Security News vom 20.02.2006
Explosives found inside passenger bus, police detain 47 people
Updated:2006-02-20 00:27:09
AP
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - Police found two powerful anti-personnel mines inside a passenger bus traveling from northern Sri Lanka, which officials said Monday they suspect were being transported to the capital by Tamil Tiger rebels.
The bus was heading to Colombo from the northern town of Vavuniya on Sunday night when it was stopped at a road block in Saliyawewa village in Puttalam district, 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Colombo, military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said.
He said police found two strong anti-personnel mines, a hand grenade and two detonators inside a parcel on the bus. All 45 passengers on the bus, the driver and the conductor were detained for questioning, he added.
Samarasinghe said the military believes that Tamil Tiger rebels may have been transporting the mines to Colombo.
The discovery comes as Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger representatives prepare to meet in Geneva on Tuesday to save a four-year-old cease-fire that has come under threat because of frequent violence.
The government has accused the Tigers of increasingly using Claymore anti-personnel mines since December, killing 81 security forces personnel.
The rebels have denied the allegation and in turn accused the government of backing rival groups in a proxy war against the guerrillas.
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels began fighting the government in 1983 to create a separate state for minority Tamils accusing the majority Sinhalese-dominated state of discrimination.
About 65,000 people were killed in the conflict before the Norway-brokered cease-fire was signed on Feb. 22, 2002. Peace talks broke down in April 2003 when the rebels withdrew over disagreements on postwar power sharing.
Sri Lanka, Nepal ban import of Indian poultry products
February 20, 2006 11:20 IST
In a "pre-emptive" measure, Sri Lanka has banned import of all the poultry products from India in view of the neighbouring country's confirmation of the first bird flu infection death.
"We advise the public not to bring poultry products from India and we request people, who have visited agricultural areas in India, to report immediately to the authorities since the virus could spread from many ways other than the consumption of poultry," Health Ministry Epidemiology Unit Director Dr Nihal Abeysinghe was quoted as saying by the state-run Daily News Monday.
Eat chicken, no need to panic: government
Eat chicken, no need to panic: government
February 20, 2006 09:17 IST
"Eat chicken, no need to panic," was the advice that Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss late on Sunday night as he maintained that the situation arising out of the outbreak of bird flu in Navapur, Maharashtra, was totally under control.
He, however, said the source of the outbreak has not yet been ascertained as the government was now focusing on containing the deadly disease from spreading.
"Rapid response teams have been rushed to the affected areas in Maharashtra. We have quarantined the entire area and the first phase of culling of three-to-five lakh chicken has begun," Ramadoss said.
He said only three birds have been tested positive for H5N1 strain till now and arrangements have been made to vaccinate poultry in the affected areas of Navapur tehsil of Maharashtra's Nandurbar district and Surat district in Gujarat.
"People need not panic. It is safe to eat a chicken after heating it for 20 minutes or 70 degree centigrade," Ramadoss said.
Teams from the National Institute of Communicable Disease are vaccinating poultry birds in a 10-kilometre radius of the affected area while simultaneously culling of chicken was going on in around 16 farms in Navapur, Ramadoss said.
"One million vaccines, adequate stocks of Tamiflu, the anti avian flu drug, protective gears have been rushed to the affected area," he said.
"The situation is under control. People need not panic," he said and rubbished reports of a person succumbing to birdflu in Surat district of Gujarat.
"There are reports that a person had died due to bird flu. Absolutely not. He has not been associated with affected birds in Navapur. The cause of his death was septicemia," he added.
He said the government has lifted samples from people associated with birds and sent them for testing.
Ramadoss said he was in touch with the chief minister of Maharashtra, the Prime Minister's office, Home Ministry and officials of the animal husbandry department and is monitoring the situation.
"We have sent advisory to all states to report immediately if there is any suspected case of bird flu irrespective of whether the number is less or more," he added.
"Whether Lanka will be affected by the virus will depend on how soon India is able to contain it. Every country affected by bird flu has tried to contain it within that particular locality and even small countries like Cambodia were able to do it," he said.
However, the ministry has taken all precautionary measures to ensure that the virus does not spread to the country.
According to Dr Abeysinghe, the health department was carrying out surveillance in all areas and discussed with hospital authorities on providing isolation and intensive care facilities during an outbreak, with the World Bank pledging to provide financial assistance to equip the Angoda National Hospital with the latest facilities.
Pledging to take all possible measures to prevent the deadly virus from affecting Sri Lanka, health authorities said in Colombo Sunday they were strengthening their plans to block the virus from entering the country and to detect it at the earliest possible time in the event of an outbreak.
The authorities also openly requested the public to take all hygienic measures including washing and sterilising in consuming poultry products.
The government has already stopped the import of poultry products and pet birds from countries affected by the virus while a stock of the anti Avian flu drug, Tamiflu, sufficient for treating 1,000 infected persons, have been brought down from the World Health Organisation.
The health officials have also been sent to Hong Kong to be trained in the use of a new technology in surveillance. The officials, in all parts of the country, will be given a special training once they return to the country.
Agriculture and Livestock Department Director Dr S Amarasekere has warned that there "is a 'high risk' of the H5N1 bird flu virus spreading to the country from India since most of its migrating birds come from the western parts of the neighbouring country".
"The government will have to focus on carrying out researches and take preventive measures. But the measures we can take are very limited because even though we have cancelled permits to import poultry, there is no active surveillance of wild birds," Dr Amarasekere was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Nepal has banned import of poultry and poultry products from India and activated all quarantine posts along the Indo-Nepal border after India reported its first outbreak of bird flu.
"We have decided to discontinue import of poultry products from India," Dalaram Pradhan, director general at the Department of Livestock Services said.
The government has asked importers not to import live birds and poultry products. The decision would remain in force till international institutions certify that the epidemic no more exists in India, he added.
Nepal has already banned import of poultry products from Thailand, Germany and Indonesia. The government has activated all 24 quarantine check posts in border areas including Tatopani in Sindhupalchowk district bordering Tibet to check possible outbreak of bird flu.
Students killings: Court calls for JMOs report on STF suspects
Sarath MALALASEKERA
COLOMBO: Chief Magistrate and Additional District Judge Ms. Sarojini Kusala Weerawardena directed the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), probing the killing of five students in Trincomalee, to obtain a JMO's report of the 13 STF suspects who are detained in connection with the killing.
At the outset Chief Inspector Perera of the CID submitting a further report in connection with the incident moved court to produce the suspects before the JMO in order to obtain medical reports on them.
The CID commenced investigation into the killing on a complaint made by the acting OIC of the Trincomalee Police Station.
Five students were killed and two other students were seriously injured following the shooting and bomb throwing incidents near the Trincomalee Dockyard Road junction on January 2, 2006. The CID told court that the suspects had been detained under the orders of the Defence Secretary.
Following the incident Logidashan Roshan, Shanmugarajah Sachendran, Yogarajah Hemachandra, Thangathurai Sivanandam, Manoharan Rajiharan of Trincomalee were killed. Parajasingham Kowualraj of Dockyard, Trincomalee and Yoganathan Punakalogan of Thakkiya Road, Trincomalee were injured.
LTTE fund raiser to follow Geneva talks
Monday, February 20,2006
COLOMBO: Reports from Geneva indicate that the LTTE will make use of the opportunity to visit Switzerland to give a further boost to its war chest.
The LTTE delegation will be meeting Tamil business people living in Switzerland after their scheduled CFA talks for the purpose of raising funds.
This has caused concern to many Tamil businessmen who are paying 'taxes' to the LTTE under duress. The scheduled meeting which they are under pressure to attend, they fear, will be used to increase the 'taxes' they are already paying.
The LTTE's Tamil Television Network (TTN), International Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) and the Eelamurasu Tamil newspaper are jointly arranging a series of functions for the LTTE delegation.
One such gathering for business people has been organised by TTN, IBC and Eelamurasu for February 26, 2006 at Thamilini Restaurant, Martastr 145, 8003 Zurich. In a letter sent to all the Tamil businesses, dated February 15, 2006 by the organisers, it is stated that LTTE's political head S. P Thamilchelvan, 'Police Chief' P Nadesan and 'Colonel' Jeyam will be attending the function.
The translation of the letter sent to the businesses is as follows:
A meeting with the business community:
Dear Sirs, A dinner meeting has been arranged for the business community to meet the Political Head S P Thamilchelvan, 'Thamil Eelam Police Chief' P Nadesan and Commanding Chief 'Col.' Jeyam on 26.02.2006 Sunday at 5.00 pm at Thamilini Restaurant, Martastr 145, 8003 Zurich.
We invite all business proprietors to attend the event.
For further information contact: 079 643 02 12.
Thanks,
Yours truly,
Tamil Television Network, International Broadcasting Corporation and Eelamurasu Newspaper.
Questions are being asked as to the modus operandi of the LTTE delegation stretching their stay in Geneva.
It is said that the delegation is making best use of their visit by going to Geneva well in advance and staying behind longer to accomplish their ulterior motives to raise funds.
It is also reported, when Thamalini Restaurant was contacted, they confirmed that dinner and dance programme will take place to raise funds for the Tamil cause.
It is alleged that the fund collectors of the LTTE are visiting Tamil shops in Zurich and compelling the business people to attend the dinner function and the shops are told to generously give hard currencies when an appeal is made by S. P. Thamilchelvan at the function.
