooting is not known.
Sources say that the gunmen came in a white van and drove away after the shooting.
Mr Balendran is the owner of Atlas travels which serves Colombo-Jaffna travel service, according to sources.
His father, Mr Kandipan, is an announcer at the Shakthy Radio.
Mannar court remands Tamil youth

[TamilNet, January 03, 2006 18:26 GMT]
Mannar Magistrate Mr.N.M.M.Abdulla Tuesday ordered remand till January 4 for a Tamil youth, a resident of Mallawarayan-Kaddaiadampan in Mannar when Murunkan Police produced him on a report that he was taken into custody for possessing a number plate of the LTTE organization, legal sources said.
The Sri Lanka Army took the suspect S.N.S Jude Dorin into custody on January 2 morning around 6.30 a.m. and handed over him to the Murunkan Police the same day. During the investigation a number plate issued by the LTTE was recovered from the purse of the suspect. The suspect had stated that he picked up the number plate from the road when traveling after work, sources said.
The suspect has been undergoing carpenter training in a workshop in Uyilankulam area run by a private sector organization, sources said.
Civil group calls for general shut down, demands SLA vacate Trinco town

[TamilNet, January 03, 2006 17:36 GMT]
Trincomalee Tamil Resurgence Forum has called for a general shut down and to bring civil administration in the eastern port city to a standstill until the removal of all Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sentries and checkpoints. The orgainzers is also demanding the withdrawal of Sri Lanka armed forces from Trincomalee town. In a statement released Tuesday the Resurgence Forum has condemned the killing of Tamil students on Tuesday by Sri Lankan government armed forces.
The Tamil Resurgence Forum has called for the closure of government departments, non-governmental organizations, schools, tutories, banks, markets, cinema halls and business establishments until their demands are met, sources said.

The Forum appealed to Tamil people to observe the general shut down in a peaceful way and not to resort to violence under any circumstances.
It has called all residents to curtail their movement in the town, sources said.
Meanwhile, angry residents Tuesday destroyed several sentries and checkpoints of the armed forces set up close to schools and temples in the Trincomalee town after the erection of Buddha statue.
Immediately after the killing of Tamil students, soldiers manning several sentry points withdrew by night. They have not returned to their sentry points during the day, sources from Trincomalee said.

 

[srilanka1998]

Zusammenfassung des Tages

New finger print system
Dateline Colombo:
Web posted at: 1/3/2006 2:59:1
Source ::: The Peninsula

An automated finger printing system with Swedish assistance is to be set up connecting police stations across Sri Lanka to expedite investigations against criminals and terrorists, the Inspector General of Police said. Police chief Chandra Fernando told the Daily Mirror that the system will be introduced within this year and is expected to cost 700 million rupees. The system will expedite police investigations and will minimise criminal activities in the country, he said. Under this system all police stations will be provided with computers and other facilities to carry out DNA tests and finger print matching instantly. It will help the police to identify any suspect, who had been listed as an accused in earlier cases. All police stations would also be provided with new vehicles and other electronic equipment including new communication systems.


Delay in varsity admission

Thousands of bright students have been deprived of admission to Sri Lankan universities due to a faulty computer at the Department of Examinations for marking of answer scripts. The Island newspaper said the Examination Department is re-scrutinising 150,000 Bio and Physical Sciences Advanced Level answer scripts, including the controversial Chemistry I paper. Due to this, the enrollment of students to the universities, including the 16,292 already selected, has been suspended till the fresh results are submitted tomorrow to the University Grants Commission. The results of Chemistry I paper of the GCE Advanced Level 2005 examination, a multiple choice question paper, caused a controversy and had thousands of students and parents querying its validity and demanding that the education authorities re-scrutinise the answer scripts.


Jaffna banks to resume services

Civil and banking activities crippled for the past one week in the northern Jaffna Peninsula were due to resume yesterday, informed sources told the Daily News. The Tamil National Organisation of Trade Unions which had called for the complete shutdown of civil and banking activities in the Peninsula following the spate of violence in the region for the past several weeks, had withdrawn its appeal to shutdown civil and banking activities in the North. Work at all state institutions had come to a standstill for the past one week. The group was believed to be a front for Tamil rebels.


Air Force ready to down Tiger aircraft
Tuesday, January 03,2006

COLOMBO: The Air Force will not hesitate in neutralizing the LTTE's air power if and when the need arises Air Force Commander Air Vice Marshall Donald Perera said Monday."We should not think the LTTE has built an airstrip and acquired two light aircraft for the fun of it," he said adding that the Air Force had definite information on the light aircraft in the possession of the LTTE. There was also information that a second airstrip is being built by the LTTE also in a location within the area under their control in the Mullaitivu district.

He said should the LTTE try to fly its aircraft the SLAF will not hesitate to shoot them down. He said the SLAF staff committees had discussed the subject in depth and personnel of the SLAF had been briefed about the action necessary to be taken in the event of a contingency related to the aircraft in the hands of the LTTE.

Defence Intelligence has gathered information about the airstrip built by the LTTE at Iranamadu, in the rebel controlled area, as well as information about their possession of two light aircraft.


Norway's thankless task of building peace in Sri Lanka
BY AMEEN IZZADEEN (DATELINE COLOMBO)
3 January 2006

I AM yet to find a reason why the Norwegians are persisting in pursuing an elusive peace in Sri Lanka in spite of invectives directed at them by the so-called Sinhala hardliners. If someone says it is because the Norwegians are committed to peace, there is a presumption that they are motivated by a sublime conviction based on spirituality. But in secular democracies, politics is not driven by moral values based on religion but by national interests.

So what are the Norwegians trying to achieve in Sri Lanka? Probably, the offshore-oil-rich country, which is on top of the United Nations' Human Development Index, wants to make Sri Lanka a feather in its cap ' a foreign policy success story ' or carve a niche for itself in the international scene as the nation that has brought peace to the troubled world.

Of course, the Norwegians have done a yeomen service in bringing the parties to the Palestinian conflict to the negotiating table and working out a peace deal. Though the so-called Oslo Accord is largely observed in the breach by Israel, it has laid the foundation for continuous dialogue between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Apart from a foreign policy success, the Norwegian facilitation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has not brought any other visible benefits to the Scandinavian country.

But in Sri Lanka, some say the Norwegians have a hidden agenda ' probably they are eyeing contracts for the exploration of oil in the seas off Sri Lanka's northern region where the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is carrying out an armed struggle for a separate state. Others say Norway has a plan to Christianise Sri Lanka. The Norwegians are even branded by the Sinhala hardline parties such as the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and the Jathika Hela Urumaya as White Tigers. Smacks of racism, doesnt it?

During the campaign for the November 17 presidential election, these parties, allies of President Rajapakse, vowed to remove Norway from its facilitator role, alleging that the Norwegians were working hand in glove with the Tamil Tigers. In the two addresses to the nation in the afterglow of his election victory, Rajapakse ignored Norway and said he wanted to continue the peace process with the help of India, other' regional countries and the United Nations. But the LTTE said, "No Norway, no truce".

With even India, whom Rajapakse was banking on to tame the Tigers, declining to play a direct and more active role in the Sri Lankan peace process, Rajapakse was forced to come down from his hardline position and eat the humble pie amidst a worsening security situation in the country. If Norway doesn't do, who will? Rajapakse, now awakened to this reality, has officially though grudgingly invited Norway to continue its facilitator role.

Norway is playing a delicate role in the peace process. Its role is similar to that of an adult who tries to pacify a crying stubborn child with chocolates. The hardliners see the offer of chocolate to the rebels as giving too many concessions to them and brand the peace facilitator as pro-LTTE.

Norway is doing a thankless job in Sri Lanka, which failed to be the icing on the cake as Norway celebrated its 100th birthday in 2005. Although President Rajapakse has now fallen back on Norway, his hardline allies have not. Driven more by their ideology than political realism, JVP and JHU insist that Norway must be thrown out of the peace process.

Against this backdrop, a cold war is said to be developing between Norway and Sri Lanka. Displaying extreme patience, Norway remained steadfastly committed to its peace facilitator role in Sri Lanka. But not any more. It has now apparently decided that it's time that the new administration in Sri Lanka learnt a lesson or two in diplomacy and international politics. So when the new government in Sri Lanka called on the Oslo government, which is also new, to keep Erik Solheim, Norway's special envoy to Sri Lanka, out of the peace process, there was no response but a snub. Now the very envoy, whom the Rajapakse administration does not want in Sri Lanka, is returning to Sri Lanka not only as Norway's International Development Minister but also as the overall in charge of the Sri Lankan peace process.

The Solheim episode reminds me of an event that took place five centuries ago when Florence, an Italian city state then that depended on mercenary and foreign armies to defend its borders, complained to France that the assault on Pisa ended in failure because of the indiscipline of the French troops. The emissary who visited the court of Louis XII was Niccolo Machiavelli. The French derided him and called his city-state Ser Nihilo or Mr. Nothing. Machiavelli learnt a lesson and this was one of the incidents that inspired him to write The Prince. Although Norway has not been rude to Sri Lanka as France had been to Machiavelli's Florence, the Solheim episode offers a lesson in political realism. Are Sri Lanka's new rulers Machiavellian enough to learn this lesson?

Ameen Izzadeen is a senior Sri Lankan journalist based in Colombo


Sri Lankan Peace Process Going Astray
[Opinion] The 3-year, Norwegian-brokered truce is losing steam

For the past few years, Sri Lanka has witnessed a sad but, by now, predictable drama. Successive governments from that of former President Chandrika Kumaratunga to the current one under Mahinda Rajapakse have shed copious tears about the brutal civil war with the Tamil Tiger rebels that has killed around 65,000 since it began 22 years ago.

The bad news has gotten worse, as a ceasefire brokered by the Norwegian government three years ago is losing steam after a recent series of attacks by the Tamil Tiger rebels. Though the rebels had promised to take positive action to guarantee peace, it seems now that they are unwilling to stay in the background.

They haven't lost their desire for direct power, as further proved by their recent series of attacks against government security forces. This has promoted Hagrup Haukland, the head of the Norwegian ceasefire-monitoring team, to warn, "If this spate of violence is not halted, full-scale war may not be far away."

So far the Sri Lankan military has been restrained in its retaliation against the rebels' renewed assault. But the question is for how long. The Tamil Tiger's leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, last month threatened the government with more bloodshed if a settlement acceptable to the rebels is not reached within the next year.

Both the government and the rebels have promised to take proactive measures toward peace, and in doing so have raised public expectations for an end to the bloodshed. The danger, however, is that continued delays in implementing the agreement increase the danger that aggression will replace negotiation. If the two sides cannot agree on the next steps, the peace process, which has been based on close cooperation between the government and Tamil Tigers, could be in serious trouble.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse is urging donor countries to pressure the rebels to return to the ceasefire, but they instead show signs of increased aggression. Meanwhile, the Norwegian government, along with the European Union and Japan, has struggled to find a way around this obstacle, as the government and the rebels have been unable to agree even on a venue for emergency talks.

The situation in Indonesia offers an instructive contrast. Last year's devastating tsunami brought a sense of solidarity to Indonesia's restive Aceh province, giving a boost to its peace process. This week Indonesia withdrew the last of its troops from the region, after the rebel Free Aceh Movement (GAM) disbanded its military wing.

In contrast, the tsunami seems to have made things worse in Sri Lanka's conflict. The government and rebels have ended up squabbling over the large amounts of foreign aid offered for reconstruction, according to a report in The Economist. Instead of learning from the Indonesian experience, Sri Lanka is further sinking towards the abyss of chaos and uncertainty.

In the interim, let us hope that another compromise may be cobbled together over the next few months, if only because the government and Tamil Tiger rebels -- along with Norway and other major donor nations -- have invested too much in the peace process to see it collapse altogether.

But the embarrassment of recent series of attacks by the rebels might be costly in the long run as it has advertised to the world that the government and the rebels not only disagree about the basis issue of what to do next, but also are capable of badly misreading each other's intentions.

2006-01-03 14:55
©2006 OhmyNews


Situation Report as at UTC 0745(1315)
03 January 2006
[Web updated at UTC 0840 on 03 January 2006]

TRINCOMALEE

LTTE machinations cripple normalcy in Trincomalee

LTTE cadres (Tamil Tigers) on Tuesday (03) morning, disguised themselves as those from a so-called 'People's Organization' in TRINCOMALEE forced civilians and businessmen in the area to close down shops and their business ventures to protest against an alleged 'murder' of five young men the previous night.
As a result of those threats, normalcy in TRINCOMALEE was disrupted with closure of many shops, public and private agencies. Absence of transport facilities caused inconvenience to many commuters who were seen stranded at the central bus stand since morning hours on Tuesday (03).
School sessions in some schools have also been affected according to reports. However, security in the coastal town has been strengthened after loss of lives in Monday (02) night explosion.
LTTE’s latest strategy, as it appears, was meant to blame the Security Forces and the Police for its own failed machinations and thereby try to provoke the masses in order to bring discredit to the Security Forces and Policemen.
The accidental explosion of a hand grenade on the beachside at TRINCOMALEE, near the library last night (02) at about 8.00 p.m. killed five young men and injured two others. (See separate story on Home Page & Situation Report Tuesday, 03.01.2006)
Information further confirmed that some motorbike riding LTTE men were seen early this morning roaming around and asking the public to remain indoor, as a token of protest to the alleged 'killing' of five young men on Monday (02) night.

Five young men fall victim to their own hand grenade
THE ACCIDENTAL EXPLOSION of a hand grenade on the beachside at TRINCOMALEE, near the library last night (02) at about 8.00 p.m. killed five young men and injured two others.
Those young men, suspected to have arrived there in order to carry out an attack on the troops or the Police, were on the beach at the time their grenade went off bringing death to five of them.
Troops assisted by the Police rushed to the scene and recovered one more grenade, an abandoned motorbike and four push bicycles, believed to have been brought or used by the victims.
Troops also detected the detonator pin of the exploded grenade from the location of the explosion.
Four of the victims have been identified as D. ROSHAN (20), Y. HEMACHANDRAN (20), S. RAJENDAN (20) and S. THANGATHURAI, all of them from TRINCOMALEE area.
The other dead youth is yet to be identified.
Injured two victims, KOVULARAJ and KUVALAINDARAN were admitted to TRINCOMALEE hospital for treatment.
The Police maintain that those youngsters would have been assigned to carry out an attack on the Security Forces on duty by LTTE men who have been using civilians as human shields.
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) was to be informed.
The TRINCOMALEE Police investigations are on.

Armed men flee on seeing troops
AIR FORCE TROOPS on duty in the general area between VELVERIKULAM and KANNIYA in MORAWEWA, TRINCOMALEE on Monday (02) at about 9.10 a.m. observed the movement of two suspected armed LTTE men in the area and fired several rounds of small arms towards those armed men.
Troops immediately launched a search and clearance in the area as those armed men began to flee on seeing the approach of the troops.
The movement was to be reported to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM).

JAFFNA

More & more LTTE arms & ammunition recovered from safe houses

ONE T-56 WEAPON, ONE MAGAZINE, eleven rounds of T-56 ammunition and one hand grenade were among arms and ammunition recovered from an LTTE safe house in the general area of KONDAVIL, JAFFNA on Monday (02).
On information received from a civilian, troops conducted a search into the house and found one T-56 weapon, one magazine, eleven rounds of T-56 ammunition and one hand grenade.
The early morning raid into this abandoned house re-confirmed that LTTE men, on the contrary to what they claim, continue to hide deadly weapons and ammunition in abandoned houses, belonging to LTTE sympathizers or LTTE Mahaveer families who have settled in JAFFNA after their return from un-cleared areas eighty seven of those families have now returned to un-cleared areas during the last few days due to the increased searches carried out by the Security Forces.
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission was to be informed.
The JAFFNA Police investigations are on.

BATTICALOA

Officer trying to settle the dispute injured
AN ARMY OFFICER, who witnessed the murder of a civilian by an unknown gunman in the general area of MAVADIVEMBU in BATTICALOA area around 10.45 a.m. Monday (02), sustained injuries when he tried to confront the assassins who gunned down the civilian.
Troops with the injured officer were on routine patrol when they saw a skirmish in a nearby location where there had been a small group of people quarrelling with one another.
Troops closed in on as soon as the sound of firing was also heard at the same time and tried to intervene, but found that one man in the group has already fallen dead with bleeding gunshot injuries.
One of those noisy men in the rush suddenly confronted the officer who visited the scene but a pistol shot pierced one of his legs as all others began to flee in the melee leaving the dead body behind.
The dead man, G. PRABHAKARAN of Gramaseva Mawatha, VANDARAMOOLAI, is from MAVADIVEMBU area.
The officer injured in the incident was evacuated to hospital.
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) was to be informed.
The VALAICHCHENA Police are conducting investigations.


Inquiry called for student killing

Tamil parliamentarians in Sri Lanka have called upon the authorities to bring the killers of five Tamil students into justice.
R. Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) accused the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) of killing the students in Trincomalee on Monday evening.

The Trincomalee district MP told the BBC Sandeshaya (Sinhala Service) that killing was 'state terrorism unleashed on the Tamils'.

Army denial

But SLA denied that they have any involvement with the killing.

Military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe who confirmed that there were gun shot injuries told bbcsinhala.com that the police is conducting an inquiry into the incident. He did not name any suspects.

Tension remains high in the eastern town following conflicting reports regarding the deaths.

The Tamil Tiger rebels have accused government troops of a grenade attack on the students as they were sitting on the beach then opening fire as they tried to escape.

'Shot in the head'

But the Sri Lankan defence ministry said the students were suspected rebels planning an attack and the grenade they were carrying exploded prematurely causing the deaths.

It said the police recovered one more grenade at the scene.

However a spokesperson for the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM,) Helen Olafsdottir, told BBC Sandeshaya there was evidence that all five of the students had been shot in the head in a manner that she described as resembling executions.

Large crowds have gathered outside the main hospital while forensic tests are being carried out on the victims.


Tamils flee Sri Lanka enclave, some want to fight
03 Jan 2006 12:53:55 GMT
Source: Reuters

MUHAMALAI, Sri Lanka, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Carrying their belongings in plastic bags and cardboard boxes, hundreds of residents are fleeing Sri Lanka's army-held northern Jaffna peninsula for Tamil Tiger territory.

Some crossing a desolate no-man's land that separates military from Tiger-held areas said they were fleeing military harassment and feared the resumption of a two-decade civil war. Others said they wanted to fight alongside the rebels.

At the Muhamalai border crossing to the de facto state the rebels control, a Tiger customs officer said on Tuesday 1,000 families had headed south in the last week. There is no official data.

As armed rebels walked by, several families arrived in packed minibuses and autorickshaws.

"I expect a very large number of people to cross over and come to this side," said Thana Balasingam, coordinator for the Kilinochchi Development, Relief and Rehabilitation Organisation (KDRRO), working to house them near the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE) stronghold of Kilinochchi.

"All the people of Jaffna will cross over and they will come to the areas controlled by the LTTE, and then we will think about the recapture of Jaffna," he added at a newly built school used to house 35 people. "For that, the people will help us."

Some say notices from suspected rebel fronts told them to leave, and complain that night-time army searches, checkpoints and beatings have made life around Jaffna -- seen as a key goal for the rebels in any war -- intolerable.

FEAR

"There is too much fear for us to live in Jaffna," said 70-year-old Ramalingham Nagendra, climbing down from a truck in the rebel capital of Kilinochchi with all his possessions in five bags and three boxes.

"Many people are leaving. More than 10 trucks left my village today."

Observers say the rebels have a strong presence in Jaffna, where a Tiger boycott of a Nov.17 presidential poll deterred hundreds of thousands of people from voting and scuppered the chances of the more conciliatory candidate.

Some analysts said the boycott, which helped bring Mahinda Rajapakse to power, suggested the rebels were fed up with the peace process. Experts say they have used the truce to buy time to re-group and re-arm.

The government and the rebels both say they want peace, but a string of suspected rebel mine attacks on troops in the north and east has pressured a 2002 truce and diplomats fear war may be just around the corner.

Many ordinary Tamils in the north and east feel sidelined economically by the majority Sinhalese in the south, and while they may not agree with the Tigers' methods, would rather administer themselves.

Others want the Tigers to use force.

"War is necessary in the present situation. It is essential," said former mason Sarvanandam Anandarajah, who says he arrived last week from army-held territory but has yet to join the rebels. "We will join the LTTE and fight along with them so the Sri Lankan Army will leave Jaffna."


Tigers may target top Lankan leaders
PK Balachandran
Colombo, January 3, 2006|19:48 IST

Sri Lankan police say that 62 LTTE cadres may be lurking in Colombo to assassinate top Sri Lankan political leaders including President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

"We have had intelligence reports to this effect for sometime now," Pujitha Jayasundara, DIG Colombo district, told Hindustan Times on Tuesday.

It was to catch these elements that the police launched a massive cordon and search operation in eight districts of the capital city last Friday and Saturday, and took in for questioning over 900 people, Jayasundara said.

Most of those taken in were, of course, Tamils.

The Tamil press bitterly complained about this in front page stories with pictures on Monday, but Jayasundara said that there was no harassment and that public cooperation was total.

He said that among the leaders targeted by the LTTE were senior ministers and leaders of political parties like Douglas Devananda of the Eelam Peoples' Democratic Party (EPDP), Rauff Hakeem of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and V Anandasangaree of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF).

Out of the hundreds detained in the operation conducted by 4,000 policemen, most were released, but five were arrested on suspicion that they had links with the LTTE, Jayasundara said.

According to him, the LTTE was planning to create mayhem in Colombo and distract the government's attention from Jaffna, which the terror outfit was planning to attack massively with the idea of capturing it.

Defense expert Iqbal Athas had written in The Sunday Times that the LTTE was planning to lay a siege to Jaffna in a swift operation very soon to force the 45,000 Sri Lankan security forces personnel stationed there to surrender.

Political observers say that the LTTE may be planning to begin negotiations with the Sri Lankan government from a position of strength after the capture of Jaffna.


Five killed in Trincomalee blast
Tuesday, January 3, 2006, 12:07 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Jan 03, Colombo: Five people were killed yesterday night in a bomb blast on the Trincomalee-Fort coastal highway. Two more injured in the blast were admitted to the Trincomalee Hospital.

Defence sources suspect the bomb exploded while in transport. A hand grenade was also found at the scene during search operations following the explosion. Trincomalee Harbour Police are conducting further investigations.


Sri Lanka delegation to meet Condoleezza Rice
Tuesday, January 3, 2006, 12:47 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Jan 03, Colombo: A top Sri Lankan delegation led by Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera has left for the United States to meet US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and several other high-level members of the US administration.

The Foreign Ministry said yesterday that the delegation will return to the island on January 8. 'During his six-day visit, Samaraweera will meet with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, senior officials of the US administration and members of the US Congress.'

The Sri Lankan Foreign Minister will also meet with members of the Sri Lanka-USA Business Council and Sri Lanka Association in his first visit to the United States since assuming office last November, the Ministry added.


LTTE-backed civilians launch hartal in Trincomalee
Tuesday, January 3, 2006, 13:59 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Jan 03, Colombo: LTTE-backed civilians calling themselves the 'People's Organization' launched a hartal campaign in Trincomalee today against the alleged murder of five young men the previous night.

Military spokesperson Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said that due to the campaign, normalcy was disrupted in Trincomalee with the closure of many shops and public and private agencies. Absence of transport facilities caused inconvenience to many commuters who were seen stranded at the central bus stand since the morning.

'The campaign was meant to blame the security forces and the police for its own failed machinations and thereby try to provoke the masses in order to bring discredit to the security forces and policemen,' Brig. Samarasinghe said.

The accidental explosion of a hand grenade on the beachside at Trincomalee last night killed five young men and injured two others, military sources reported.


UK's Catholic Church to take action against LTTE activities
Tuesday, January 3, 2006, 12:51 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Jan 03, Colombo: British Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, who is on a tour in Sri Lanka, has promised President Mahinda Rajapaksa that he would mediate to end LTTE activities including collection of funds within the United Kingdom.

The British Cardinal made the promise during a meeting at the Temple Trees yesterday when President Rajapaksa urged him to help end LTTE activities in the UK. The Cardinal promised that the Catholic Church in the UK would pay attention and take action regarding Tiger activities in the UK.

The President also informed the visiting British Cardinal that although LTTE members have been banned from traveling in EU countries, they continue to collect money by extortion in the UK.

The visiting Cardinal has decided to donate Rs. 75 billion to rebuild tsunami devastated houses.


Sri Lanka rejects LTTE's offer for prisoner exchange
Tuesday, January 3, 2006, 12:39 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Jan 03, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government has turned down the LTTE's offer for a prisoner exchange. Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake says it is impossible for the government to exchange prisoners with a terrorist organization, meeting all their demands.

He made this comment after relatives of three policemen detained by the LTTE asked him to consider the Tigers' request. The relatives met the Premier last week to discuss the policemen's release. After meeting with the LTTE, inter-religious leaders conveyed to the government that the LTTE is willing to exchange the policemen for LTTE members taken into custody for violating the law and order.

'Every possible step would be taken for their release through the influence of international organizations,' Prime Minister Wickramanayake said. He also stated that the government is continuously engaged in this effort, although it is not possible for it to exchange prisoners.

The policemen, attached to the National Child Protection Agency, were detained last year for entering a LTTE-controlled area in order to arrest an absconding pedophile.