The Bank of Ceylon has come forward to support the construction industry by being a main sponsor and Banker to Excon 2008, the annual trade fair of the Chamber of Construction Industry Sri Lanka.

This was announced by Ms. W.A. Nalini, Deputy General Manager of the Bank at a Press Conference held recently which was presided over by Hon. Dr. Rajitha Senarathne, Minister of Construction & Engineering Services. Ms. Nalini added that the Bank of Ceylon is happy to associate itself with the Chamber of Construction Industry in its endeavours to enhance the capacities and competitiveness of the domestic construction industry for which Excon 2008, a major initiative of the Chamber, is being held during the period 9th -11th May 2008 at the BMICH.

She also stated that Bank of Ceylon will assist Sri Lankan construction companies which have succeeded in acquiring overseas business linkages consequent to a campaign carried out by the Chamber of Construction Industry in the Gulf region in association with the Ministry of Construction and Engineering Services and the Ministry of Export Development and International Trade. Acceding to a request made by Chamber of Construction Industry CEO/Secretary General Mr. Dakshitha Thalgodapitiya, Ms. Nalini pledged the support of the Bank to promote the SME sector of the construction industry, which is the way forward to promote the domestic construction industry, by using the largest island wide Banking network. Bank of Ceylon popularly known as the “Bankers to the Nation” has been in the forefront of supporting the construction industry by being bankers to the majority of major and specialist contractors in Sri Lanka.

This strategic alliance between the Bank of Ceylon and the Chamber of Construction Industry which represents every industry stakeholder will signal the dawn of a new era for the domestic construction industry, particularly in view of the ambitious industry development plans unfolded by the construction minister Dr. Rajitha Senarathne at the media briefing.

Sri Lanka police Special Task Force (STF) personnel foiled an LTTE attempt to infiltrate the Kabethigollawa area this morning (May 1). Two terrorists and two police commandos were killed in this incident.

According to the defence sources, the police commandos were targeted in a claymore attack around 6.45 am while engaged in a routine route clearing patrol, along the newly established forward defence in Dutuwawa. The two STF personnel were killed due to the explosion.

The STF personnel retaliated immediately, killing two LTTE cadres. One T-56 riffle has been found during the subsequent search, the sources said.

Following the successful accomplishment of its mission in the East, the STF was redeployed in the Wanni theatre, particularly to provide security for the civilian villages endangered by terrorist attacks. LTTE terrorists have killed thousands of innocent civilians living in Kebathigollawa, Dutuwawa, Yakawawa, and other villages in number of village massacres, bus bombs, claymore bombs and mass executions during its 3 decades of terrorist campaign against Sri Lankan citizens.

Air force fighter jets pounded two LTTE Artillery gun positions located in Athankulam and Komalamonai ahead of Forward Defence Line this morning between 11.15am and 11.30am today (30). Meanwhile, Air force fighter jets pounded a LTTE strong point located in Andankulam area.

The IRRATTEPERIYAKULAM Police, VAVUNIYA manning the IRRATTEPERIYAKULAM road block checked a private bus proceeding from VAVUNIYA towards MEDAWACHCHIYA in the afternoon on Wednesday (30).

A UNDP worker under the World Food Program with the Identity card in English " UND55067" when checked had with him a micro- pistol, an empty magazine , a CD player(Walkman) with five CD's a mobile telephone and Rupees 36610/.

The suspect had stated that he was employed at the KILLINOCHCHI UN office at the time of arrest.

VAVUNIYA Police are conducting investigations.

PresidentPresident Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his message to mark May Day said the working class had contributed to many victories the country had achieved and he considered it fortunate that he had been able to commemorate the May Day with the workers of this country.

He added "I would like to say on this day that the development programmes we implement were aimed at the aspirations of our working class. The efforts of the government are in trying to achieve prosperity for the nation under the Mahinda Chintana policy. I appreciate the cooperation of the working class in the implementation of that policy.

"It is also very heartening to note that the working class always acted together without considering ethnic, religious or class differences and we are aware that the working class suffered the most when peace was violated. In the effort to defeat terrorism the working class had been patiently cooperating with the government as they were concerned about the future of the country.


"The government, despit all the challenges it had to face, had implemented a development programme and to protect the rights and privileges of the working class and it was necessary to strengthen the national economy to enjoy true freedom. It is in considering the problems of the working class that the government decided to impose price control on essential food. The government will continue to protect the rights of the working class while making efforts with dedication to develop the national economy.

The services of Sri Lankan Cricket (SLC) media manager Samantha Algama was terminated last night by the Cricket board President Arjuna Ranatunga.
Speaking to media Algama alleged the move was related to a tender controversy and the publicity it got in the media. “If he thinks by terminating my services he can silence the media then he is sadly mistaken.”

Two Special Task Force (STF) officers were killed in a claymore explosion while they were engaged in a route clearing patrol in Dutuwewa, Vavuniya this morning.

The Government of Sri Lanka has proclaimed that Justice PN Bhagwati, Chairman of the IIGEP, hasclarified the IIGEP's assessment that the Government of Sri Lanka lacks the political will to ensurethe success of the Commission of Inquiry.
The Members of the IIGEP stand by the clear assertionsof their Concluding Public Statement, and disassociate themselves from any attempt by theGovernment of Sri Lanka to reformulate and re-interpret that unanimously agreed textIn fact, the letter to H.E. the President from Justice PN Bhagwati merely expresses the obvious,namely that the IIGEP cannot know for sure, but fears ('apprehends') that the political will is absent.
Itis lamentable that the Government of Sri Lanka continues to divert attention from the central truth inthis matter – that is, the problem of impunity for serious human rights violations and the need for theCommission to get to the bottom of that impunity.The IIGEP's positions, including its observations of the work of the Commission, are reflected in thesix public statements it has made, which are available at the IIGEP website (www.iigep.org).
Theycontain all the information necessary to refute all the smears and misrepresentations levelled by theGovernment of Sri Lanka against the IIGEP and its eminently professional Assistants.
END

Shell Gas reduces 12.5 kg gas cylinder's price by 20 Rupees with effect from midnight today.
Accordingly the revised price will be Rs.1729.

The army headquarters say 9th group of the Sri Lanka army that has been assigned to peacekeeping missions in Haiti will leave the country in the next few days. The group comprises 200 security personnel.
In addition a battalion of 750 soldiers of the Gamunu regiment of the Sri Lanka army will also be sent to serve in Haiti as UN peacekeepers. A parade of these security personnel was held at the headquarters of the artillery regiment in Panagoda yesterday.

Meanwhile, a meeting between army commander Sarath Fonseka and Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Kathie Klugman was held at the army headquarters yesterday.

The security forces have started launching heavy attacks on several LTTE strongholds in Mannar.
The troops say the attacks are being carried out since early this morning. The forces have gone forward from their original positions in Parayakulam, Karakkulam and Karttankulam to launch heavy attacks on the terrorists. The troops intercepting the enemy communication confirmed that 11 terrorists were killed and more than 20 were injured by this afternoon.
Meanwhile, the troops attacked a LTTE base named One White in Mannar killing over 40 terrorists. The LTTE shelled to the Siripura area in Welioya where the civilians are living. One person was injured in the attack.

By Anusha Ondaatjie

April 30 (Bloomberg) -- Sri Lanka's inflation accelerated at the fastest pace in at least four years in April on higher food and energy costs, threatening economic growth.

Consumer prices in the capital Colombo rose 25 percent from a year earlier, after increasing 23.8 percent in March, the statistics department said today. The median estimate of 10 analysts in a Bloomberg survey was for a gain of 25.1 percent.

Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal, who has said the nation needs to rein in inflation to achieve 7 percent growth this year, may need to do more to check prices. Inflation in 2008 may exceed the bank's target as commodity prices reach records, requiring ``tight monetary policy,'' he said April 12.

``I hope the central bank will give priority to controlling inflation,'' said Vajira Premawardhana, head of research at Lanka Orix Securities Pvt. in Colombo. ``The flip side is compromising on growth.''

The central bank, which this month kept its key interest rate at 10.5 percent for the 14th straight meeting, may need to consider increasing the proportion of deposits that commercial lenders must place with it or let the currency appreciate to cool runaway inflation, according to Fitch Ratings.

Central Bank of Sri Lanka has kept monetary policy tight with its daily open-market operations to adjust the amount of cash in the banking system and by controlling credit demand.

Growth, Inflation

Annual inflation, or the 12-month moving average increase in prices, jumped to 18.7 percent in April. The central bank is targeting annual inflation of about 10 percent for 2008.

The authority joins other Asian central banks in balancing the threat of slowing growth against quickening inflation. India's central bank yesterday unexpectedly ordered lenders to set aside more reserves for the second time in less than two weeks to tame soaring prices.

The South Asian island economy may expand 7 percent in 2008, at the lower end of the range estimated in November, the central bank said in its annual report on April 8.

Growth may slow to 5.8 percent this year from 6.8 percent in 2007 amid central bank measures to cool inflation, James McCormack, head of Asia-Pacific sovereign ratings at Fitch Ratings, said April 10.

Price gains this month were led by a 40.2 percent increase in the cost of food and beverages. Housing and utility prices gained 11.1 percent.

Sri Lanka, which gets two-thirds of its electricity from oil-fired plants, levied a 30 percent ``fuel-adjustment charge'' on some users from March 15. Crude oil futures touched a record $119.93 on April 28. Prices are up 76 percent from a year ago.

April's year-on-year inflation was the fastest since 2004, according to data compiled by the statistics department for a new index going back to that year.

To contact the reporter on this story: Anusha Ondaatjie in Colombo, Sri Lanka at anushao@bloomberg.net

Myanmar Monks in Sri Lanka call on United Nation


Myanmar Monks in Sri Lanka peacefully demonstrate in front of United Nation Office 2 pm today .
Myanmar Monk called on United Nation and International community to play the important role of not supporting the referendum.
Myanmar monks said” We don’t need a constitution referendum, we need national reconciliation. So the time has come for the world community and the United Nation to intervene and pressure the military to bring about freedom and fair democracy in Myanmar”.
More than 60 Myanmar monks and some Sri Lanka monks attended in this peacefully demonstration.

The LTTE had fired artillery and mortar into the Sinhapura village in Welioya this morning. The military however said that no casualties were reported.
According to the available information, terrorists have fired few artillery shells from 9.30 am. It is observed that terrorists have attacked with their heavy guns located at North West of Welioya, sources said.
A 66 year-old civilian who received injuries was admitted to the Sripura hospital immediately for medical attention, sources added.
Security forces have retaliated with heavy guns targeting LTTE gun positions, defence sources in Welioya added.

The Assistant Election Commissioners of relevant districts say postal voting in the Eastern Provincial Council Election was at an extremely satisfactory level. In the Batticaloa District it was around 80 per cent and 90 per cent in the Trincomalee District.
No violent act was reported during two days of postal voting. Executive Director of the PAFFERAL Organization Kingsley Rodrigo says observation report of the Organization conducted on Postal Voting will be released tomorrow.

Commissioner General of Elections Dayananda Dissanayake says it is compulsory to establish voter identity at the Eastern Provincial Council Election. The voters are required to present their official poll card along with the National Identity Card or any other form of valid identity such as Passport, Drivers’ Licence.

JVP General Secretary Tyliwin Silva says the Central Committee of the JVP will take a decision regarding Wimal Weerawansa soon.
He said at the moment Weerawansa is the Propaganda Secretary of the party and the member of the politbureau.But during last few days weerawansa acted his own.
After the first week of the March Weerawansa has not attended party's main political meetings .Tylwin Silva said Weerawansa must appear before the party and sortout the problem instead of using media.
In yesterday Weerawansa gave a deadline the party to react his proposal to end the conflict before 1st of May. He said if the party does not react he will take a political decison and form a new patriotic front.

Addressing further he said ill effects of the open economic policies implemented in the country has been a major cause for the escalation of food prices.
He said the UNP and the present government are responsible to this situation. He added that the dismantling of the state apparatus for manufacture, distribution and sales of essential commodities during the UNP regime has restricted the peoples’ right to receive these items.

LTTE terrorists suffered heavy losses in a fresh attack launched by the security forces in Mannar front early this morning, April 30.
According to an initial report reached from Mannar, clashes erupted when the troops deployed in general areas Parayakulam, Karukkakulam and Kattankulam were advancing towards LTTE defence line around 5.15 am, the report stated. Troops were also backed by artillery fire, the report further said.
By intercepting LTTE radio communication, it is learnt that 11 terrorists were killed while 18 suffered injuries due to this clashes. The initial report further stated that 4 army soldiers also received injuries. The clashes are still going on.

Police arrested an alleged LTTE agent in Kalmunai who was recruiting Tamil youth for the LTTE. The suspect had promised employment and taken them to the North LTTE centres and given them training. He was kept under detention orders, and further inquiries are being conducted.

Minister Mervin Silva who got away with a minor injury to one of his toes on the left foot in a fatal accident at Aralaganwila on Tuesday afternoon and later air lifted to Colombo on the orders of the Ministry of Defence has been transferred to the Merchant Ward of the National Hospital for further medical observations, Hospital Director said this morning.

Sunil C. Perera in Colombo

Excon 2008 – annual trade fair of the Chamber of Construction Industry Sri Lanka, (CCI) will be held for the sixth successive year during the period 9th to 11th May 2008 at Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Hall.

"The trade fair will be inaugurated on 9th May 2008 at 9.30 a.m. by Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, in his capacity as the Minister of Construction and Engineering Services with the participation of a large number of cabinet ministers handling construction related subjects, said CEO of the CCI, Dakshitha Talgodapitiya.

He said the CCI is the apex body founded by all institutions and associations of construction professionals comprising of the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects, Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Institute of Town Planners of Sri Lanka, The Surveyors Institute of Sri Lanka, Insurance Association of Sri Lanka, The Institute of Valuers of Sri Lanka, The Association of Consulting Engineers, in addition to the National Construction Association of Sri Lanka thus representing every stakeholder of the domestic construction industry.

Excon 2008 is designed to facilitate enhancement of industry capacities and competitiveness by promoting linkages among different stakeholders drawn from large multinationals to the SME sector.

It is the gateway to establishment of strategic partnerships and expansion of markets as this is essentially an initiative for market entry and access.

This is an ideal opportunity to promote and discover new products, services and appropriate technology. It is the most cost effective media to promote products and services related to the construction industry.

Excon 2008 will have 150 trade stalls providing opportunities for vendors of plant and equipment and other construction inputs, financial services and other service providers to meet their target clientele.

GTB Colombo Corporation (Pvt) Ltd. a leader in the construction steel industry having a highly automated plant becoming the first in Sri Lanka to produce TMT (thermo mechanical treated bars) is the main sponsor with “Bankers to the Nation” Bank of Ceylon, providing sectoral sponsorship for Excon 2008.

The co-sponsors of the event include Sri Lanka Export Development Board, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Roads Development Authority reflecting the importance of the event to national development endeavours. Ceylinco Insurance will mark it’s prominence as the insurance sector sponsor with Dax Engineering Ltd. being the product sponsor.

Holcim Lanka Ltd will also brand it s strategic alliance with the Chamber at Excon 2008.

The event will be attended by leading Construction Consultants, Developers, Construction Contractors, Vendors of Construction Equipment, Raw Materials and Technology, Professional Service Providers, Public Sector Institutions and Home Builders.

In addition to an anticipated 30,000 visitors from the general public, a large number of foreign guests from India, UK, State of Qatar and Malaysia are expected to visit the Exhibition.

Launches of new products such as TMT Bars in Sri Lanka, new courses by City & Guilds for the construction industry, and CCI’s own distance learning programme are among the many concurrent events that will take place at Excon 2008.

For the benefit of Small and Medium Enterprises which account for over 90% of the construction industry, CCI in collaboration with ICTAD will host an interactive session to discuss issues and impediments faced by the SME sector of the construction industry on Saturday 10th May 2008 from 9.a.m. at the ICTAD Auditorium under the distinguished patronage of Hon. Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Minister of Construction and Engineering Services.

A period of amnesty has been declared for soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army. The period will be in effect from Friday to the 16th of next month.
The media centre for national security states that this period will not be lengthened. Soldiers who return will not face any punishment and will be reinstated in the post they left.
The soldiers should report to regiment centre they served at the time of desertion.
Persons who left while in training should report to their training centre. The media centre said persons returning should carry documents of identification.

A Singaporean company has come forward to construct a modern town with 15 thousand housing units in the Kalutara district. The project also consists of a hospital, school, university, supermarket complex and other facilities. Minister Rajitha Senarathne says in a media briefing held in Colombo yesterday the government’s aim is to increase building constructions in the country by 15 percent.
He adds that several Chinese and Russian companies have also expressed willingness to construct 100 thousand houses in the country.

According to the sources flood conditions are receding in many parts of the country.
The Sabaragamuwa provincial council says water levels are dropping in the Ratnapura town. Assistance continue to be provided to the flood victims.
The Sabaragamuwa provincial council, Ministry of Disaster Management and several other government and voluntary organisations are engaged in this task. Floods caused great damage in are including Ratnapura, Elapatha and Kotamulla. The Navy and the Army are engaged in relief measures in these areas.
The Sabaragamuwa Provincial council has taken steps for all cooperative outlets to remain open in the Ratnapura district to ensure the uninterrupted supply of consumer items. The Fuel supply has been hampered as a result of several filling stations being inundated with water.

Around one thousand five hundred families have been displaced in areas of Dehiowita, Deraniyagala and Ruwanwella. Several bridges in these areas have been damaged by torrential rains while several roads are blocked by earth-slips.

Emergency relief unit is now operating 24 hours with the hotline 0112 43 15 79. Two million rupees have been allocated to grant immediate relief to the victims in Gampaha, Ratnapura and Kalutara districts.

A number of political parties are to hold May Day rallies in a grand scale tomorrow.
The May Day rally of the United People’s Alliance will be held at the Mahaweli playground in Dehiattakandiya with the participation of allied parties and trade unions.
May Day Rally organizing committee Chairman of the People’s Alliance Minister Dalas Alahapperuma says the rally will be held in the eastern province as a respect to the heroic soldiers who liberated the area from the LTTE and to the working class in the province.

The United National Party is to conduct a religious event at the Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya on the May Day instead of a rally. The JVP will hold the May day rally at Municipal Council grounds in Town Hall. The theme is to stand united against the separatism and imperialism.

Five leftist parties including Communist Party and Samasamaja Party is to hold their May Day rally at Shalika Grounds in Narahenpitya. Ceylon Workers’ Congress will conduct a rally in Hatton while Kandurata Peoples’ Front organizes the May Day rally in Bandarawela.

Iran and Sri Lanka have condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and emphasized the need for enhanced international cooperation to eliminate this global menace following bilateral talks between the two sides, the Foreign Ministry said.

A joint statement issued at the end of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Sri Lanka said: "The Iranian side expressed its support for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and welcomed the positive political steps taken to end the conflict through negotiations, leading to a durable settlement, acceptable to all the people of Sri Lanka.

Iranian President Dr. Ahmadinejad held wide-ranging discussions with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, attended by Ministers and senior officials of both sides. The discussions which took place in a cordial atmosphere, were detailed and substantive, covering issues of bilateral, regional and global interest.

Both Presidents, while noting with satisfaction the progress achieved in bilateral relations, stressed their firm commitment to further enhance mutual cooperation in the political, economic, trade, cultural, educational, scientific and technological fields. The discussions reaffirmed the close and friendly ties that exist between Sri Lanka and Iran.

The two Presidents briefed each other on issues of common interest and current developments in their respective countries.

The Sri Lankan side supported the peaceful use of nuclear energy by Iran, within the framework of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The two sides confirmed the full and non-discriminatory implementation of Article IV of the NPT on peaceful nuclear co-operation. The two sides reiterated the importance of global nuclear disarmament, particularly the need for the nuclear powers to destroy their nuclear weapons, based on the decisions of the relevant international meetings.

The two sides expressed their deep concern over the violence against the Palestinian people in the Palestinian territories and recognized the inalienable rights and the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people at the highest level, and will continue to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Both sides also expressed the hope that the differences among the different groups in Palestine will be resolved amicably.

The two sides, stressing the need for the consolidation of national unity and understanding, peaceful co-existence and the preservation of the stability, security and peace in Lebanon, supported initiatives among different Lebanese parties through consensus and the participation of all Lebanese political groups in the process of deciding all issues of concern, as the only way out of the current crisis in Lebanon.

Both sides emphasized the need for the preservation of the territorial integrity and unity of Iraq and the participation of all Iraqi groups in the political process and expressed their support for the efforts of the elected Iraqi government to restore security and stability in Iraq.

The two sides expressed concern over the escalation of insecurity and instability in Afghanistan, and supported, as a matter of priority, the endeavour by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan for the restoration of peace and stability.

The two sides underscored the potential for expansion of bilateral economic co-operation, which would greatly strengthen the existing bonds of friendship and co-operation between the two countries and be conducive to the common progress and prosperity of the peoples of Iran and Sri Lanka, inter alia, by encouraging the private sectors of both countries to invest in each other.

Recalling the visit of President Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka to Iran in November 2007, and the Agreements and MOUs reached between the two countries in the areas of power supply and irrigation as well as the expansion of the oil refinery facility in Sri Lanka, both sides expressed their deep satisfaction at the ceremonial inauguration of the Uma Oya multi purpose development project and the Sapugaskanda oil refinery project respectively, with the assistance of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, during the visit of the President of Iran to Sri Lanka.

Both sides also noted with satisfaction, the conclusion several MOUs and Agreements during the visit of the President of Iran to Sri Lanka.

by Cyril Wimalasurendre

KANDY – The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), is at present paying for the evil committed in the past by overthrowing the United National Party (UNP) government led by Ranil Wickremasinghe in connivance with the People’s Alliance, Hambantota District MP Sajith Premadasa said at the launch of a programme to give financial assistance from the Janasuwaya Development Scheme to low income groups in the Senakadagala electorate.

Financial assistance is provided to invest on self-employment projects. One hundred persons are to receive assistance as the first group from the Sanakadagala electorate.

Speaking on the occasion at the E. L. Senanayake Children’s Library auditorium, MP Sajith Premadasa, Chairman of the Janasuwaya Development Programme, said that the JVP was shattered to pieces.

The JVP which was accepted to be a body of marvelous experts, has now declined to such a situation that nobody is ready to listen to the bearded revolutionaries at the Lipton Round-about.

There is no national politics in Sri Lanka. Policies and principles are not honoured in Sri Lanka politics. Politics here is based on jealousy, enemity, illwill, vengeance, hatred and vanity, Premadasa said.

He said history has shown that whenever the UNP is in power, the Maxist minority group together with the Opposition enter into a marriage and obstruct plans for development of the country. The minority groups did the same to throw out the UNP government led by Ranil Wickremasinghe by supporting the former President. If the UNP administration was allowed to continue, the country could have been rescued from the present state of chaos. The people could have lived a better life.

It is easy to criticize a government in power, but hard to rule a country. The JVP is reaping what they sowed.

Premadasa said that he had no ulterior motive of politicl advantage in assisting the people of Kandy district. He said he was fully aware that the people of the Kandy district could not vote for him because he constested in Hambantota.

He said he decided to help the people of Senkadagala with the genuine intention of uplifting the standard of living of the poor. He had yet another objectives of helping the people of the birth place of his wife. Mrs. Premadasa hails from a reputed family in the Kandyan region.

However, he said he launched the programme with the consent of MP Lakshman Kirielle and at the invitation of the Central Provincial Council Member and Chief UNP, organiser for Senkadagala, Chanaka Ilepperuma.

Mayor of Kandy, L. B. Aluwihare, former Mayor Kesara D. Senanayake, Central Provincial Council Member Ms Shanthini Kongahage and Chairman Gangawatte Korale Pradeshiya Sabha, Mahinda Yatawara also spoke.

Govt. noted for its false promises has lived up to its reputation by retracting its promise earlier made to provide a helicopter to the Leader of Opposition , Ranil Wickremesinghe to attend the election campaign in the Eastern province.
The Ministry of Defence has cited the Iranian President’s visit as an excuse, and that the helicopter has been reserved for him.

It is a widely known fact that helicopters have been provided however to all Ministers organizing the May Day rally of the UPFA.

The Govt.’s refusal has not deterred or daunted Ranil Wickremesinghe from attending the rallies including that scheduled for Tuesday.

Swaminathan, UNP Treasurer and eminent Lawyer addressing the Media at the UNP media meeting said, the Govt. is crowing about liberating the people in the East and of holding elections.
The people in the East only know of the so called ‘liberation’. People are unable to move freely, do their vocations freely, go to the Banks and carry their cash home fearlessly; they cannot sleep peacefully without fear of abductions and intimidations. Is this liberation? He asked.

Compare the two and half year rule under the UNP Govt. and that under President Rajapakse, he said.

The best economic boom , the best development programs were launched , the Bank interest rates were at the lowest reflecting the economic growth and low inflation were during the UNP tenure.. In short, there was peace, plenty and prosperity in the country. Just see what has happened to the country now. People are unable to move about fearlessly, a bomb explosion can occur any moment. People have to waste all their time on the road because of road blocks, security checks and security motorcades of politicos hindering them.

The economy is in a shambles. People have no money, no food, even their staple food is a luxury with price of rice and essential commodities at unreachable prices for the common man.

The Govt. is talking of allocating millions of rupees towards development of the East. The Govt. did not raise this money by country’s development or from income generation, but by loans taken on exorbitant interest mortgaging the future of the country. By this action aimed desperately only at winning the election, it is plunging the country into an economic holocaust, he exhorted. Finally, it is the people who will have to carry the burden of debt re -payment, he lamented.

Therefore, he urged all communities to vote united for the United National Party for a Democratic, fear free, strife free, peaceful and prosperous society and country, he concluded.

The Bandaragama Police recovered explosives, detonators, iron nails and 2kg of ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), following precise information given by a civilian to the Police Emergency Information Unit (119) yesterday (April 29) morning at 7.10.

According to Police sources, the recovery was made when search operations were conducted in general area Veedagama in Bandaragama. A bag was found left in a by road near the 'Veda Temple' at Veedagama and the said items were recovered, Bandaragama Police said.


"Our applaud should go over to the vigilant civilians who made it possible to avert a possible sabotage attempt", Bandaragama Police OIC was quoted as saying.

NH4NO3 is an oxidizing agent used in explosives, including improvised explosive devices. It is also used with fuel oil mixtures and has reportedly been used for bombs in terrorist acts such as the Oklahoma City bombing (April 19, 1995).

The Health Ministry has called for 500 applications to be trained and sent as skilled professional nurses to the USA during the next 5 months.

The Jathika Hela Urumaya, an affiliate of the present government, is accusing Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem of unleashing Muslim extremism in several areas of the east to target the forthcoming Eastern Provincial Council polls there.

Mr. Hakeem has let loose an 'Otu' (Arabic) terrorism in areas such as Potuvil, Panama, Akkarapattu, Samanturai, Kinniya, Mutur and Kalmunai, JHU spokesman Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe charged.

Mr. Warnasinghe made the comment when 'Lanka Dissent' queried him regarding his party's opposition to the SLMC's contesting the May 10th election.


The party led by Mr. Hakeem is promoting sentiments against the state and the Sinhalese for a 'Muslim Deshai' (Muslim state) in these eastern areas, Mr. Warnasinghe alleged.

He compared this to the idea propped up among Tamil youths by the TULF in the 1960-70 period for a separate state for their community.

This will end up in another armed struggle, this time by Muslim youths, for a separate state, the JHU spokesman warned.

Mr. Hakeem has also spoken about the advantage of a 'Nasaristan' in a merged northeast.

The SLMC leader is spreading Muslim extremism by destroying Buddhist places of worship in the east and taking over the land belonging to them, Mr. Warnasinghe said further.

The east will come under the grip of al-Qaeda terrorism if this situation continues, he warned.

Mr. Hakeem has entered into a secret pact with Velupillai Prabhakaran to let loose an 'Otu' (camel) terrorism in the eastern area, the JHU spokesman charged, adding that the UNP has created a foundation for same.

He cited the appointment of two Muslims to fill the parliamentary seats that fell vacant following the death of two TNA MPs as an example to press his point.

UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has betrayed his party through his aiding the SLMC to allow the Muslim extremism by allowing it to contest under the party's symbol.

Eastern Muslim youths had, at one-time, been very close to Tamil Tiger terrorism, Mr. Warnasinghe said, adding that during the Ranasinghe Premadasa regime, firearms were given to them for their protection.

A large haul of weapons that had been unaccounted for after Karuna broke away from the LTTE have come into the possession of Muslim youths, he charged.

Forty-three Indians languishing in Sri Lankan jails have approached an Indian human rights body to help them return to the country, but the Government can do little in the absence of a prisoner exchange treaty with the neighbouring country.
They have been convicted under Sri Lankan laws for offences related to drug trafficking and some have spent more than 16 years in jails.

"A large number of them are from Kerala and some are from Tamil Nadu. Several went to Sri Lanka for better employment and were arrested on drug trafficking charges," Agni Subramaniam, executive director of the Manitham Human Rights Organisation, told IANS.

Indian life-term prisoners in the Welikada jail in Sri Lanka, held on drug trafficking charges, include the likes of Ali Muhammad Mustafa, 79, who can barely walk, and 75-year-old Kamatchi.

"There are 43 such prisoners in three Lankan jails," Subramaniam said. They sent him a written petition last week for help.

While Pakistan and the Maldives took back their prisoners from Sri Lanka in February under bilateral agreements for exchange of prisoners, India does not have any such agreement with Sri Lanka, though the two sides are negotiating one.

"We can only think of taking them back once we have such an agreement in place with Sri Lanka," a sources in the Indian external affairs ministry said.

The sources pointed out that there have been occasions when India has intervened to get its prisoners released from Sri Lankan jails but these were mainly fishermen or those held for "minor offences". Most of those who have approached the human rights group are people held for "very serious offences".

But a rights activist said: "Many of these people are not really drug traffickers. They were involved unknowingly, by being at the wrong place, due to circumstances."

The Indian prisoners had earlier made repeated appeals to the Indian government and the Indian high commission in April 2007.

Referring to the appeal of R Singarayar from Negombo jail, consulate official MV Namboodiri said in a note dated May 10 last year to the ministry, "Singarayar and others presently lodged in Welikada prison were arrested on charges of drug trafficking. Due to the nature of the offence, the mission is not in a position to intervene in these cases."

Drug trafficking in many countries draws the death penalty. In India it is punished with 20 years in jail. In Sri Lanka, it draws life imprisonment.

"They do not have lawyers to fight their cases or fight for rights due to prisoners. Fearing death they have just accepted their fate," Subramaniam said.

"They are also afraid that Tamil prisoners from India will be the first victims of any ethnic riots that break out in Sri Lankan prisons, as it had happened in the 1980s," he said.

In a telephonic conversation with Indian human rights activists, facilitated by a Tamil official in the Sri Lankan government, the prisoners have appealed for the release of Mustafa and Kamatchi on humanitarian grounds.

There are six women among the 43 prisoners. Jothi Laksmi from Varaganeri near Tiruchirapally,

Arockiya Mary from Tuticorin, M. Kanaga, Bibi Jan and Mahabooba from Tiruchirapally, apart from Kamatchi.

Thiyagarajan from Thanjavur has been in jail since 1999, like Ashraf, from Malappuram district of Kerala, who has also been in jail for 10 years.

There are at least seven prisoners from Ramanathapuram district in Tamil Nadu in Anuradhapuram jail.

Rights groups are urging the Indian government to act on behalf of these prisoners and get them back to India - even if they are sent to Indian jails.

"Since so many of them are from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the state governments also need to urge the Indian and Sri Lankan authorities to at least move these Indian prisoners away from the conflict zone and rights violations at the earliest," Subramaniam said.

The Scotland Yard Police arrested three men in connection with a long-term police investigation into the LTTE, in London and Wales today.

Minister Mervyn Silva suffered injuries following an accident in Aralaganwila, Dehiattakandiya a short while ago and is being airlifted to Colombo for treatment. Kelaniya Pradeesheeya Sabha Chairman Seevali Kelanitissa has died on the spot.

Renovation of the Sapugaskanda Refinery commences. The government of Iran will provide financial aid for this renovation.
President Mahinda Rajapakse and Iranian President Mahamoud Ahamedinejad attended a ceremony at the Sapugaskanda refinery premises this morning.
The Iranian President planted a sapling symbolizing the commencement of renovation. Speaking on the occasion, President Rajapakse said the Iranian President’s visit has further strengthened the bilateral relations of the two countries.
The Uma Oya multipurpose irrigation scheme funded by Iran will create a number of benefits to the country. The President said Muslims in the north and east faced a lot of hardships due to terrorism. After two years, the people in the east including Muslim are enjoying their democratic rights with the security forces liberating the area from the terrorists.
Speaking on the occasion, President Ahamadinejad commended the attempts made by the Sri Lankan President to build unity among different communities and steer the country towards development. He expressed the fullest cooperation of Iran to this endeavour.
Meanwhile the Uma Oya multipurpose irrigation scheme was launched this morning. The ceremony to lay the foundation stone was held under the patronage of Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickremanayake and the Iranian Minister of Commerce. The government of Iran will provide financial assistance worth 250 million dollars to this project.

End

JVP dissident group leader Wimal Weerawansa said he plans to form a new political movement if the party leadership fails to approach them for talks before 1st of May .
“We are waiting for a green light from the JVP to patch up the problem. But the behavior of the party never shows a green light. Even yesterday some of the JVP supporters have threaten the dissidents. If it will fail he will form a new political party with the support of the National patriotic Movement, he said.
Already the dissidents have started discussions with Ex-JVP front liner and former Presidential candidate Nandana Gunathilaka to get his support. Weerawansa further said a number Artists , academics and social workers have shown their pleasure to support Wimal Weerawansa’s faction .He said they will obtain their support to form the party.
Earlier Nandana Gunathilaka was removed from the JVP polit bureau and later he criticized the JVP leadership. Later he announced he act as an independent Parliamentarian at the parliament.

The Disaster Relief Services Center says prevailing adverse weather has displaced 6739 families across the country. Director of the center N.D. Hettiarachchi says the displaced have taken temporarily shelters at 29 welfare centers.
Relief services for the displaced are being carried out with the assistance of district and divisional secretaries of the relevant areas. Seven deaths have been reported so far due to floods.
Mr. Hettiarachchi said families of the victims were provided with financial assistance to conduct the final rites.

Meanwhile, monitoring officer of the Rathnapura office of the met department K.S. Chandrasekera said a 160 millimeter rainfall was experienced in the area during the last 24 hours that ended from 8.30 this morning.
Flood waters in the area are now receding. Damages caused to property in the Kegalle district due to the overflowing of the Kelani river are now been assessed.
Chief minister of the Sabaragamuwa province Maheepala Herath toured in flood affected areas in his province.

Geologist of the national building research organization Laksiri Indrajith warns of possible landslides in several areas in the country. It has been identified that Ehaliyagoda, Gantenna, Ethiligoda, Pelmadulla and Pathakada are vulnerable for landslides. The people living in these areas have already evacuated to safer places.

Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa says the public should focus their attention on two important facts in casting their votes in the eastern provincial council election.

The people have the responsibility of not giving the LTTE a slightest room to carryout their activities in the eastern province which was completely liberated from them by the security forces.
The public should block all opportunities that lead to the remerging of the northern and eastern provinces by using their right of franchise wisely.
In a media briefing held in Colombo this morning, Mr. Weerawansa said the Muslim Congress seems to attempting the remerge of the two provinces. He also stressed that no room should given to the pro-LTTE forces in the eastern province.
Earlier the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) dissident faction led by its parliamentary group chief, Wimal Weerawansa, has mooted the formation of a Deshapremi Peramuna (Patriotic Front) and pledged to work under that banner. They have vowed to take this action if their disputes with the party leadership are not amicably settled.

The decision by Mr. Weerawansa and ten dissident MPs to form such a front, with the backing of a number of civil society organizations and trade unions.

Political observers point out that the fact that like the PNM, the new political group also is being formed with a similar name suggests a link between the two. This development came as the crisis within the JVP worsened.

JVP MP Wimal Weerawansa says he expects to form a new political movement if the party leadership fails to approach them for talks before 1st of May.


Addressing media in Colombo this morning he said the party should correct its bad behaviour.

RAMANATHAPURAM: Five persons were arrested near Pirapanvalasai coast on Sunday with eight cans containing 280 litres of chemical substance meant for smuggling to Sri Lanka, on Sunday.

A police team which conducted a surprise raid along the seashore at Mandapam spotted five persons waiting at Pirapanvalasai coast in a suspicious manner.

The team caught the men, Velayutham, Selvakumar, Muthuselvam and Manoharan of Rameswaram and Meera-sha of Thoothukudi, and seized the chemicals.

They also seized a country boat and a mini-van. Police refused to reveal the nature of the chemicals.

The Islamic Republic of Iran and Sri Lanka signed five Memorandums of Understanding Monday during President Ahmadinejad's official visit to Colombo.

The MoUs on establishment of Iranian Club in Sri Lanka, Creating a consultation body between the two countries, developing production capacity of an oil refinery, financing a dam project and a hydroelectric power plant and cooperation on executing aforementioned projects were signed by officials of the two countries in the presence of the two presidents.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa after the signing ceremony, attended a joint press conference.

by Don Asoka Wijewardena
The Chairman of the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons, India’s ex-Chief Justice P. N. Bhagawatti, had written to President Mahinda Rajapaksa clarifying the position taken by the IIGEP in its sixth public statement, which stated that the Sri Lankan government did not have political and institutional will to investigate 17 incidents of human rights violation in which people were killed, Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told a media conference at Ministry auditorium yesterday.

He said President Rajapaksa had expressed the government’s serious concern over the IIGEP statement. The government had consistently maintained an unequivocal stance on the alleged violations, which were included in the warrant of the Commission of Inquiry. Human rights violations should be thoroughly investigated and appropriate action to prosecute and punish any persons found to have violated human rights would follow. However, such punitive measures, should they be warranted by the evidence disclosed by the Commission, would only be taken after due process of law in keeping with the highest standards he said.

Minister Samarasinghe said that the government was extremely worried about the statement made by Bhagawatti about the government of Sri Lanka. He had also accused that the Presidential Commission of Inquiry had gone beyond the mandate vested in the Commission. It was a derogatory statement which had tarnished the image of the government. Had Justice Bhagawatti clarified this before the government would have saved a lot time in dealing with the matter.

Minister Samarasinghe said that the Sri Lankan government was of the view that observations and conclusions of this nature were beyond the mandate of the IIGEP in so far as it was merely required to perform an observational and advisory function to ensure that Commission’s proceedings met with international norms and standards. The government believed that such statements by the IIGEP could be perceived as having political overtones. This could have led to reasonable inferences that the IIGEP‘s statement was made in fulfillment of other agendas inimical to the government of Sri Lanka. Such statements could have strengthened the hand of those who were working to bring discredit to the government of Sri Lanka, he said.

Attorney General C. R. de Silva said that Justice Bhagawatti had clarified the controversial statements made by the IIGEP. His clarification mentioned that the IIGEP had not accused the Sri Lankan government and what had been conveyed in the statement was the IIGEP’s apprehension regarding absence of political will. IIGEP had never said there was absence of political will on the part of the government and it was merely an apprehension which was voiced by the IIGEP in view of facts before them.

De Silva added that IIGEP had also appreciated the good work done by the Commission. It had been doing highly valuable service and IIGEP had the best co-operation from the members of the Commission.

He said the government would like to express its gratitude to Justice Bhagawatti for the clarification and to reassure the IIGEP that the people of Sri Lanka and the international community would remain steadfast in their determination to support the Chairman and Commission in ensuring the completion of the work of the Commission of Inquiry.

The flood situation in several districts of the country has displaced 4000 people so far, the government said today.
The Disaster Management Centre said in Ratnapura district alone, two thousand families have been displaced. The number of displaced families in the Puttalam district is 600. The Red Cross Society is in the process of distributing dry food, water bottles and other requisites to the victims.

The Irrigation Department says water levels in the Kalu, Ging and Kelani rivers continue to rise.

The Department of Meteorology predicts further heavy rain accompanied by thunder will experience in the western, sabaragamuwa and central province as well as in the Galle district today.

It has also been reported that the tornado which has developed over Jaffna is moving 650 kilemetres to the northwest of the island.

Iran and Sri Lanka signed several bilateral agreements Monday and reiterated the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both countries. Picture shows the two leaders during the signing ceremony in Colombo.

(Lanka-e-News,) United National Party (UNP) says that unidentified masked persons in the Eastern Province often intimidate civilians. UNP said that such incidents were reported from Akkaraipaththu last week and Padiththanei, Trincomalee today (28).
A Lanka-e-News investigation revealed that a gang of masked individuals abducted six persons from Padiththanai village. The relatives of the victims have not lodged complaints in police since they identified the gang that was involved in the abduction. It is learnt that the two parties are in an attempt to resolve the issue among themselves.

Reportedly, the abduction victims are UNP supporters.

Media Committee Chief Lakshman Kiriella issuing a statement on the Eastern Provincial Council election says that the TMVP (Pillaiyan Group), PLOTE, EPDP and EPRLF are often engaged in election campaigning with arms they carry with indirect support of state security forces and police. He said that this was one factors that a fair election could not be expected in the Eastern Province.

Mr. Kiriella said that Pillaiyan Group was misusing power by engaging in state security affairs while contesting the election as a political party. He said that the armed TMVP cadres manned all the Army checkpoints in Kalmunai, Batticaloa and Trincomalee areas. UNP pointed out that this violated the Article 12 of the constitution that guarantees equality of all citizens before law. UNP emphasized that this group needed to be removed from state security affairs immediately.

Pointing to the indistinct statistics of tsunami affected, Mr. Kiriella said that it would make way for vote rigging unless the figures of the displaced persons and the procedure made for them to verify their identity were not reported to the election authorities.

UNP MP Kiriella said that the Chairman of Akkaraipaththu Pradeshiya Sabha is using Manmunai Al Shamaz school for election campaigning while United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) candidate Hisbulla uses the upstairs of Eravur post office and the Ministers were using almost all the circuit bungalows of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) for election propaganda work.

Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation Channel Eye broadcast a report on the election malpractices of the state officials who were using state vehicles for election campaigning. Village Officers were summoned in groups often to be deployed in propaganda work. Polling cards are in the possession of outsiders and on April 23, police took 10,000 such polling cards into custody from the possession of a woman.

Meanwhile, on April 26 around 10.30 PM, a group of about 10 persons entered the residence of the UNP Pradeshiya Sabha MP Abdul Majeed and warned him to keep away from election propaganda.

UNP says that the government was proving that it was not ready to hold a free and fair election since it was providing indirect support to all those violence.

All schools in areas affected by floods in the Ratnapura District have been closed with immediate effect according to authorities.
Meanwhile Police sources confirmed a landslide in Opanayake has disrupted the traffic on the Colombo-Badulla road. The Police have requested people to use alternative routes.
A woman was killed in a landslide in Yatiyantota a short while ago. Several others have been injured.

There is an all island power failure except Rantabe, Randenigala and Badulla areas. The Ceylon Electricity Board says the reason is yet to be known.

Two decades after it booted them out, Sri Lanka is preparing to unveil a memorial near its parliament for Indian soldiers killed battling the Tamil Tiger guerrillas.

The names of around 1,500 men, almost all of them from the Indian Army, are to be etched on black marble and topped by an eternal flame as part of a long-pending project now being executed by the Sri Lanka Navy.

It will be the first memorial dedicated to the Indian soldier outside India.

Final touches are being given to the memorial and it will be ready for a formal launch either May 22 or when Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh goes to Sri Lanka for the South Asian Association for Regional Conference (Saarc) summit this summer.

An Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was deployed in Sri Lanka's northeast following a July 1987 bilateral peace pact aimed at ending Tamil separatism.

But the troops ended up fighting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from October that year, losing nearly 1,200 men until the last of the soldiers left Sri Lanka in March 1990. Nearly 2,800 men were also wounded, many maimed for life.

The roll of honour at the memorial, which will bear India's official Ashoka emblem, will include names of Indian paramilitary forces, taking the total to some 1,500.

While the IPKF fought the LTTE, Sri Lankan president Junius Jayewardene who invited them lost power.

In a bizarre but bloody twist of events, his successor, Ranasinghe Premadasa, in June 1989 demanded the IPKF's withdrawal. When that did not happen, he provided arms and ammunition to the LTTE to take on the IPKF.

Before the IPKF saga ended, it was also accused of killing large numbers of LTTE guerrillas as well as civilians, mainly Tamils, in the bruising war that earned the force the derisive name 'Innocent People Killing Force'.

For years, many in the Indian military have grudged that Sri Lanka had not even bothered to acknowledge the role of Indian troops who died at the hands of the LTTE.

That situation is about to change, Indian and Sri Lankan military sources say.

'This will be in the memory of Indian armed forces who helped us to preserve the unity of our country,' a Sri Lankan military officer told IANS in a telephonic interview from Colombo.

'Our president (Mahinda Rajapaksa) was very particular that this memorial has to come up. He kept saying that 20 years have gone by and we had not fulfilled this pledge. It had dragged on too long. After all the (Indian) soldiers paid the supreme sacrifice.'

Work at the memorial began about six months ago. It will be ready in another two weeks.

The military officer added that most Sri Lankans now appreciated the role played by the IPKF. But when its members were dying, it came in the firing line of Sinhalese Buddhist nationalists who said its presence undermined their country's sovereignty.

'Our people have realised what the Indian soldiers did,' the officer said. 'They died fighting to keep Sri Lanka united. We can never forget their sacrifice. Today there is a lot of appreciation of their role.'

Lt. Gen. Ashok Mehta, who served in the IPKF in the island nation's east, said the memorial had been talked about for years. 'Initially they said there was some problem of land, and then something else. Now it is coming up. Better late than never.'

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived at the Bandaranaike International Air Port around 7.30 pm in local time and President Mahinda Rajapaksa welcomed the visiting dignitary.
He was welcomed at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka and Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama. The Navy accorded a Guard of honour by offering 21 gun salute to the visiting President.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, the president would hold talks with his counterpart, Mahinda Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Rathnasiri and Foreign Minister Bogollagama.

During President Ahmadinejad's visit to Colombo, several documents are expected to be signed by Iranian and Sri Lankan officials for promotion of bilateral cooperation.

Iran-funded 450 million-dollar multi-purposes Uma Oya Project will ommence on Tuesday when the Iranian president and his Sri Lankan counterpart ceremonially inaugurate the mega development project in Sri Lanka.

Other major projects due to be inaugurated on Tuesday by the Iranian president is the expansion of the Sapugaskanda refinery which will make Sri Lanka self-sufficient in aviation fuel and bitumen.

Both projects are funded by the Islamic Republic of Iran to the tune of over US$ 1.9 billion, which was pledged during President Mahinda Rajapaksa's state visit to Iran in November last year.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will visit to India Tuesday on a brief visit to discuss various issues of mutual interest including measures to boost energy ties. President Ahmadinejad will be paying a brief visit here tomorrow afternoon enroute to Tehran from Colombo.
He will be calling on the Indian President. He will also be meeting the Prime Minister for discussions on issues of mutual interest including probable measures to strengthen energy partnership. He will leave Delhi for Tehran Tuesday night. "The Presidential visit is likely to have energy as the focus. The pending 22 billion US$ LNG deal, the 7.4 billion US$ Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline and exploration and production joint ventures in Iran will top the high-level talks between the two countries," the official said, adding, "We are hoping that bilateral talks on the 22 billion US$ LNG deal with Iran will get fresh momentum with Ahmadinejad's visit." India's Petroleum Minister Murli Deora visited Islamabad last week and held discussions with the concerned Pakistani authorities on the fate of the tri-nation (Iran-Pakistan-India) gas pipeline.
Deora has expressed optimism about the pipeline project and said the deal would be clinched shortly.
Last week, Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee had stated that nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency had the sole responsibility to ascertain the nuclear status of Iran and United States should not interfere in the process. New Delhi also objected a State Department statement on Iranian President's visit and stated India did not require any guidance on conduct of its foreign relations. Recently addressing a seminar here, India's Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said Iran has the right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
"It is not in India's interest to have another nuclear weapons state in its neighbourhood but Iran has the right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy subject to its international obligations," Menon had said in a seminar organised by the Britain-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. Addressing the same seminar, India's National Security Adviser M K Narayanan said that India and Iran have civilization and economic ties. "Iran is a big country and you need to deal with them diplomatically and with erudition," he had said.

Around 100 new inventions by local individuals and institutions will be on display before local and foreign buyers and entrepreneurs by the Sri Lanka Inventors Commission in next week in Colombo.
The local Inventors Commission says this event will be the key path for the inventors and the entrepreneurs to discuss their future businesses to market these products and improve them.
Issuing a press release by the commission these new inventions were developed by the inventors with the financial support of the commission. According to the commission most of new inventions are not expensive, but their technology is so high, said a spokesman of the commission .Speaking to media he said this forthcoming Business Session and the product display will open for the public and local university academics together with the government officials will present their papers before the inventors.
Local Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion Minister Dr.Sarath Amunugama will be the chief guest for the forthcoming Business Session .
End

Following torrential rains, several districts including Ratanapura are under threat of flooding.
The Department of Meteorology predicts more rain in the coming 24 hours as well. A tornado developed in the Bay of Bengal, 600 kilo meters from Jaffna is causing the disturbance.
Heavy rain is expected in the Districts of Galle, Matara, Kalutara, Colombo, Gampaha, Kegalle, Ratnapura, Nuwara Eliya and Kandy in the next 24 hours.
The National Disaster Centre says several low lying areas in Wennappuwa, Kalutara and Ratnapura have been inundated as result of floods caused by heavy rain.
The National Building Research Organization saysareas marked in the disaster map as earth slip prone areas are receiving heavy rain. Districts of Kandy, Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle, Ratnapura, Kalutara, Galle and Matara have been identified as vulnerable areas.
The Department of Irrigation says that water levels of Kelani, Kalu and Ging Gangas are rising due to incessant rains and warns residents in low lying areas to remain vigilant.

Police spokesman senior DIG N.K. Ilangakoon says 19 persons have been arrested in connection with the bus bomb blast in Piliyandala.
He said questioning has revealed important facts. The house in Deltara where the main suspect had temporarily lodged has been sealed.
He has come to Piliyandala from Vavuniya two weeks ago. Mount Lavinia and Piliyandala Police are jointly conducting further investigations.

Troops have conducted operations relentlessly in the VAVUNIYA despite the indiscriminate use of anti - personnel mines and sporadic mortar fire by the LTTE terrorists. During Sunday (27), seven terrorist were killed in confrontations and many more were also injured while two soldiers were killed and a few were injured due to anti - personnel mine explosions and mortar fire.

Two soldiers were reported injured in SINNAVALAYAKADU area, VAVUNIYA due to LTTE terrorist mortar fire on Sunday (27) at 8.45 in the morning. Two terrorists were also reported killed during a confrontation with Troops on the same day in the morning around 10.30 in the KALLIKULAM area, MANNAR.

One soldier was reported killed and two were injured due to an anti - personnel mine explosion in NIVIL area in the morning at 11.20 on the same day (27).

Meanwhile in the afternoon a terrorist was reported killed during a confrontation with Troops in the SINNAWALAYAKADU area, VAVUNIYA on Sunday (27) around 12.30 while a soldier was reported injured around 12.45 in the MADHU area, due to the explosion of an anti - personnel mine. A soldier was also killed by a anti - personnel mine explosion in the VEDAMKILLUM area at 4.00 in the evening while four terrorists were also killed in confrontations on Sunday (27) in PALAMPIDDI area.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the actions of government officials in denying photojournalists access to report on casualties of the latest violence between the Sri Lankan Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

According to the Free Media Movement (FMM), an IFJ affiliate, four photographers were barred from entering hospitals where injured army personnel (estimated to be in the hundreds) were reportedly being treated after fighting intensified in the country’s north last week.

The FMM said the restriction reflects a greater growing concern that official statistics of casualties are under-reported by government-appointed military spokesmen.

Government military statements report that the Army has allegedly killed more than 3000 Tamil fighters in 2008. However, the FMM reports verification is limited as the only independent news sources covering the conflict are a small number of foreign wire services and Colombo-based news websites.

“The IFJ joins the FMM in stressing that the public has a right to know exactly what is happening in the conflict, and this knowledge is central to any hope of peaceful resolution in the future,” said IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park.

“By restricting the ability of independent media to cover the war in a manner that accurately reports the numbers of dead and injured, both the LTTE and the Government are undermining press freedom, which is a crucial element of democratic stability.”

The FMM has demanded for almost 15 years that both sides in the conflict permit media personnel to cover the war independently.

The IFJ joins the FMM in urging Sri Lanka’s Government and the LTTE to respect the right to information for all. The Stop the War on Journalists in Sri Lanka campaign, supported by more than 45 press freedom and human rights organisations across the globe, backs local journalists’ organisations in demanding that authorities permit journalists and media workers to do their jobs and report on the conflict without restrictions or fear of personal retribution.

War propaganda impedes people’s right to know the truth. Accurate, impartial and responsible journalism requires freedom of the media and freedom of expression in Sri Lanka.

As part of its attempts to promote economic security for the returnee population in the Batticaloa district, the ICRC has initiated an inland fisheries project aimed at restoring the livelihoods of more than 480 fishermen who earn a living from fresh water and lagoon fishing.

The project targets 404 households in Vaharai and 77 households in Pattipalai in Batticaloa West. The majority of families benefiting from the project were displaced due to military operations from the end of 2006 to around November 2007 and had been living with host families or in sites for the displaced before returning home. The main livelihood of this returnee community is fishing but they supplement lean periods with paddy cultivation, hunting, the production of honey and collecting firewood for sale. Their needs upon returning home were identified by the authorities at the Department of the Ministry of Fisheries, the ICRC's partner in implementing the project to restock four tanks in the target areas with 400,000 fingerlings between January and April 2008.

Vocational training from eight experts from the Fisheries Department has ensured that 90 beneficiaries are proficient in making and maintaining nets. They have also received instruction in the theoretical aspects of fresh water fishing. This will help the community fish without damaging the tanks' eco-systems and maintain stock levels.

"The vocational training we received was good because we were shown net maintenance techniques so we can make the nets last longer", said Muthuthamby Kanapathy who has returned to his home in Mathurankernykulam after having spent time in a site for the displaced in Vaharai, Batticaloa.

Another important element of the vocational training is to strengthen the Fishermen's Cooperative Societies. The beneficiaries are organized into groups of five to make them more competitive at market. These Societies are also invaluable to the fishermen for the crisis loans they can provide.

"Apart from the practical aspects the vocational training was good because it made us aware of pensions and loans", said Kanapathy, who is also the President of the Fishermen's Cooperative Society for his area where, he says, nearly half the families fish.

The project will also provide 481 beneficiaries with a kit comprising three different varieties of fishing nets as well as other fishing accessories, while the five Cooperative Societies in the two areas will receive 74 canoes for their members. A total of 154 fishermen in Mathurankernykulam and Kunjankulam in Vaharai have already been given fishing nets while 251 fishermen in Cinnathattumunai and Periyathattumunai in Uriyankaddu Vaharai will be given 54 canoes and certificates proving that they have completed their vocational training.

"Project implementation is expected to be completed during the month of April after which monitoring will continue throughout 2008", said Massimiliano Cartura, of the ICRC office in Batticaloa whose brainchild the project is.

"The ultimate goal is to ensure there is food security for the beneficiaries as well as boost their income levels and saving capacities. The project was designed with long term sustainability in mind so it can continue even after the ICRC has handed over the reins to the beneficiaries", added Cartura.

The introduction of the fingerlings into the local tank has brought hope to Sellan Thangeswaran who was forced to leave his home in Mathurankernikulam with his wife and seven-year-old daughter in 2006. They stayed at the ICRC's site for the displaced in Arlankulam in Vaharai until April 2007 before returning home.

"Before the displacement happened I was able to support my wife and daughter with the earnings I took home from fishing. Being displaced changed my life because I lost everything I had used for my fishing activities. With the assistance I received from various organizations I was able to buy a net and start fishing again. Although, I will not be able to fish from the tank immediately because the newly introduced fingerlings have to grow, I am very hopeful for the future", he added smiling.

Caroline Clarinval is the ICRC coordinator responsible for the project.

"This project targets entire communities having to restart their previous livelihoods without having the nets, canoes and other fishing gear to do so. To ensure the levels of sustainability and community empowerment that we expected from the project, we required the participation of all stakeholders from the beginning, including the Fisheries Ministry, the beneficiaries and the ICRC and this is something we managed to achieve."

Clarinval says the Ministry was involved from the beginning helping to identify the extent of the problem, being involved with the project planning and remaining committed until the project's completion.

"For instance the vocational training was carried out by experts from the Ministry", she explains. "The close relationship between all the stakeholders helped make the project a success. We will monitor the situation to determine whether the income levels of the beneficiaries have increased, to make sure they still have their materials and to stay abreast of the problems they face", she added.

Sri Lanka took part in GIBTM 2008 Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition which was held at Abu Dhabi International Exhibition Centre early this month with 245 exhibitors promoting wide range of services and 239 hosted buyers.

The Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) in its strategy to reach out to corporates in the Middle East took advantage of this event with its partner SriLankan Airlines with an effective presence at the GIBTM to promote the country as a venue for Meetings and Incentives, the bureau said in a press release.

'With an increase of visitor arrivals from this region, we have a better chance of convincing the MICE ( Meetings, Incentives, conferences and Exhibitions) segment that Sri Lanka is an ideal location for their activities, ' says the Bureau.

Pro LTTE website tamilnet on Sunday reported the Bishop of Mannaar, Rev. Dr. Rayappu Joseph, said that the warring parties should openly declare the Madu Shrine and its environs as Peace Zone in order to bring back Our Lady of Madu statue to the Holy Shrine.
According to the government of Sri Lanka that the act of the Sri Lanka Army [SLA] and the high-handed manner in which the Commander of SLA has "instructed" the Church to bring back 'Our Lady of Madu', displayed the cultural insensitiveness of the military that had a record of desecrating holy places.

Elaborating the Bishop's concerns, the academic who did not wished to be named, added that there were serious environmental concerns. "The SLA has a record of clearing valuable trees in the name of what they label as national security". Mannaar has already witnessed the destruction of hundreds of thousands of palmyrah trees by the SLA. The Church should therefore be firm in its stand that the government of Sri Lanka should declare the Madu Shrine covering 2.5 km radius as a peace zone bereft of armed forces, he opined.
After the miraculous statue of Madhu Matha was removed , in the face of an impending military showdown, the incessant torrential rains that lashed the region for weeks, ceased!
The weather cleared up completely and so did the rain of artillery and mortar shells. For two whole days, the big guns went silent this week. There was the occasional shell fired from the cleared to the uncleared area and that was it.

The rains, of course, have resulted in boggy conditions, making ground operations difficult and the use of armour, impossible. The rains also caused mosquito-bred diseases to spread, hampering manpower on both sides.
The LTTE took possession of the Madhu Shrine area after the miraculous statue was removed to St. Xavier’s Church Thevenpiddy, close to Vellankulam in the Mannar District.

Catholic devotees in Mannar commenced a signature campaign to pressure the LTTE, as well as the government, to allow the safe return of the Madhu Matha statue. The petition was handed over to the Government Agent Mannar, A. Nicholaspillai, to be passed down to Colombo.
Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph joined his fellow bishops at the Catholic Bishops Conference held held recently in Kandy . The Bishops Conference, in a press release, appealed to the government and the LTTE to keep Madhu, a place of worship, out of the combat.

The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) in Sri Lanka and the International Students for Social Equality (ISSE) will hold a May Day meeting in Colombo on May 1.
Workers and young people around the world are confronting the growing danger of war, along with intensifying attacks on their living conditions and basic democratic rights.
Despite its setbacks in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush administration is intensifying its provocative preparations for a military assault on Iran. Such an attack would dramatically heighten tensions throughout the region and internationally, and threaten a broader conflagration.
Driving this eruption of militarism is the historic decline in the world position of US imperialism as graphically expressed in the subprime crisis and deepening global financial crisis. The anarchic character of the capitalist market is being revealed in the wave of speculation that is driving food prices beyond the reach of hundreds of millions of people around the world.
Sri Lanka is an acute expression of these global tendencies. Incapable of resolving the social crisis confronting millions, the government has deliberately stirred up communal hatred and plunged the island back to war. In response to rising opposition to the war and its heavy economic burdens, President Mahinda Rajapakse is resorting to censorship, arbitrary detention and state terror.
The only answer to the scourges of war, poverty, disease and hunger is to abolish the outmoded profit system and its division of the world into competing nation states. The unification of the working class around the world on the basis of a common socialist perspective is today an urgent practical necessity. The ISSE and SEP invite workers, young people and intellectuals to join us on this May Day to discuss these burning issues.

Disaster Management Centre today said that Ratnapura is facing a flood threat due to the rising water levels in the Kalu Ganga. Six people are reportedly stranded in Ratnapura, Siripada Road. Six died in Kaluthara from landslides.

Air Force today claimed that an air raid was carried out on a building complex near the Iranamadu LTTE runway.Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets attacked a building complex and the Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Andrew Wijesuriya said the air strike was launched around 9.45 am.
Air force sources confirmed that the buildings were inflicted with severe damages. However, casualties to the terrorists is yet be ascertained, he added.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka has hailed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit here Monday as an important step in cementing closer ties between the two nations.

But the trip also highlighted Sri Lanka's slow turn away from the West, which has expressed concerns about Colombo's human rights record, and its embrace of donors less critical of its escalating war against ethnic Tamil rebels.

"In Asia, we don't go around preaching to our neighbors and our friends," said Sri Lanka's foreign secretary, Palitha Kohona.

As if to drive home the point, the capital city of Colombo was plastered Sunday with posters showing smiling photos of Ahmadinejad and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa over the slogans: "The Friendly Path to Progress" and "Traditional Asian Solidarity."

In the past 18 months, Rajapaksa visited China twice, dropped in on neighbors India and Pakistan and traveled to Iran in November.
During that trip, Iran pledged US$1.9 billion (€1.2 billion) in soft loans and grants to Sri Lanka to help it expand its only oil refinery, develop an irrigation and hydropower project and buy Iranian oil, Kohona said.

"It is the biggest development assistance package for Sri Lanka at the moment," he said.

It is money Sri Lanka desperately needs as it continues to wage civil war with the Tamil Tiger rebels — a fight projected to cost US$1.5 billion (€1 billion) this year.

Ahmadinejad was expected to meet top officials and to tour development projects during his two-day visit. It has not been announced whether he will come bearing further aid for this South Asian nation.

China is also giving about US$1 billion (€640 million) in aid for a massive new port, an arts center, a power plant and other development projects, Kohona said.

Meanwhile, Western nations have been giving far less money and much heavier criticism of Sri Lanka's conduct of the war.

A U.S. State Department report issued in March accused the government and allied militias of attacking civilians and practicing "torture, kidnapping, hostage-taking, and extortion with impunity."

Sri Lanka's increasingly close ties with less traditional donor nations are allowing it to resist the Western pressure on its rights record, analysts say.

"It is sending a message to the international community ... that the government does have other options," said Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, executive director of the Center for Policy Alternatives, a Colombo-based think tank.

But he warned that Sri Lanka could be taking a risk by too closely embracing countries with shaky reputations in the West, which remains Sri Lanka's most crucial trading partner.

A cowardly bloodbath planned by LTTE terrorists was foiled as vigilant civilians in the Galgamuwa town, found a bomb inside a crowded bus stand this morning. According to the police sources in the area two T-81mm mortar bombs were found trapped with a timer around 6 am. The timer had been fixed to explode the bombs around 7.30 am when some 7000 schoolchildren throng into the area, said the sources.

According to the police, "the bombs were wrapped in a brown paper sheets and placed inside a cardboard box as to show it as a gift pack. Unless for the vigilant civilians and for the efficient police officers in the area, hundreds of civilians including schoolchildren would have been killed, the sources added.

LTTE is a ruthless terrorist organization fighting for a mono ethnic separate homeland for Tamils in Sri Lanka since 1983. The outfit's most favoured target in it s cowardly attacks has been civilians, particularly the women and children. The outfit has murdered tens and thousands of innocent civilians in village massacres, bus bombings, train bombings, and suicide bomb attacks.

The main opposition UNP today charged that the leakage of military secrecy to gain political mileage had led to the debacle in Muhamali and other areas where several soldiers were killed and injured.

A train collided with Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena’s private vehicle in Kamburugamuwa today injuring two people. The Minister was not in the vehicle at the time of the incident.

Postal voting of the Eastern Provincial Council Election will be held tomorrow and the following day.
PAFFERAL says they will mobilise 6 international representatives and 15 local representatives to monitor the postal voting of the eastern polls. Managing Director of PAFFERAL Rohana Hettiarachchi says the international monitors will focus more attention on several selected polling stations.
Another 10 international representatives will arrive in the country by the end of this month to monitor pre-election activities of the polls. The FAFFERAL will mobilise a team of international observers comprising 20 members from the 5th of May.

The Ministry of Power and Energy vehemently denies certain news reports that the government is planning to construct a nuclear power plant with the assistance of Iran.
Minster of Power and Energy W.D.J Senevirathna says the government has not taken any such policy decision or conducted a study in this connection.

Holcim Lanka, the Sri Lankan subsidiary of the Swiss cement multinational, says it is interested in bidding for a defunct cement plant in northern Jaffna that is eyed by India's Birla group.

Holcim Lanka chairman Manilal Fernando said Tuesday he believes the government will give all interested parties a chance to bid on equal terms for the plant.

"Holcim is interested," he said. "We're sure the government will go about it in a transparent manner so all those who are interested can be given the chance to bid on equal terms."

Construction minister Rajitha Seneratne, who has been promoting the Birla deal, said other cement firms could also bid although they had not made any proposals so far.

"Any foreign investor can come and make an offer," he said. "We are having talks with the Birla group."

The government plans a site visit with company officials to assess the current state of the plant in Jaffna, which is cut off from the rest of the country as the Tamil Tigers control the land route. The only access is by air and sea.

Asked if others firms too could bid for the plant if they are interested, Senaratne said: "They can if they want to. But all this time there were no bids. Everybody said they were interested but nobody came."

India's Aditya Birla group had proposed reviving the defunct cement plant in Kankesanturai in the northern Jaffna peninsula following talks in Colombo earlier this month.

The plant is sitting on a rich limestone deposit in Jaffna and had long drawn the interest of other cement producers such as Holcim, and Tokyo Cement, which is partly owned by Japan's Mitsui.

But they had been deterred so far by the risks of the war, with the plant now part of a sprawling military base and damaged by shelling by Tamil Tigers in previous battles.

The plant is owned by Lanka Cement, a government firm listed on the Colombo bourse, whose share price has been rising in recent weeks after reports of the Birla deal.

Senaratne has said he was keen to revive the plant in Jaffna both to meet the current cement shortage and bring down high prices and also to provide youth of the peninsula employment opportunities.

Birla's interest was sparked by the current worldwide shortage of cement owing to a construction boom, especially in emerging economies like China and India, which have sent up cement prices.

KUWAIT: Nawal Al-Muqaihit, a third district candidate said that if she was elected to Parliament she would submit a proposal forbidding Kuwaiti men from employing attractive maid-servants.
She noted that the frequency of Kuwaitis marrying maids have risen and the government should pay attention to this loss of Kuwaiti identity. Al-Muqaihit remarked that Filipinos and Sri Lankans top the list. She added that Kuwaitis have now become in-laws to people in the Philippines and Sri Lanka.

CHENNAI: CPI SECRETARY D Raja on Saturday urged the Indian Government to renegotiate the 1974 Katchathivu Accord between Indian and Sri Lankan Governments.

Speaking at a function organised by the fishermen forum here, he said, “When the treaty was signed between both governments, the then Tamil Nadu Government had protested saying that it would prove detrimental to TN fishermen's rights.

But the Central Government went ahead with it saying the island was a sheer rock formation without any strategic importance, hence can be ceded to Lanka.''

He further said, “If we cannot take back the island that has turned very strategic now, the government should renegotiate the accord to facilitate our fishermen to catch fish there without any hindrance.”

VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan blamed the Indian Government for meting out step-motherly treatment to Tamil Nadu fishermen, by branding them as arms smugglers to outlawed organisations based in Northern Sri Lanka.

He also said, “Tamil fishermen are affected more by the Indian Coast Guard rather than their counterparts in Lanka, as they basically brand them as helpers of the LTTE, which is not the case always.'' CPM leader T K Rangarajan was present.

RIYADH, 27 April 2008 — The new Saudi Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Abdul Aziz Al-Jammaz, began work at the Saudi Embassy in Colombo.

Al-Jammaz succeeds the former Saudi ambassador in Colombo Mohammed Mahmud Al-Ali, who went to Pretoria in December as the Kingdom’s new ambassador to South Africa. Al-Jammaz will also be accredited to the Maldives during his tenure in Colombo.

Al-Jammaz said he wants to project a new image of the Kingdom by highlighting the contributions it has made in strengthening bilateral relations. “The Kingdom is home to 600,000 Sri Lankans. They have earned a good reputation for their hard work and perseverance, and they have contribute a great deal to the nation’s development,” he said, adding that the wheels of justice is fair to all living in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking about his priorities, Al-Jammaz said he hopes to shift the present Saudi mission to a better location in Colombo to improve services. “The mission will soon be moved to a place which is easily accessible,” the ambassador said, adding the mission needs a larger space in view of the extended services offered to the increasing number of Sri Lankans seeking consular assistance.

Al-Jammaz, a graduate in geography from the Imam Muhammad University in Riyadh, has been working in the Kingdom’s foreign service for 27 years. He has served in Accra, London, Brussels and Amman.

People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), releasing its first supplementary report on the Eastern PC poll yesterday called it largely incident free while noting that violence might raise its head due to heightened competition after the new year break.

According to PAFFREL they had received 18 cases so far with all of them being recorded after the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. PAFFREL Chairman Kingsley Rodrigo said yesterday even though there were 18 complaints, only two could be categorized as serious.

He also noted that while parties like UNP abstained from contesting the Batti poll citing the TMVP factor, this time round they had decided to join the race with the same party in the fray.

Meanwhile, PAFFREL has decided to deploy over 2500 monitors for the forthcoming poll which would include a team of international observers numbering over 20.

They are also to deploy local stationary monitors on Election Day for 1022 polling centres by including two monitors to man each station in addition to mobile groups.

Forth Coming Polls would be the best way to felicitate the government. Addressing a special meeting in Ampara to review the progress made in development projects such as Jathika Saviya and Gama Neguma implemented in the Ampara district Parliamentarian Basil Rajapakse said the troops have liberated the area with the support of the UPFA government and the troops made tremendous effort to bring peace for the area.
He said public could felicitate the government for its service which liberated the province through the forth coming polls.
He said that the international community is paying special attention to the approaching eastern provincial council election.
He observed that an efficient provincial council needs to be established in order to make maximum use of the resources in the east notably paddy cultivation and fisheries.

On information given by a civilian today (27), the Army recovered a 15 Kg claymore mine in a search operation from the KOVILADI area, TRINCOMALEE in the morning around 8.00.

A LTTE terrorist was killed during a confrontation with Troops on Saturday (26) in the area South of the A -9 road, JAFFNA in the evening around 3.00 while another terrorist was also killed on the same day. In the evening around 3.49 in the NAGARKOVIL area, JAFFNA yesterday (26) another terrorist was killed while Troops also destroyed a terrorist bunker during an attack in the same area.

Director of the film Prabhakaran Thushara Peiris says the shortage of film halls to screen Tamil films in Sri Lanka is a serious problem.
He said even though the film Prabhakaran has been produced in both Sinhala and Tamil only the Sinhala script could be screened.
Speaking to media today Thushara Peiris said cinema owners in the country have been reluctant to show the Tamil version in their film halls. He said the film has been shooted in areas such as Thoppigala, Poonani and Vakarai at a time the areas were involved a conflict situation.
Mr. Peiris also said that LTTE child soldiers were rehabilitated and brought into act in the film. He thanked the support even by the Army chief and the 23rd brigade with regard to the filming. He added that the film has been produced to demonstrate to cruel nature of the LTTE.

World religious representatives convene in Kandy tomorrow to form the inter-religious council of Sri Lanka. The representatives will meet under the theme “religion for peace”.
The representatives include the Sanganayake of Cambodia most venerable Tep Wong Thero, a Bishop of Norway Reverent Guthar J. Stalset and Chairman of the Mohamadia Muslim Organisation in Indonesia Dr. Deen Samsudeen.

The Maha Nayakes of the Malwathu, Asgiri, Amarapura and Ramanya chapters and also Hindu, Muslim and Catholic religious leaders from Sri Lanka will attend the summit. Sri Lanka Director of the summit Kingsley Rodrigo said the meeting at the Kandy Governor’s Conference Hall will be attended by representatives from 70 countries.

The government has decided to pay compensation to the families of the victims of the bomb blast in Piliyandala on Friday.
A sum of 100 thousand rupees will be paid on behalf of each person killed. Additional 15 thousand rupees will be given for each funeral. Minister of Disaster Relief Rishard Badeudeen says a sum of 50 thousand rupees will be paid for each person injured.
According to the Minister the relevant officials were already taken measures to grant compensations soon. The conductor of the bus has also died in the incident. The driver of the bus is receiving treatment at the Kalubowila Hospital.
Director of the Kalubowila Hospital W.G. Gunawardena says 48 persons continue to receive treatment after being injured in the recent bomb blast in Piliyandala. Nine injured persons are receiving treatment at the Colombo National Hospital. Police spokesman senior DIG
N.K. Ilangakoon says nine persons have been arrested in connection to the blast. He said questioning has revealed important facts pertaining to the blast. Mount Lavinia and Piliyandala Police are jointly conducting further investigations.
Meanwhile, parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa points out that the Piliyandala blast demonstrates yet again the barbaric response of the LTTE in the face of severe defeat inflicted by advancing security forces. He noted that the bus blast depicts the psychological breakdown of the LTTE. He stressed the importance of the security forces and the general public joining hands to ensure security.

Troops recovered two anti- personnel bombs from KALUWANKERNI area, BATTICALOA during a search operation on Saturday .

A TMVP political cadre was shot dead in Batticaloa a short while ago. TMVP spokesman Azad Maulana said the 19 year old victim was killed while he was taking part in election propaganda.

By Mendaka Abeysekera in New York
The United States Government has sent out a strong warning to Sri Lanka over the island’s rapidly growing close ties and diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In the backdrop of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s scheduled state visit to Sri Lanka tomorrow, US State Department Spokesperson Tom Casey has clearly disclosed their concerns over the Iranian President’s South Asia visit.

During the daily press briefing in Washington, last Monday, Spokesperson Casey said that it was up to every country to determine for itself how it was going to organise its bilateral relations with Iran and that it was up to them to determine how best to manage them.

“We would hope that the Indian Government or any government that was engaging with the Iranians, including with President Ahmadinejad, would call on him to meet the requirements that the Security Council and the international community has placed on him in terms of suspending their uranium enrichment activities and complying with the other requirements regarding their nuclear programme,” the State Department Spokesperson said.

He also urged the South Asian nations to urge Iran to end what he termed as “unhelpful activities with Iraq, with respect to support for terrorism, including organisations like Hezbollah and Hamas, and to otherwise become a more responsible actor on the world stage.”

It is learnt that, a few weeks before Casey’s remarks on the Iran connection, the US State Department had already conveyed its displeasure to Colombo, through diplomatic channels, about the Sri Lankan Government’s rapidly growing bilateral relationship with Iran.

High-ranking Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry Officials in Colombo downplayed the importance of Sri Lanka’s close ties with Iran as traditional bilateral diplomatic relations between two independent countries.

But The Nation learns that US State Department officials were not satisfied with the government’s response.
The US has also expressed its very serious concerns over Sri Lanka’s growing ties with China and Russia.

By Aisha Edris and Jayashika Padmasiri
Leading opposition parties have alleged that the government is misusing state properties for the Eastern Provincial Council elections.

The main opposition United National Party (UNP) said that the government was exploiting state properties for the Eastern Provincial Council election. According to UNP Parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake, the government had taken 12 vehicles from each state institution to be used for election propaganda.

“We have got to know that the government is using state vehicles and officers for its election propaganda. We are monitoring the situation and are hoping to take action against it,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) yesterday said that it was hoping to make a complaint to Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake about the government misusing state vehicles, buildings, institutions and government servants for the forthcoming Eastern election, scheduled to be held on May 10.

JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva told The Nation that the party was planning to write to the Elections Commissioner about certain government ministers who have been misusing public property.

“In Ampara District, a government minister had reportedly visited a Samurdhi headquarters office and ordered the office to be transformed into an election campaign office instead of continuing to work as a government institution that has been created for the benefit of the public,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress General Secretary Hassan Ali said that a large number of ministers were camping in Ampara for election campaigns.

“There is a large delegation of ministers who have camped in Ampara and they are misusing government resources,” he charged.
He alleged that the ministers were forcing government employees in the area to campaign for the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA).

“The ministers are forcing government employees to work for them,” he charged.
Hassan Ali further said that the ministers have also asked all the Samurdhi beneficiaries to campaign for the government and asked them to have party offices at their houses.

“We also received information that the ministers had asked Samurdhi beneficiaries to get ballot papers from UNP supporters and to somehow obstruct the UNP supporters from voting,” he added.

Meanwhile, Lanka Viduli Sevaka Sangamaya General Secretary Ranajn Jayalal said that the Defence Ministry had been using the CEB’s circuit bungalow in Ampara for election purposes.

“The Defence Ministry has booked the bungalow until May 11 and they have so far not made the payments of Rs. 159,000. Usually, CEB does not give anyone the bungalow if they do not make prior payments but in this case they have given it to the Defence Ministry,” he alleged.

“We also received information from our staff in the area that the ministers have taken CEB engineers’ office computers, tables and chairs for election propaganda,” he said.

By Gamini Abeywardane
The Central Bank has amended the recently introduced corporate governance rules for banks, stretching the tenure of the incumbent chairmen and founder directors, by five more years, ending a stir that has been causing concern in the banking circles for some time.

This follows representations, made by several banks, which alleged that, the corporate rules imposed by the Central Bank recently were, too harsh and would disturb the smooth functioning of the banks.
Several banks such as the Seylan Bank, the Commercial Bank and the DFCC Bank have gone before the courts, challenging various provisions of these corporate rules.

The new rules among others, imposed a maximum limit of eight years, for a director to serve in a bank, which caused a major stir in the banks, with the possibility of a sudden exodus of a large number of experienced directors, who are closely linked up with the operations of these banks.

They included eminent people like Deshamanya Lalith Kotelawala (Seylan Bank), Edgar Gunatunga (Sampath Bank), Mahendra Amarasuriya (Commercial Bank) and Rienzie Wijetilleke (Hattion National Bank).
The new corporate rules, which were issued in December 2007, prescribed that, the term of office of a director, other than the director, who holds the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) position, should be four years and should be reelected, only for another term. With regard to the current directors, the term of office also included the period, that has been served by them, as at the effective date of the code.

According to the amended rules, which have been just released, in addition to the CEO, executive directors would also be permitted, to function as directors, for more than nine years. There are also transitional provisions for the Monetary Board, to exempt the founding directors and incumbent chairmen, from directions regarding maximum age, the number of companies a director could serve, and the total period a director can serve.

Senior bankers had expressed the view that, if the proposed rules were implemented, in the original form, most directors, including those holding considerable stakes, would have to leave the boards of directors, as most of them, had already served for long periods.

The new code, which came into force from January 1, 2008 and is to be complied by June 30, 2008 is aimed at, ensuring the stability of the banking and financial system. Among the proposed rules, there are stringent provisions dealing with problems, such as conflict of interest and management control.

It also seeks, to increase the role of competent independent directors on bank directorates, taking into consideration, the special privileges given to banks, to raise funds, through deposits from the public. It proposes that, every bank should have at least three independent non-executive directors, or one third of the total number of directors, whichever is higher.

The rules are aimed at, removing the possibilities for misuse of banking facilities by shareholders, or any related parties and also contain provisions, with regard to composition of boards, criteria to asses the fitness and propriety of directors, management functions delegated by the board and related party transactions.

By Rohan Abeywardena

With prices of essential grain hitting record levels around the world and no corresponding increases in finances the UN World Food Programme is cutting down on its rations to about one million Sri Lankans it is feeding in the North and East.

WFP Country Director of Mohamed Saleheen said they were forced by circumstances to suspend their food-for-work programme to about 175,000 people in the war-affected regions from May 1 and reduce rations of others from 1,900 kilo calories to 1,665 kilo calories per day per person.

While suspending the food-for work-programme, he said they would continue to assist the priority targets such as the IDPs, the returnees, the economically displaced, pregnant women, nursing mothers, children under five and school feeding, which he termed as “absolutely imperative”.

The WFP basket of rations comprises rice, wheat flour, cooking oil, dhal and sugar. The Sunday Times learns that the quantum of rice supplied -- 200 grammes per day per head -- will remain untouched, but cuts will be in wheat flour and sugar.

The Nation Building Ministry’s Project Director, R.H.W.A. Kumarasiri, however, said that though they have had discussions regarding the problem, there was still no final decision on reducing the rations. Mr. Kumarasiri said there was no problem in WFP procuring items like rice from the local market. The problem was in imported food items like wheat flour which were affected by rising world prices.

But, according to the WFP, already two local suppliers who had contracted to supply rice this year had defaulted as they are unable to supply at the prices contracted six months earlier. Mr. Salaheen said though they had budgeted US$64 million this year to feed the affected people, so far they had only been able to raise less than half, leaving a gap of US$ 35 million to be filled.

The WFP Country Director, however, said compared to many other countries Sri Lanka’s situation was much better. “In an environment of severe competition for resources, some countries have not even been able to raise 30 percent of their requirements,” he said.

Interestingly, unlike advice coming from World Bank and the IMF, the WFP in the current scenario welcomes price control on rice introduced by the government recently. Mr. Saleheen said it was a first good step, but insists that it should go hand in hand with more land being brought under cultivation, farmers being guaranteed a fair farm gate price and ensuring easy access to cheap rice.

As things are, he regrettably noted that in Sri Lanka and some of the other countries like his own Bangladesh the people on average spent 60 per cent of their income on food. Therefore there was an urgent necessity to adjust the social safety net, he said.

Mr. Saleheen warned that failure to meet the reality now would have its impact on ordinary people in several months down the line as their health might get affected. He was specially concerned about children and pregnant women. Last year the WFP provided dry rations to affected Lankans on a budget of US$ 50 million, with more than half of it coming from the United States.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahma-dinejad will touch down at Bandaranaike International Airport tomorrow evening in a special flight to be greeted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the foot of the gangway.
Ahmadinejad will be accompanied by an Iranian delegation including Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and Commerce Minister Massoud Mir-Kazemi. He will be flown to Colombo by helicopter and will pay a courtesy call on President Rajapksa tomorrow night, before attending the official banquet.
On Tuesday, Ahmadinejad will meet religious dignitaries and community leaders, led by Western Province Governor Alavi Moulana. Later that morning, he will visit the Sapugaskanda oil refinery and unveil a commemorative plaque. Iran had assisted in the construction of the refinery decades ago. He will leave for Uma Oya by chopper where President Ahmadinejad and President Rajapaksa will jointly unveil another commemorative plaque to inaugurate the power project. He is later expected to deliver an address before leaving directly for BIA. He departs the country around 1.30 pm.
Asked for a comment on the visit, US Embassy Spokesman Terry White cited a response made at a US State Department press briefing last week to a question about Ahmadinejad’s visit to India.
“It’s really upto every country to determine how it’s going to organise its bilateral relations,” he said. “Many countries, including some of our strong allies in Europe, have diplomatic relations with Iran and it’s up to them to determine how best to manage them.”

By Nirmala Kannangara

The UNP on Friday dismissed the government’s claim of an alleged deal between the UNP and the LTTE at the eastern province election and said it was the same old bogey of the SLFP at every election.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake while refuting UPFA General Secretary, Maithripala Sirisena’s claim told the media that the government is now trying its same old tactic as it is now on the verge of defeat at the forthcoming eastern provincial election.

"It was the same tactics they used in the run up to the presidential election in 2005 and deprived UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe of winning the election. But later on Mangala Samaraweera and the late Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi made public as to how the then Prime Minister Mahinda Rakjapakse came to a pact with the LTTE and as to how the LTTE was influenced to stop the Tamils from voting for Ranil Wickremesinghe," added Attanayake.

Accusing the Rajapakse administration of misleading the general public to win elections by ‘hook or by crook,’Attanayake said that the country has now become a failed state as a result of the government’s dismal performance.

"It was the UNP that suffered most at the hands of the LTTE and not any other party. Our leaders were murdered and the present leader was deprived of a historic win. With all those it is hilarious to hear the UPFA General Secretary’s claim that the UNP is having a secret deal with the Tigers to win the elections. The Rajapakse administration is responsible for the rising CoL, inflation, bribery, corruption and human rights violations in the country. In this backdrop they are trying to accuse the UNP unsuccessfully," alleged Attanayake.

Meanwhile Attanayake urged President Mahinda Rajapakse to appoint the select committee that was requested by the late Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi to probe into the government’s scandalous deal with the Tigers at the earliest.

"Let the government show its transparency by appointing the Parliamentary Select Committee to probe the alleged Tiger deal the government had, to win the elections," Attanayake said.

The Media Centre for National Security dismissed speculation that the Muhamalai operation was launched by Army Commander Sarath Fonseka without Defence Ministry approval and said the security forces had got on top of the situation.

Director General of the Media Centre for National Security Lakshman Hulugalle said there was no truth to the speculation that the Army Commander had launched an operation without approval and said such stories were the work of mischief-makers.

"What happened was that the LTTE tried to attack us? We repulsed the attack and counter attacked and got on top of the situation. There is no question of the Army Commander launching any operation without Defence Ministry approval," Hulugalle said.

JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe has turned down a request by President Mahinda Rajapakse to permit the party’s dissident Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa back into the party fold without answering the charge sheet served on him.

Amarasinghe who declined to accept Rajapakse’s intervention in the internal rift in the party has asked the President not to intervene in matters concerning the JVP as the party could solve its own issues.

The President had made the request from Amarasinghe when the former had made a telephone call to the latter to discuss the possible resolution of the present crisis in the JVP through his intervention.

During the conversation Amarasinghe had told Rajapakse that the JVP was fully geared to address the present crisis and added that the party was well aware that it was the President and his brother who was behind Weerawansa’s defection.

Rajapakse had denied any involvement in the Weerawansa defection and had claimed they were stories circulated by the UNP. Amarasinghe however had responded by saying that he knew exactly what happened and that the JVP could not be fooled by such stories.

Since the defection of Weerawansa and his supporting parliamentarians from the party, the JVP has charged that it was the government that was instrumental in creating a split in the party and hampering its election campaign in the east.

JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva has said that it was evident that the government was instrumental in creating a rift within the JVP.

He made this statement in an interview with a private TV station recently.

Silva also added that one example of the government’s involvement in the whole issue was the security provided by the Presidential Security Division (PSD) to the JVP defectors.

Despite heightened ground confrontations between troops and LTTE at the Wanni battle theatre, it was reported that 3 bombs were dropped by LTTE today (April 27) at the military forward defence lines in Welioya at around 1.45 a.m.
According to military Spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, no damages were caused to own troops in the aerial bombing.

"During the wee hours the SLAF air defence network radars detected 2 light aircraft of LTTE which were airborne and heading towards Welioya. In accordance with standard operating procedures, SLAF interceptor aircraft were made airborne in the direction of the intruding enemy craft. However, enroute to the area it was observed that the LTTE air craft were fleeing and heading back", air force sources were quoted as saying in a press release issued.

Earlier, on Saturday LTTE suffered heavy beating by SLA infantrymen when troops successfully thwarted two pronged LTTE offensive attempts to breach the military defences at Welioya. Meanwhile, troops also dismantled an LTTE artillery attack launched towards Galkulama and Sinhapura villages at Weiloya on Saturday morning. No damages were caused to both civilian and security personnel, sources further said.

According to military sources, these failed attempts by LTTE are sheer signs of desperation by the outfit to unwind its present sorry situation. The LTTE is suffering with increasing defeats at the hands of military, and troops deployed at Weiloya are constantly pushing LTTE to relocate its defences closer to it last bastions in Kilinochchi and Mullaittiuvu districts, defence sources said.

Making another military pledge a reality, the centuries-old sacred Madhu Church, where all communities worshipped will be opened to the public soon for the annual feast. The shrine was liberated by the Security Forces from LTTE terrorists.

The sacred Madhu Shrine which was liberated from LTTE terrorists was handed over to Rev. Fr. Victor Susai, Vicar General of Mannar, who accepted it on behalf of the Bishop of Mannar yesterday.

Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka called upon those who removed the statue of Our Lady of Madhu to bring it back to the church.

"Those who were in charge of the statue have the responsibility of bringing it back", he said adding that the Madhu area would be declared as a security zone and pilgrims would be provided all facilities to worship at the shrine.

The Madhu shrine, where thousands of pilgrims gather during the August church feast was under the clutches of the LTTE from 1999. The shrine area later became a military base for the LTTE positioning its heavy guns around the church premises.

The LTTE used the shrine as a shield to avoid military offensives within the 'No War Zone' and the Army was compelled to refrain from attacking the terrorists because of the sacred shrine complex.

Lt. Gen. Fonseka said that the 57 division supported by the Light Infantry unit tactically forced the terrorists who occupied the shrine to withdraw but the fleeing terrorists damaged the roof of the main church and the adjoining hall.

According to Lt. Gen. Fonseka, the area has been heavily mined with anti personnel mines and booby traps and bunkers have been erected around the shrine. "The military will soon complete clearing the mines", he said.

At least 16 LTTE were killed, 10 injured as fighting between troops and LTTE ensued at separate locations in the Mannar and Vavuniya fronts yesterday (April 26), according to military reports received.

Troops have also captured 3 LTTE bunkers, while 6 soldiers were also reported wounded mainly due to Anti-personnel mine explosions.

In the Mannar front, intermittent clashes were reported in general areas North of Manthai and East of Veddayamurippu. According to reports, 2 LTTE were killed sniped separately in general area North of Manthai by SLA yesterday. Troops also advanced and captured 3 LTTE bunkers killing 8 LTTE and injuring 10 others during intense fighting in East of Veddayamurippu. During subsequent search operations conducted SLA recovered 1231 T-56 ammunition rounds, 11 hand grenades, and 3 T-56 weapon magazines.

A soldier was also reported wounded due to an AP mine explosion in general area Parayakulama.

Meanwhile, in the Vavuniya front, confrontations between SLA and LTTE were reported in general areas East of Chinnavalayankadu, Vinayakankulama and West of Palampiddy. According to military reports, 6 LTTE were killed in addition to 5 SLA casualties.

Air Force fighter jets made precision air raids at identified LTTE artillery positions located North of Welioya this evening (April 26).

According to Air Force Spokesperson, Wing Commander Andrew Wijesooriya the air sorties were launched at around 5 pm.

Security Forces in Wanni handed over 7 LTTE bodies to ICRC officials this morning (April 26), later to be delivered to the LTTE through the Omanthai Entry/Exit point.

The corpses were kept at the Vavuniya general hospital morgue after been found by security forces during clearing operations conducted in Welioya and Vavuniya yesterday.

According to security sources, 5 bodies were found ahead of LTTE defences in Welioya, while 2 others were reportedly found from the Vavuniya front.

Three terrorists were killed and another was injured when the Army launched a fierce attack and captured a LTTE bunker line in the KOKKUTHUDUWAI area, on Friday . Five terrorists were also reported injured during a confrontation in the area of KIRIBBANWEWA, WELIOYA on the same day (25) , In NORTH KIBBANWEWA a soldier was also reported injured during operations on the same day (25). Two terrorists were also reported killed ruing a confrontation in the area of NORTH KIRIBBANWEWA AREA on Friday (25).

Three incidents were reported from the area of PUTTANKULAM in the WELIOYA area on Friday (25). A soldier was reported injured due to anti- personnel mine explosion during operations while four terrorists were reported injured on the same day (25), just before first light while another two terrorists were injured during confrontations.

175 anti-personnel Mines were recovered by the Army in search operations conducted throughout Friday (25) from the WELIOYA area.

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa has reappointed Nanda Matthew as the Governor of Uva Provincial Council. Mr. Matthew swore in his new position before the President yesterday (25) at Temple Trees.

Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe visited Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital in Kotte this morning (Apr. 26th) to inquire into the wellfare of soldiers who were injured in intense clashes between the security forces and the LTTE in Muhamalai in Jaffna.
Mr. Wickremesinghe was accompanied by UNP Colombo District MP Ravi Karunanayake and Gampaha district MP Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena in the visit. Several political leaders were at the hospital in the past two days visiting the injured soldiers.

Sri Lanka Army opened Madhu Church for its trustees in this evening. Area Army commander and senior officials along with the trustees of the Madhu church attended this simple ceremony , our reports said.
The government said liberation of the Madhu Church precincts from the terrorists marks a watershed in the Northern war theatre. The troops trod with utmost caution in the sacred area, honoring a No Fire Zone arrangement, which the LTTE unfortunately violated. The soldiers ensured that no harm was caused to the Sacred Shrine, renowned throughout Asia.

The Army faced a formidable task vis-a-vis Madhu. The LTTE had heavily mined the area. The slightest propaganda by the troops and any damage to the Church would have sent the LTTE misinformation network into hyper drive. It is to their credit that they managed this feat without literally falling into the traps laid by the LTTE, physically and metaphorically.

One unsolved mystery is why the Madhu Church authorities conveyed the Scared Statue of Our Lady of Madhu to another location in an LTTE-dominated area, in spite of repeated pleas by the clergy and laity to convey the statue to a Government-controlled area, so that Christians from both Sinhala and Tamil communities could pay homage to it.
Now that the Forces, and hence the Government, have regained the Madhu Church area, Christians can heave a collective sigh of relief. With the impending liberation of the entire North, pilgrims of all over Sri Lanka will soon be able to venerate this famous shrine in a free and peaceful atmosphere.

The United Kingdom Branch of the United National Party annual Convention held on the 19th of April in London. UNP Gen. Secretary Tissa Attanayake, Media Spokesman Gayantha Karunatilleke and Dinesh Gankande,M.P. who is also the Foreign Committee representative attended the occassion.
During their short stay they met a number of Sri lankans including Ven.H Mahinda thero of Kingsbury Temple in London .

Bonny Mascarenhas

As a first step to improve expatriate labourers’ living conditions and welfare, Bahrain has signed a memorandum of understanding with Sri Lanka.
Similar agreements will be inked with India and Nepal.
“The memorandum of understanding is a move in the right direction and its implementation will have many positive effects on expatriate workers,” Sri Lankan embassy honorary consul general T. S. Higgoda told the Tribune on telephone from Sri Lanka.
“The Bahraini and Sri Lankan governments will work in tandem and keep a vigil on manpower agencies which misuse the system and exploit workers.”
The Minister of Labour, Dr Majid bin Mohsin Al Alawi, signed the memorandum of understanding with Foreign Employment and Welfare Minister Keheliya Rambukwellain in Colombo and left for India.
Dr Al Alawi was welcomed by Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi and Indian Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty at the Cochin International Airport.
Dr Al Alawi and Ravi held talks in Kumarakam and then left for Cochin. He is expected to sign a similar agreement before he leaves for Nepal to do the same.
“President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s long-cherished wish to have a system and mechanism in place to ensure the safety, security and welfare of Sri Lankans working abroad has been realised,” Rambukwellain was quoted as saying by a Sri Lankan daily following the signing of the agreement. “We have come a long way to improve the conditions of employees who have taken up jobs overseas. It is necessary through this agreement to formulate measures and systems to forge understanding between Sri Lanka and foreign countries employing Sri Lankans,” he said.
Rambukwellain said 40,000 Sri Lankans were employed in Bahrain and 6,000 were being recruited annually. “This workforce is made up of professionals, trained and untrained workers including women as housemaids and garment factory workers,” he added.
Higgoda said Rambukwellain was scheduled to visit Bahrain on May 15 or 16.
“The asset of any nation is its human resource. Bahrain respects and treats its citizens without discrimination,” Dr. Al Alawi was quoted by the newspaper as saying in Colombo.
“People in Bahrain enjoy employment benefits and $400 insurance per year. We are studying the possibility to removing sponsorship for foreigners seeking jobs in Bahrain. This would help them look for other jobs if they are not satisfied with the current employment,” he added.
Marietta Dias of the Migrant Workers Protection Society said she was not familiar with the agreement contents but hoped it would be implemented seriously.
“I hope that the agreement would address the issue of safer working conditions and some of the labour accommodations which need considerable improvements,” society member Clifford Correia said.

At least 18 LTTE were killed and similar numbers wounded as SLA infantry and armour battalions ripped through south most LTTE defences during multi-pronged assaults launched from Mannar, Vavuniya and Welioya yesterday (April 25).
According to the Wanni ground sources, troops made further strides into the non-liberated Wanni area after securing the sacred Madhu shrine from LTTE, in 2 fronts from Palampiddy and Thatchchanamarathamadu. In the Mannar theatre of battle, 3 LTTE were reported killed during confrontation with SLA at general area Palampiddy, while 3 more were killed separately in general area Thatchchanamarathamadu. A soldier also received injuries in the confrontation with LTTE, security sources said.
Separately, troops clashed with LTTE killing 2 in the same area, sources further said.
Meanwhile, in the Vavuniya front 5 LTTE were reported killed during intermittent clashes erupted between troops and LTTE in general areas Veddaimurippu and Nedunakandal. 7 LTTE were also reported wounded following the confrontations in Neduankandal.
According to reports received, 5 LTTE were killed and another injured when troops clashes with LTTE in general areas Kokkuthudduval and Janakapura North in Welioya.
Meanwhile, MCNS sources said that 17 LTTE were wounded in addition to 4 soldiers in the Wanni front yesterday.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake deplored the LTTE bomb attack on a packed bus in Piliyandala last evening, saying the terrorists had once again resorted to killing innocent civilians in the face of heavy setbacks on the battlefield. Twenty four persons returning home after a hard day’s work were killed and another 40 including schoolchildren were injured when a fully packed bus bound to Kahapola was caught in an explosion at 6.45 p.m. at the Piliyandala bus terminal.and he extended his condolences to the members of the bereaved families and wished speedy recovery to the injured.

Trade officials said Sri Lanka's long-delayed effort to automate cargo clearance is making some progress with import manifests being filed electronically along with tea export documentation.
A trial run involving Sri Lanka customs and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority has been completed with shipping lines now filing import manifests electronically.
Mr.A V Rajendra, former chairman of the Ceylon Association of Ships' Agents, now heading its IT and documentation committee said automation of cargo clearance will help speed up trade flows, reduce costs and port congestion .

The LTTE launched an artillery attack on the Welioya, Galkulama and Sinhapura army camps and villages this morning but did not cause any casualties.

SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem, speaking in Trincomalee, said Ministers Maithripala Sirisena and Nimal Siripala de Silva are fabricating stories saying he has joined hands with the LTTE. “People still remember who benefited from the LTTE boycott of the 2005 Presidential poll,” he said.

Several countries, including Germany, France, UK, USA , Japan and China have put forward tenders to provide 15 locomotive engines to Sri Lanka railways. The tenders close on May 9.

By Ranjan Kasthuri
The Uma Oya multi-purpose project at Wellawaya, Alikote, built with Iranian aid at a cost of Rs. 25 billion, will be inaugurated by the Presidents of Iran and Sri Lanka on April 29 at 10 am.

Irrigation and Water Management Minister Chamal Rajapaksa said the project would add 100 Megawatts of electricity to the national grid and supply water to cultivate of 8,000 acres of paddy.

He said a dam will be built at Welimada, Puhulpola across the Uma Oya while water will be brought to Kirindi Oya in Wellawaya through a 22 km long tunnel, to cultivate 5000 acres of paddy land in Wellassa Handapanagala together with 3000 acres of paddy lands in Kuda Oya.

The Uma Oya Project will supply water to the proposed Hambantota harbour, the air port at Weerawila and also the new industrial town at Hambantota, in addition to being used in the development work in the area, the minister said.

He said compensation will be paid at the present value to those who lose their land and homes while it has been planned to provide them alternate housing too. The minister said nearly 20,000 acres in the Welimada area will be developed due to the Uma Oya Project, which is proposed to be completed in four years.

by Norman Palihawadana
Although the Army had informed him that they had moved in and taken control of the Madhu Church area, after the LTTE pulled out on Thursday, he could not say whether the revered statue of ‘Our Lady of Madhu’ could be returned to its original place at the shrine and if the feast could be celebrated until the Government and the LTTE guaranteed that an area of two miles radius around the shrine would be a ‘no war zone’, the Bishop of Mannar Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph said.

Asked whether the statue could be returned to the shrine since the church area had been taken over by the security forces, he said he could not say whether the LTTE would permit the statue to be returned. In any event no military personnel including LTTE cadres should enter the church and its environs, he said.

The Army, moving into the general area around the Madhu Church, vacated by the LTTE, had found a number of bunkers built around the church grounds and trenches dug by the LTTE for defending their positions, Defence Spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanyakkara said.

Troops had found that the roof and some windows of the church had been damaged but the shrine was now open for worship by the pilgrims or people of the area, he said.


After moving into the church areas the troops had begun poushing towards Palampiddy which is under LTTE control. The objective of the government forces was to allow the devotees of the Madhu Shrine to carry on their religious practice and festivals without any obstruction he said.

The latest reports indicate that the number of civilians killed in the LTTE terrorist triggered bomb explosion inside a passenger bus in Piliyandala has increased to 26. Fourteen of the bodies are at kalubowila , eleven at Piliyandala and the other(01) at the National Hospital Colombo.

The number injured has also increased to 64 .Forty nine of the injured have been admitted to the Kalubowila hospital , seven have been admitted to the Piliyandala Hospital and eight to the Colombo National Hospital.
The crowded ill - fated bus during the 'rush' hour was proceeding from the Piliyandala passenger bus terminal around 6.40 in the evening to Kahapola, a suburb of Piliyandala . The deadly 'bomb' had been placed on the rack three seats behind the driver's seat at the time of the explosion.
Meanwhile President Mahinda Rajapaksa deplored the LTTE bomb attack on a packed bus in Piliyandala last evening, saying the terrorists had once again resorted to killing innocent civilians in the face of heavy setbacks on the battlefield.
The President extended his condolences to the members of the bereaved families and wished speedy recovery to the injured.

Police say they have taken in eight people for questioning over the bombing of the passenger bus in Piliyandala last evening. The casualty toll was expected to rise further.

SriLankan Airlines has been forced to cancel many of its scheduled flights following a sick note campaign by its pilots, airport sources say.
Pilots are protesting the non-fulfillment of several promises they had been given by the top management. According to the sources, many pilots have tendered their resignations in view of the institutional and administrative problems that have cropped up in the airline.
The management today cancelled several flights to Bangalore, New Delhi, Chennai and several other destinations.
Many flights scheduled for tonight will also have to be called off.

Twenty four (24) passengers were killed and 40 others injured in the Piliyandala blast, the Police said. The injured are being treated at Piliyandala, Kalubowila and Colombo National hospitals.Kalubowila hospital said that 12 bodies had been brought to the hospital and 38 injured were admitted so far.
Meanwhile the government says LTTE terrorists have carried out a cowardly bomb attack targeting innocent civilians who were returning home after office hours at Pliyandala this evening. According to the police sources, the bomb has been exploded inside a Ceylon Transport Board bus at Piliyandala public bus stand.
The explosion occurred when the bus just taken out from the stand for moving its destination, Kahapola, sources further said.

LTTE is a ruthless terrorist outfit notorious for committing crimes against innocent civilians. In its pursuit for a mono ethnic separate homeland for Tamils, the outfit has killed and maimed over tens and innocent people in routine bus bombing , train bombing, village massacres and etc.

Government officials barred photographers from entering hospitals where soldiers injured in battle are being treated, four photojournalists told the Free Media Movement (FMM) yesterday.

Hitherto, photographers have had no problems in entering hospitals to report on the casualties of war, the FMM said in a statement.

It is highly likely that these measures have been taken after heavy losses (numbering in


the hundreds) faced by the Sri Lankan Army earlier this week after fighting intensified in the North.

All government appointed military spokespersons give watered down figures of war casualties and mainstream media are compelled to report these official statistics.

Only some foreign wire services and few news websites operating from Colombo reported the battlefront casualties independent of government press releases.

According to government military statements that have been published by media, the Army has killed more than 3,000 LTTE fighters in 2008.

The FMM statement said that 3,000 was the figure given by the Army Commander as the strength of the LTTE military six months ago.

In Sri Lanka today, the saying that first casualty of war is truth is being proved almost every day.

The FMM believes that the right of the public to know information and news related to the on going war is severely undermined by the restrictions placed on journalists.

Both the LTTE and the Government do not allow independent media to cover the war in a manner that accurately reports, amongst other things, the numbers of the dead and the injured.

The FMM has demanded both sides to allow media to cover the war independently for nearly 15 years.

We urge the government and the LTTE to respect the right to information.

War propaganda is not a substitute for accurate, impartial and responsible journalism that can only be ensured by supporting and strengthening media freedom and the freedom of expression in Sri Lanka.

The Muhamalai offensive is a hurriedly planned attempt by the government with the ulterior motive of gaining advantage at the forthcoming Eastern provincial Council elections, UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake has charged.

Speaking at a media briefing in Colombo this morning (April 25th), he said that classified reports indicate a certain defeat for the government at the May 10th polls.

In order to turn the tables through a military victory, the government sacrificed the lives of a large number of soldiers in an unplanned offensive, Mr. Attanayake charged.


He added that the UNP urged the government to refrain from using the security forces as a bait to achieve petty political gains.

The main opposition UNP says the government has begun to panic after all “secret surveys” had indicated a crushing defeat for the UPFA at the coming Eastern Provincial poll.

Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets pounded a key LTTE base located in the Iranmadhu jungle in Kilinochchi this morning (April 25). According to the Air Force sources, the raid was launched around 9.30 am , after having verified the target through air surveillance and ground intelligence.

The base located inside the jungle patch, South East of the LTTE's runway in Irnamadu. The fighter pilots have confirmed accurate bombing and considerable damage to the terror base, the sources added.

Meanwhile, military sources on the Vavuniya battlefront said that advancing troops are presently securing the Palampiddi area, around 8 km North of Madhu area. Heavy clashes have been reported from the area as troops are on the track of the terrorists, the sources further said.

Reports coming from the Madhu area say that the terrorists have not caused major damages to the Church Complex before withdrawing from the area. This was mainly due to the fact that army could evict the terrorists without confronting them directly in the No War Zone. Most of the damages seemed to have caused by the sound of the LTTE artillery weapons positioned near the church, the reports said. However, there are ample evidence that the terrorists had been using the church as a terrorist base, as large number of bunkers, trenchers, mortar pits, and artillery positions found in side the church complex, the reports added.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday met the Finance Minister of Singapore Dharman Shanmugaratnam and held discussions on regional issues and the world food and financial crisis.
They exchanged ideas on how the countries in the region could face these crisis. It was emphasized that strengthening of ties between India, Singapore and Sri Lanka could help face these challenges.

Their view was that plans should be made to face the world food crisis from now on.

It was also discussed that although steps were taken during the Premiership of Ranil Wickremesinghe to have free trade agreements with India and Singapore, it was sad that these were not implemented properly.

Mr. Shanmugaratnam pointed out that proper implementing and strengthening these agreements were necessary to face future challenges.

UNP Matara district MP Sagala Ratnayake, Economic Advisor to the Opposition Leader Arjuna Mahendran and Singapore Ambassador to Sri Lanka Than Ka Ho were present at the discussion.

Vendors selling fake ink cartridges in Sri Lanka under the Toshiba trademark are being hunted and prosecuted. The technology firm will prosecute vendors importing and selling counterfeit Toshiba products under the Intellectual Property Laws in Sri Lanka.

JVP says develution of power cannot provide a solution for the national problem
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna says a solution to the national problem in Sri Lanka could not be found through devolution of power.
The position of the party is that the problem could be resolved only by establishing democracy through provision of rights of Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities based on equality.
JVP parliamentarian Vijitha Herath at a media briefing in Colombo today said that any solution to the national issue should be presented through the concept of a unitary state.

Sri Lanka army has liberated the sacred Madhu shrine by beating off the occupying LTTE terrorists today morning (April 25). The soldiers of 8 Sri Lanka Light Infantry reached the shrine as the terrorists beat a retreat unable to withstand the army advance.

The centuries old Catholic shrine is held sacred and respected by all Sri Lankans irrespective of religion and ethnicity. Thousands of pilgrims used to visit the shrine, especially during the church feast in August, before the terrorists took control of the area in 1999.

As LTTE terrorists unleashed their "Final War" in 2006, the church became a sanctuary for thousands of civilians who wanted to avoid their children being conscripted by the terror outfit. Later, LTTE agents acting under religious fa‡ades, evicted these civilians and unashamedly made many of them to fall prey to the terrorists.

Gradually, the terrorists almost turned the shrine into a terror base by positioning its heavy guns around the church and using it as a barrack for its cadres. Though this desecration has been carried out for last few months the fact was kept secret from the general public until the sacred statue of Our Lady of Madhu was shifted two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, Army 57 division battling against the terrorists on the Vavuniya battle front, tactically removed most of the terrorists' lines of communication to what had then become the terror stronghold inside the Madhu complex, making the occupying terrorists isolated from the rest. Army specifically resorted to this slow and painstaking tactical measure in order to avoid any military operations within the Madhu "No War Zone". Many soldiers had to sacrifice their lives and limbs in this endeavour as they refrained from any retaliation to shells launched from the vicinity of the church complex.

The mode of operandi became a success as the terrorists started to withdraw amid the increasing military pressures outside the no war zone. The LTTE bands, "Malathi", "Radha" and "Charles Anthony" withdrew from the area after shifting their heavy guns. A small LTTE element lead by a terrorist leader "Gopith" was the last known terror group to remain at the church.

At present, army troops are clearing the surroundings of the church, as there is a strong possibility that the terrorists have booby-trapped the church building before they leave.

Over 100 LTTE including 15 senior terrorists and 43 soldiers were killed in fierce fighting that lasted for 11hours between SLA and LTTE in the narrow and open land stretches at Muhamalai and Kilaly - Jaffna yesterday (Apr 23), according to finalized reports received from North.

According to the latest information, by intercepting LTTE communication channels so far it is revealed that 81 terrorists were killed. The names and numbers of the 81 terrorists killed have also been transmitted through LTTE radio communication. Over 250 terrorists were suffered injuries due to the security forces effective retaliation, sources added.

Further, Troops have uncovered 6 LTTE bodies left behind as Army pushed and gained control over the LTTE's first line of defence at Muhamalai and preparations are made to hand over those bodies to the LTTE through the ICRC, military sources said. Five T-56 weapons and I-Com set were also found, sources added.

The LTTE fighting formations were driven some 500m back from its initial positions as troops mounted heavy resistance attacks, thwarting a pre-dawn LTTE offensive attempt.

55 and 53 divisions of Army entered into the battle from Muhamalai and Kilaly areas as pitched fighting broke out with soaring casualties from both sides.

"Soldiers have been able to capture the first line of bunkers of the Tigers in Muhamalai. LTTE terrorists came and attacked our forward line on Wednesday morning, we have retaliated and captured about 400 to 500 metres of LTTE area in Muhamalai," said military spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara.

It has been reported that 120 soldiers had suffered injuries and those in serious conditions have been already air lifted to Colombo. According to reports, the injured were admitted to the National Hospital- Colombo, Sri Jayawardenapura and Eye Hospital. The Media Centre for National Security said that, 33 soldiers have gone missing following the confrontations and search operations been continued along the tensed battle lines at Muhamalai and Kilaly.

15 senior LTTE cadres who have led the fighting units during the offensive were killed as the brunts of terrorist casualties were reported from North of A-9 at Muhamalai, according to the sources.

"Canter vehicles loaded with dead LTTE cadres and casualties were rushing continuously towards Mullaittiuvu and Kilinochchi districts since yesterday morning as civilians were restricted of movement along the main routes for over 7 hours", unverified sources close to LTTE were quoted as saying.

LTTE civil militia units and 'Police' stormed into government hospitals at Kilinochchi and Mullaittiuvu; forcibly vacated the area of civilian presence allocating space for the arriving LTTE casualties. Accommodated patients were taken off from their beds and forced to lie on cardboard sheets, while women and children were cornered and others chased away from the sites, the sources were quoted further saying.

Defence sources report that the LTTE offensive was overall led by Theepan and Muhundan, two senior LTTE cadres , whilst fighting formations at Muhamalai and Kilaly were reported respectively led by 'Jerry', Kumunan and Kutti.

A Sri Lankan girl in the rubble of her home which was washed away in the tsunami


A student from Ramsgate has witnessed the devastation that still blights parts of Sri Lanka following the tsunami more than four years ago.

Sarah Foster, 19,used part of her visit to follow through the work being done by the Margate-based Kent charity KASTDA which was launched following the Boxing Day, 2004, disaster.

“There are gravestones where there used to be village communities; broken down buildings and rubble; people desperately trying to rebuild there lives still," she said.

"It was desperately sad. I met children whose families have been swept away by the tidal waves.

"It is hard for us to comprehend the enormity of the task they are facing but they are trying to do it with the upmost grace and humility.”

KASTDA has direct links with orphanages and schools and sponsors more than a hundred children’s social and educational welfare up to the age of 18.

Charity patron, North Thanet MP Roger Gale, said: “This is a long-term commitment to make a difference to the lives of children whose world was dramatically turned upside down in a few short hours.

"It is difficult as time passes for many people to keep the impact of the tsunami disaster in their minds but the KASTDA volunteers have pledged never to forget.”

Sara added: “I met with some of the children KASTDA sponsors but the word got out I was there and from the charity, and soon there were many others hoping I would be able to sponsor them too. It clearly showed that the need is great.

“The work of KASTDA cannot be underestimated. Quite simply, it is vital.”

Sarah’s experiences formed part of a presentation at a fund-raising social and cultural evening run by the charity at Birchington Village Centre, which raised more than £2,500.

For further information about KASTDA contact Metha Methananda on 01843 228828.

RR Sat stops LTTE's Euro Tv test transmission

The Tamil Tigers' test transmissions of its Euro television channel from Israel using the RR Sat of Tel Aviv for uplink facility has been stopped after two days of test transmission.

The Asian Tribune reported about this transmission earlier this week in the story titled 'LTTE's Euro Tv moves to Israel after blockade by France and Italy'.

Koby Zontag, Director of Sales and Business Development, RRSat - Global Communications Network Ltd.(NASDAQ RRST), said that the Euro TV channel was brought to them by a 3rd party without disclosing its nature nor the organization behind it.

"We have broadcasted a slide with the channel name for less than 24 hours. As soon as we understood the nature of the channel we immediately took it off the satellite," he said.

"As your article damages our reputation we would appreciate if you will also publicize our above comment so it will be cleared that we have been mislead," he added.

Shlomi Izkovitz, Deputy VP Sales & Marketing, RRSat - Global Communications Network Ltd. (NASDAQ RRST) wrote to the Asian Tribune today that the company did not transmit the Euro Television channel.

However, the international satellite information website www.mediaworldasia.dk has listed Euro Television among the Tamil channels on April 14, 2008 and stated that it was uplinked on 9 degree East as a test transmission.

Political analysts say that the European Union, the United States other countries that had proscribed the LTTE as a terrorist organization would welcome the RRSat decision to stop the test transmission of the Euro Tv.

A report by Indian trade body, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India reveals that air penetration levels in India are lower than Sri Lanka. The report says in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, the average air travel is estimated at 30-35, as against 30 made in India.

by Shamindra Ferdinando
The JVP yesterday warned that a UPFA victory at the first ever election to the Eastern Provincial Council would facilitate New Delhi’s plans to install a provincial administration friendly to India.

The breakaway LTTE group contesting the May 10 election on the UPFA ticket would represent New Delhi’s interests, JVP frontliner Anura Kumara Dissanayake, MP, said.

Addressing the press, at the National Library Services Board, Dissanayake asserted that Pilleyan (Sivaneshthurai Chandrakanthan) would be New Delhi’s choice as the Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council administration. Pillaiyan would be India’s man, he said, accusing President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government of giving in to the Indian strategy.

Flanked by JVP trade union heavyweight Lal Kantha, MP, and Trincomalee District JVP MP Jayantha Wijesekera, Dissanayake said the election was being held against the backdrop of increasing Indian focus on Trincomalee. The military had denied entry of civilians to Sampur, a former LTTE stronghold where India planned to establish a coal-fired power plant. He said the military recently prevented Wijesekera from entering Sampur while asserting that India was in the process of increasing her influence in the East.

Addressing public rallies in the East, Pillaiyan who spearheads the TMVP polls campaign in the absence of Karuna, has declared that no one would be able to thwart a Tamil assuming the office of the Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council if they secured the highest number of seats. The tough talking former LTTE commander had said that it was one of the promises given by the government.


Dissanayake said the government, in a bid to cripple the JVP campaign in the East, particularly in the Trincomalee District, had targeted Wijesekera. After failing to keep Wijesekera behind bars on a charge of seizing two vehicles from the Parliament car park, the government cut down on his security, he said. This was an attempt to deny Wijesekera an opportunity to campaign in the East. Declaring that Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake had called for additional security coverage for Wijesekera, the JVP accused the government of playing politics with the security of an MP. Asserting that the MP was now vulnerable to an LTTE attack, Dissanayake warned that if he was targeted they would hold the head of the government responsible.

The JVP also launched a scathing attack on SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem. If the UNP-SLMC combine won the election, it would facilitate the return of the LTTE to the Eastern Province, Dissanayake warned. "Don’t forget that Hakeem negotiated an agreement with the LTTE," he said. His was the only direct deal between a political party and the LTTE, he said, warning of dire consequences if the UNP-SLMC combine took control of the first EP administration. It would be equally as bad as a government victory which would bring an Indian puppet to power in the Eastern Province.

by Franklin.R.Satyapalan
United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) General Secretary, Minister Susil Premajayantha yesterday said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had decided in a very democratic manner and in fairness to all communities in the East that the Chief Minister would be the candidate who obtains the highest number of votes at the polls on May 10.

Addressing the media in Colombo, he said the President had decided that the Government would move forward with the proposal made by the All Party Representative Committee(APRC) to implement the 13th Amendment in full.

This was in fairness to the Muslim and Tamil communities, the majority of voters in the Eastern Province, but the United National Party has been very unfair by the Tamil Voters in the East by declaring at the very inception of the election campaign that SLMC Leader Rauf Hakeem would be the UNP’s choice for Chief Minister if the UNP were to win the election.

He said that while he was very confident of a major victory for the UPFA, he would request the eastern voters not to be misled into wasting their votes by voting for the UNP as the party had already accepted defeat by starting to whine and complain at every turn preparing a case for its defeat. There were reports in the National Media that the Chief Ministerial candidate of the UNP, SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem, too had accepted defeat and told the Alliance of Muslim Parties led by NUA leader which met him that he was ready to sit in the opposition

The UPFA government had been fair by all communities and parties and had granted 15 slots to the Tamil Community, 18 to the Muslim community and distributed the balance 11 slots among the Sinhala parties the MEP, JHU, SLMP, DVJP and SLFP, he said.

The Senior Vice President of the SLFP Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, General Secretary of the SLFP Minister Maithripala Sirisena, Peoples Alliance General Secretary Minister D. M. Jayaratne, Veteran SLFP Trade Unionist and Governor Alavi Mowlana, MEP leader Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, CPSL leader Minister Dew Gunasekera, LSSP leader Minister Prof Tissa Vitharna, DVJP Leader P.M.Appuhamy, NUA leader Minister Ferial Ashraff, Ministers Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, Dallas Alahapperuma, Presidential advisor A. H. M. Azwer, Administrative secretary of the SLFP S. H. Ariyasena were present at the conference.

by Ajith Alahakoon
The Wimal Weerawansa faction of the JVP has complained to the police that a chemical substance has been introduced into the fuel tanks of two vehicles belonging to the party, which were hijacked by JVP parliamentarian Jayantha Wijesekara and some others, after police seized them in order to make the vehicles non functional.

The vehicles were used by JVP MP’s Piyasiri Wijenayake and Achala Jagoda who are supporting Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa.

Court made an order that the vehicles be released to the
registered owners and when they went to the police station to take them away they found that the vehicles would not start.

The vehicles are in the custody of Welikade police.

A spokesman for the Weerawansa faction said that the vehicles would be sent to the importers to restore their conditions.

India and Sri Lanka are working on a plan to lay a power-transmission line under the sea.

The line would connect the power distribution networks of the two countries so electricity can be supplied by one when the other is experiencing a shortage or other emergency, the Times of India reported.

An initial report prepared by the Indian state-owned transmission utility PowerGrid estimated the cost of the project at $491 million and said it could be completed within 42 months of getting investment approvals.

The report projects laying a power cable under the Gulf of Mannar between Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu state, and Talaimannar, on the left bank of the Mannar islands in Sri Lanka.

On the Indian side, the undersea cable will be connected to the southern grid at Madurai through an overhead transmission line. On the Sri Lanka side, the underwater cable will be linked to that country's network at Anuradhapura through an overhead line. The report prepared by PowerGrid said the power supply scenario between India and Sri Lanka will allow them to exchange about 500 megawatts of electricity by 2009-2010.

MAS Eco Go Beyond, a strategic CR initiative of MAS Holdings commenced in August 2006. The objective of MAS Eco Go Beyond is the provision of sustainable development education to selected schools in predominantly rural locations in Sri Lanka where MAS business units are located.

Its main thrust is to create and raise awareness on the concept and practice of sustainable development; to provide an opportunity for the implementation of the knowledge gained.

With the launch of phase two in March the programme conducted workshops for 2700 students in 10 schools across Thulhiriya, Avisawella and Kandy.

The workshops were structured to cover the ‘social', ‘environmental’ and 'economic' aspects of sustainable development.

Each session was followed by a skit linked to the sub area, and the workshop concluded with the screening of a customized documentary on environment sustainability.

Schools were provided with message boards and material which used symbols and brief descriptors to highlight main messages, while a mobile exhibit display was provided to visualize issues and encourage action amongst the audience of 15 – 18 year old youth.

The programme targeted this cohort with the intent of empowering tomorrow’s leaders with the requisite skills and knowledge to build a better and more sustainable tomorrow.

A value addition for phase two was the inclusion of a Tamil school as a pilot venture. This initiative is endorsed by the Ministry of Education.

A key secondary objective is the provision of support for applied learning where youth identify critical issues and work to improve life in their homes, schools and communities.

Schools will work on applied learning projects from May to August; the initiative culminates in awards ceremony in September. Mrs. Sandya Wijebandara, additional Secretary to the ministry attended the workshop at Thulhiriya Maha Vidyalaya.

Sri Lanka, once among Asia's worst affected nations for malaria, is now close to eliminating it.

The sharp drop in the number of reported cases to 196 in 2007 - with no deaths - demonstrates that the national malaria control programme has been effective even in the traditionally disease-prone northern districts, portions of which are controlled by Tamil Tiger separatists.

About four million people, a fifth of the population, dispersed over the largely rural dry zone - with rainfall of 250-500mm a month - are still vulnerable and could serve as a reservoir for the malaria parasite, said Rabindra Abeyasinghe, acting director of the government's anti-malaria campaign.

"Elimination means we have to get rid of the pockets of the disease that we have now," Abeyasinghe said. "Without the conflict it would have been very easy, but with the conflict it is more challenging," he told IRIN. "But it can be done . after all, Sri Lanka has already eliminated leprosy and poliomyelitis even with an ongoing conflict."

The Health Ministry is seeking an estimated US$40 million in donor aid and government counterpart funds to cover a five-year elimination programme in seven of the island's nine provinces. The budget will also include strengthening a control campaign in the other two conflict-hit northern and eastern provinces.

Donor support

While overseas aid, mainly from the multi-donor Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, has helped bridge the shortfall in government expenditure, the low rate of malaria incidence threatens to undermine foreign financing.

"Up to now, donors have helped us control the disease, but our success could work against us when it comes to getting much-needed funds to carry out an elimination programme," Abeyasinghe told IRIN. "If people are not dying, donors might not see it as an urgent issue any more."

But the World Health Organization (WHO), which has supported the malaria control programme since the late 1940s, thinks Sri Lanka has a solid case.

"Sri Lanka is a success story in Asia, because, despite all its problems, it is one of the few that have come close to eliminating the disease," said Supriya Warusavithana of WHO. "International donors like the Global Fund are, in fact, looking for such striking stories to draw more donor funds for themselves."

The collaboration of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had ensured virtually no reported cases in the north, considerably helping the country approach the pre-elimination phase, Abeyasinghe said. "The LTTE has cooperated with provincial health authorities in the conflict areas to reduce malaria incidence, possibly because being a jungle-based force, they suffered more."

Abeyasinghe is confident that the monitoring and treatment provided in the embattled districts by government and international agencies eliminated any significant under-reporting of prevalence. Regular supplies of mosquito nets, insecticides and medicines were sent by the government to war-torn areas.

Rapid diagnosis

In addition, rapid diagnostic kits given to medical practitioners helped to identify and treat malaria patients without access to laboratory facilities. The now defunct truce signed in 2002 between the government and the Tamil Tigers also helped accelerate the control programme.

According to WHO statistics, the declining trend began after 1998, when cases peaked at about 275,000 and 117 deaths.

In subsequent years, casualties were kept down through house spraying with insecticides, treated mosquito nets, improved testing and treatment facilities in rural hospitals and mobile clinics.

Warusavithana also attributed the achievement to widespread improvements in socio-economic conditions and infrastructure and better access to basic healthcare for the poor. "Malaria has always been linked to poverty," she said. "For instance, the rural poor used to have houses with thatched roofs, mud walls and unpaved floors, which encouraged mosquito breeding. Now, many of them have tiled roofs, brick walls and cement floors."

Due to the conflict, eradicating the disease in the north and east is set to begin only after the programme has been implemented in the other provinces. Aiming for total elimination will also have to include screening and monitoring at entry points to the island to prevent introduction of imported parasite strains to the country.

By V.P. Raghu and Sridhar Kumaraswami

Chennai/New Delhi, April 24: A collision alert warning on an Air India Colombo-Chennai Airbus A-320 flight on Wednesday evening me-ant a few tense moments for the aircraft commander and the cockpit crew before air traffic control could rule out the possibility of a mysterious unidentified flying object in nearby airspace.

The Airbus captain reacted fast when the aircraft’s traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) gave a "resolutionary alert advice", which indicated the possibility of a collision with a mysterious aircraft or a flying object, which might be as close as 300 feet.

Well-placed civil aviation ministry sources in New Delhi said the TCAS in the Air India aircraft sounded an alert, after which the pilot immediately contacted air traffic control. The ATC made a quick check and concluded that there was no other aircraft in the vicinity.

The pilot was then asked to reboot the aircraft’s TCAS, upon which the alert disappeared, sources said. "It has to be checked whe-ther the TCAS system in the aircraft was defective and why the alert went off when there was no other aircraft in the vicinity," the sources said. The aircraft was 60 nautical miles from Chennai when the TCAS alert went off.

Air India spokesperson Jit-endra Bhargava said the airline had ordered an inquiry into why the TCAS alert went off. "The passengers were not in danger since the ATC had found that there was no other aircraft in the vicinity," he said. The director-general of civil aviation, Mr Kanu Gohain, when contacted, said that if there had been a TCAS alert, it would have been reported to the DGCA’s Chennai office. "We will examine the matter and see what is to be done," he said.

Sources in Chennai said the incident occurred when the aircraft was at a height of 30,000 feet. Air India officials in Chennai acknowledged the incident, but refused to divulge any details. ATC officials in Chennai also refused to confirm or deny the incident.

"There were 103 passengers on board Flight IC-574, which took off from Colombo at around 5.40 pm, nearly two hours and 40 minutes behind schedule on Wednesday. The flight commander was Captain D.K. Rajeev. He initially received the ‘traffic advice’ alert, indicating that there was an object on his route which could be on a collision path with the aircraft. When he received a resolutionary advice alert — which indicates that the collision is imminent — he activated the traffic collision avoidance system," a source in Chennai said.

In his interactions with Members of European Parliament (MEPs), Sri Lankan Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha , appreciated the action taken by the EU to proscribe the LTTE as a terrorist organization in 2006. He stated that it was imperative that all EU Member States also proceeded to take action against the front organizations of the group which acted in the guise of economic, humanitarian, religious and social bodies and were engaged in fund raising for terrorist purposes in many parts of Europe.

Continuing the dialogue between Sri Lanka and the European Institutions, the Sri Lanka Embassy in Brussels has strengthened a programme to actively engage Members of the European Parliament (MEP) representing the Member States, as well as the respective European Political Groups. Ambassador Ravinath Aryasinha held consultations with leading MEPs of the South Asia Delegation in the European Parliament, as well as MEPs who have shown interest in developments in Sri Lanka in recent times.

Additionally, Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha, Secretary General/Secretariat for Co-ordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) visiting Brussels last week to participate in a dialogue between Asian and European Liberals, provided briefings also to the Conservative and Socialist groups in the European Parliament on current developments in Sri Lanka.

Prof. Wijesinha noted that the human rights situation in the country has vastly improved in recent times, with the strengthening of the democratic process especially after clearing the Eastern Province of the LTTE and the restoration of civil administration in the area.

Emphasizing that a political settlement was needed to overcome aspects of the present conflict, he made clear the commitment of the government to develop space for active involvement in the State and its structures for all citizens of all communities.

At the same time, given the continuing intransigence of the LTTE with regard to negotiations, and the manner in which it had continuously violated the Ceasefire Agreement, he said the government was compelled to resort to military means to ensure that the LTTE understood that terrorism could not succeed. He said unfortunately it was clear that the LTTE was now hoping that sections of the international community will throw them a lifeline.

21st April 2008 - Caritas Internationalis joins with Caritas Sri Lanka in condemning the death of Rev. Fr Karunaratnam, who was killed in a bomb blast on 20 April in the north of the country.
Fr Karunaratnam was the Chairman of the North East Secretariat on Human Rights, which aimed at recognizing and respecting the human rights of the minority Tamil community.
Fr Karunaratnam played a key role in promoting peace in the conflict between government troops and Tamil minority rebels.
Rev Fr. Damian Fernando, National Director of Caritas-Sri Lanka (SEDEC) said, “He was an example of courage, strength and humanity and will be missed by all. He also showed endless empathy towards refugees and displaced people while working tirelessly to improve their living standards.
“Over the past several months, violence has flared up in the country and innocent civilians have been the victims of this deteriorating situation and we at Caritas strongly condemn acts of violence against harmless human beings.
“The killing of Rev. Father Karunaratnam is a reminder to us all that a swift resolution to this partisan conflict has to be found and lasting peace achieved for all Sri Lankans and our entire country.”
This is the second killing of a clergy member in the recent months in Sri Lanka, and follows yet more violent deaths of church worker in 2008 in Pakistan and Iraq. Caritas partners have also receiving death threats this week in Colombia from militias for their work on peace building and development.
Caritas Secretary General Lesley-Anne Knight said, “The tragic death of Fr Karunaratnam increases the pressure on all sides in Sri Lanka to find a lasting solution to the conflict through dialogue and negotiation and the international community to support the process.
“That his death comes in the context of other killings and death threats of church workers is deeply troubling. All parties to a conflict must guarantee the protection of civilians. That the very people who are aiming to bring peace are losing their lives must underline the critical need to seek non-violent solutions throughout the world’s war zones.”

(Lanka-e-News, ) The French humanitarian organization Action Against Hunger (ACF) is seeking justice for its 17 local staff savagely killed in Mutur in August in 2006. The organization has already withdrawn from Sri Lanka.

Paris based ACF had lost confidence in the Sri Lankan judicial system regarding the conduct of the Mutur case and therefore was now requesting for an investigation process to get at the truth and for the prosecution of the culprits, according to its spokes person.

ACF would not return to the country in the foreseeable future and its return depend ed on the outcome of the investigation into the Mutur massacre she said.
The presence of the international independent group of eminent persons (IIGEP) provided the only guarantee of the investigation maintaining international standards and norms she said.

ACF left the country closing its Colombo office on March 31 was coincided with the decision taken by the IIGEP to withdraw from Sri Lanka.

Angela Kane, The UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, following her recent visit to Sri Lanka, looks forward to strengthening of cooperation between the UN and the Government of Sri Lanka.
She has assured keen interest in UN Country Team’s continued dialogue with the Government on continued initiatives on building trust ad deepening the partnership between Sri Lanka and the UN.
In a letter to Mr. Basil Rajapaksa MP, Senior Advisor to the President, Assistant Secretary-General Kane says her visit to Batticaloa was very informative and provided her with better understanding of the work of the United Nations there and the pressing resettlement issues and security concerns.
She has appreciated very much the arrangements made by the Government for her visit and for the opportunity she had to meet with President Mahinda Rajapaksa to whom she handed over letter from the Secretary General.

SINGAPORE -(Dow Jones)- Sri Lanka's Ceylon Petroleum Corp. or Ceypetco floated a spot tender seeking a total of 310,000 barrels of gasoil and gasoline for late May delivery, a company official said Thursday.
Ceypetco is seeking 150,000 barrels of gasoil with 0.25% sulfur and 160,000 barrels of 90 RON gasoline for May 29-30 delivery to Colombo.
The tender will close April 29, with two days of validity, said the official, declining to be named.
Ceypetco last bought 150,000 barrels of 0.25%-sulfur grade gasoil for May 18- 19 delivery from Vitol at a premium of $4.67 a barrel to the Singapore mean.
It last bought a gasoline cargo from India's Reliance Industries Ltd. ( 500325.BY) at a premium of $2.94 a barrel to the Singapore mean. The 160,000- barrel 92 RON gasoline cargo was for May 7-8 delivery

At the press briefing Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said the President has not conceded to the final report of the Group of Eminent Persons led by Mr. Bagawathi. The President rejected the statements made by the group deviating from its task.
The Minister questioned the ability of the group to make statements on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka when a majority of the members of the group visited the island only once or twice.
He pointed out that the government invited such a group because of its genuine desire to safeguard human rights.

The government firmly rejects rumours of a rice shortage in the country. The government has taken steps to import 50 thousand metric tons of rice from Myanmar and 100 thousand metric tons of rice from India.
The World Food and Agriculture Organisation will also provide 50 thousand metric tons of rice in the coming weeks. Speaking at the cabinet press briefing in Colombo this afternoon Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said the people need not have any undue fear regarding a possible rice shortage.
The Minister also rejected the report published in a daily newspaper today that Sri Lanka plans to obtain nuclear energy from Iran.

The Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau has succeeded in detecting a Colombo based Foreign Employment Agency attempting to send two underage girls for employment abroad.
Officials at the Bureau handed over the girls to the Child Protection Authority. Chairman of the Bureau Kingsley Ranawaka said legal action will be taken against the agency.

Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickremanayake has personally looked into the welfare of members of the armed forces and the police who are receiving treatment at the Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital after being injured in recent confrontations in Jaffna, Muhamale and Kilali.
He visited the wards today and gave directions to provide all facilities needed to the war heroes. The hospital authorities said all soldiers are receiving facilities provided at paying wards. Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva accompanied the premier during the visit.
According to our sources Leaders of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and the Patriotic National Movement visited Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital this afternoon (Apr. 24th) and inquired into the wellbeing of the soldiers who were injured in the northern battlefront who are receiving treatment there.
Ven. Dambara Amila Thera and popular singer Senanayake Weraliyadde of the PNM accompanied JVP MPs Vijitha Herath, Jayantha Wijesekara and Sunil Handunnetti in the visit.

Minister Keheliya Rambukwella stresses that the government is not prepared to curb in anyway the liberty granted to the people of the east. He observed that the government is engaged in developing the eastern province while ensuring the rights of all its communities. The government took steps to conduct local government and provincial council elections so as to grant them political freedom.
Speaking at a press conference in Colombo today Minister Rambukwella stated that the elections grant the people the complete authority to decide on the manner of enjoying their liberty. He said the country’s main opposition and the LTTE are attempting to give back these victories to the terrorists. He assured that the government will not allow the liberty of the eastern people to be violated through a hidden LTTE hand which seeks to govern the area.
Meanwhile Minister Maithreepala Sirisena says the ability to conduct an eastern provincial council election is an outstanding victory of democracy. Speaking to media in Colombo today he pointed out that a massive development is underway in the province utilising local and foreign funds. Also speaking at the press briefing Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva said the chief objective of the eastern election is to make the people partners of the development drive.

Over 100 LTTE including 15 senior terrorists and 43 soldiers were killed in fierce fighting that lasted for 11hours between SLA and LTTE in the narrow and open land stretches at Muhamalai and Kilaly - Jaffna yesterday (Apr 23), according to finalized reports received from North.
According to the latest information, by intercepting LTTE communication channels so far it is revealed that 81 terrorists were killed. The names and numbers of the 81 terrorists killed have also been transmitted through LTTE radio communication. Over 250 terrorists were suffered injuries due to the security forces effective retaliation, sources added.
Further, Troops have uncovered 6 LTTE bodies left behind as Army pushed and gained control over the LTTE's first line of defence at Muhamalai and preparations are made to hand over those bodies to the LTTE through the ICRC, military sources said. Five T-56 weapons and I-Com set were also found, sources added.
The LTTE fighting formations were driven some 500m back from its initial positions as troops mounted heavy resistance attacks, thwarting a pre-dawn LTTE offensive attempt.
55 and 53 divisions of Army entered into the battle from Muhamalai and Kilaly areas as pitched fighting broke out with soaring casualties from both sides.
"Soldiers have been able to capture the first line of bunkers of the Tigers in Muhamalai. LTTE terrorists came and attacked our forward line on Wednesday morning, we have retaliated and captured about 400 to 500 metres of LTTE area in Muhamalai," said military spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara.
It has been reported that 120 soldiers had suffered injuries and those in serious conditions have been already air lifted to Colombo. According to reports, the injured were admitted to the National Hospital- Colombo, Sri Jayawardenapura and Eye Hospital. The Media Centre for National Security said that, 33 soldiers have gone missing following the confrontations and search operations been continued along the tensed battle lines at Muhamalai and Kilaly.
15 senior LTTE cadres who have led the fighting units during the offensive were killed as the brunts of terrorist casualties were reported from North of A-9 at Muhamalai, according to the sources.
"Canter vehicles loaded with dead LTTE cadres and casualties were rushing continuously towards Mullaittiuvu and Kilinochchi districts since yesterday morning as civilians were restricted of movement along the main routes for over 7 hours", unverified sources close to LTTE were quoted as saying.
LTTE civil militia units and 'Police' stormed into government hospitals at Kilinochchi and Mullaittiuvu; forcibly vacated the area of civilian presence allocating space for the arriving LTTE casualties. Accommodated patients were taken off from their beds and forced to lie on cardboard sheets, while women and children were cornered and others chased away from the sites, the sources were quoted further saying.
Defence sources report that the LTTE offensive was overall led by Theepan and Muhundan, two senior LTTE cadres , whilst fighting formations at Muhamalai and Kilaly were reported respectively led by 'Jerry', Kumunan and Kutti.

The Sri Lankan Consul General in Toronto, Bandula Jayasekera has sought the intervention of Canada's Shadow Foreign Minister Robert (Bob) Keith Rae, to help Canadian Tamils of Sri Lankan origin in the Toronto area who are harassed and threatened by the LTTE and its sympathizers. He made this call during a meeting with the Opposition Liberal Party MP in Toronto last Monday, (21st April 2008).

The Consul General told Mr. Bob Rae that the Canada should play a constructive role and work with the Sri Lankan Diaspora to effect a positive change, Mr. Rae agreed on the need to work closely with the Sri Lanka Diaspora for reconciliation between the different communities.

Sri Lanka Consul General, Jayasekera noted that it was unfortunate that the role played by some Canadian politicians had a negative impact on efforts to finding a lasting and peaceful solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka. Mr. Rae, in response stated that although the attitude of some politicians towards the Sri Lanka situation was negative, their position did not have much impact on Canadian Government policy.

He agreed with the Consul General that there was a need for pluralism within the Canadian Tamil community of Sri Lankan origin. The Consul General pointed out that the LTTE, which is a banned terrorist organization in Canada should be distinguished from the Tamil community. Mr. Rae said that there is an ongoing debate within the Tamil community in Canada and also a greater awareness of the factual situation in Sri Lanka.

The Consul General asserted that the Government was not pursuing a military solution to the conflict and that the present military campaign in the North was meant to free the country from LTTE terrorism. He pointed out that the President and the Government of Sri Lanka are deeply committed to reaching a durable political solution, which would address the genuine grievances of minority communities in Sri Lanka, acceptable to all sections of the people.

The Canadian Shadow Foreign Minister accepted an invitation extended by the Consul General to visit Sri Lanka.

At least 16 LTTE were killed and 31 others seriously injured in sporadic clashes erupted between troops and LTTE in yesterday's (Apr 23) fighting ahead of Welioya defences at Kiriibbanwewa, Janakapura and Andankulama.

In addition to LTTE losses an Army soldier was reported killed and 5 others wounded during the confrontations, security sources said. According to reports received troops have also recovered 4 T-56 assault riffles, 3 radio- communication sets, a claymore mine and 141AP mines in subsequent search operations conducted.

All donations for the parents of the Quadruplets could be made to the Seylan Bank, Mathugama Branch Account Number 0660/1620568/101 of the babies' mother Damitha Nadeeshani.

The bodies of 28 soldiers killed during the confrontations yesterday were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross by the LTTE in Killinochchi this morning.

The JVP today charged that the government was violating democratic norms, ethics and election laws by using state resources, man power and defence establishments to win the upcoming eastern PC polls.

Army spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara says the air force has launched a massive attack on a black tiger training camp in Pannikkamkulam north around 6.20 this morning using kafir and MIG air craft. The camp was located north west of Mankulam.

Spokesman for national defence and minister Keheliya Rambukwella says more than one hundred LTTE carders were killed in clashes in areas surrounding the forward defence circle in Muhamalai. Another 200 LTTE members were injured. 43 members of the security forces have also succumbed to their injuries.

The Minister at a media briefing in Colombo this morning also said 22 injured soldiers have returned to the battle front. He added the troops were able to capture the first defence circle of the LTTE in this operation.

Minister Rambukwella responding to statement made by JVP parliamentarian Jayantha Wijesekera recently regarding security provided to him said full security has been provided to the MP. He further said it is the prison that provides security to any person subjected to detention. However, he was provided four security officials after his release. The Minister further said six more security officials have been assigned to the member of parliament on the instructions of the President.

Police media spokesman and senior DIG N.K. Illangakon referring to media reports on a raid conducted on the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress said the police has received a complaint that a businessmen in Pettah was being detained at the Dharsalam building where the muslim congress headquarters are located.
The DIG added the police had to inspect the three storied building to verify the complaint.

The Janatha Vikumthi Peramuna says the United National Party and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress jointly contest the eastern provincial council to fulfill the expectations of LTTE terrorists.

Parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake at a media briefing in Colomno today said leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Rauf Hakeem is the only political party leader in the country who had signed an agreement with the LTTE leader.

He added Mr. Hakeem has no clear stance regarding separation of the eastern province from the northern province. Member Dissanayake also said the JVP is contesting the election in order to establish the unity of all ethnic groups and to provide an opportunity for them to enjoy resources in the province.

CTB bus operators in Vavuniya launched a strike this morning over an alleged assault of a time keeper by TNA MP S. Kishor. Vavuniya police say the incident occurred late last evening.

A trade delegation to Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi in Vietnam organised by the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (NCCSL) in association with the Sri Lanka Embassy in Hanoi, returned to the island on last week.
Sri Lanka has a greater opportunity to expand trade relations with Vietnam with her recent accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) with reduced imports tariff in Vietnam. Vietnam is an emerging economy with highly activated business and trading environment. The delegation visited Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi cities the largest commercial and administrative capital of Vietnam respectively.

The NCCSL delegation participated at the inauguration ceremony of the Vietnam Expo 2008 on the invitation of the Vietnam government authorities.

The delegation members also met the officials of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry both in Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi, the Ministry of Trade and Commerce, Department of Trade and Commerce, Vietnam Peoples Party Chief and the senior authorities of the government of Vietnam where several key issues on trade relations were discussed.

The delegates had several one to one business meetings with their counterparts in Vietnam and established close trade links with businessmen and industrialists on tea, tea processing machinery, rubber related products, food processing, agriculture machinery/equipment, 2 wheel and 4 wheel tractors, spare parts and equipment, agriculture, farming and fruits and vegetable growing.

The Ministry of Trade in Vietnam and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry officials pledged their fullest co-operation to improve the bilateral trade between two countries.

During the several meetings held with the Vietnam Govt authorities the Sri Lankan Ambassador in Hanoi graciously participated with the NCCSL Trade Delegation and extended his fullest cooperation. Delegation comprised of Mr Sudath C Munasinghe (Joint Leader), Chief Executive Officer, John Keells PLC, Mr Zaki Alif (Joint Leader), Group Director, Stassen Exports Ltd, Mr Milton Perera, Partner, Kusumsiri Motor Traders, Mr D Pathmanathan, Managing Director, George Steuart (Teas & Marketing) Pvt Ltd, Mr Ajit P Kangaratchchi, Chairman/ MD, Crown Group of Companies, Mr Nihal Wadugodapitiya, Chief Executive Officer, Jinasena Group of Companies, Mr Natarajan Ramanathan, Director/ GM, Jafferjee Brothers, Mr Sarath Sirisena, Director/ CEO, Lanka Commodity Brokers Ltd, Mr Krishan Jayawardene, Head of Engineering Operations, Walker & Co PLC, Mr R A Jayantha, Proprietor, Yamada Motor International and Mr Kumara Kandalama, the Deputy Secretary General of the NCCSL.

MANAMA: Bahrain yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sri Lanka on boosting employment opportunities and expertise.

Labour Minister Dr Majeed Al Alawi sealed the deal with Sri Lankan External Employment Minister Dr Kehelya Rambukwella.

Under the deal, Sri Lankans will have to sign an initial contract with employers specifying their rights and duties in line with Bahrain's law in the private sector.

A joint technical committee will also be set up to draw up bilateral co-operation programmes, follow up the implementation of the MoU, solve problems and convene annual meetings.

The government was not ready to conduct the Eastern Provincial Council election democratically and was using all the government machinery and resources to canvass for the UPFA candidates, JVP Parliamentarian Anura Kumara Disanayaka said.
All the government circuit bungalows and rest houses in the province were booked and ministers were seen campaigning in the Eastern Province, he said.

Since the Pillayan group was allowed to carry firearms in the area, there was fear among the people. Two brothers, both of them Grama Niladharis were murdered recently and it showed that the government was allowing violence to spread in the province, Dissanayaka said.

Lanka IOC is gearing up to enter the fuel oil business for the industrial customer before the end of this year. The company is looking at initially venturing for a sales volume of around 5 litres per month.

By Dilrukshi Fernando

A whopping US$1.5 billion will be invested by the Iranian Government in a joint venture to develop natural energy resources in Sri Lanka, Minister of Foreign Affairs Rohitha Bogollagama said at a media briefing yesterday.

The rehabilitation and upgrading of the Sapugaskanda oil refinery, which is the only such refinery in Sri Lanka, will also be developed to adhere to modern standards and achieve maximum productivity, the minister added.

“Sri Lanka spends millions of its Gross Domestic Product on oil imports,’ Bogollagama said adding further that this venture will be a saving, economically. In addition, the Uma Oya irrigation and hydro power project will also be launched next week.

Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion Minister Sarath Amunugama in the meantime stated at a business forum organized by the Board of Investment and the Presidential Secretariat yesterday, that the agreement for the Uma Oya project will be signed in the coming week. These latest development projects come in the wake of the impending visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Sri Lanka on April 28th.

Responding to questions on nuclear energy production, Minister Bogollagama stated that India is on the agenda as the country to be approached for the matter. He denied any aspirations of requesting Iranian assistance for nuclear energy despite the Ceylon Electricity Board stating that it hoped to discuss the issue with the Iranian Government officials due in the country next week.

In the meantime, a gem and jewellery factory employing Sri Lankan craftsmen is to be set up in Egypt, Vice Chairman of the group Cecille Kotelawala said. Mrs. Kotelawala made these comments at a media briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday.

The move comes as a result of an official visit made to Egypt by a Sri Lankan delegation including members of the business community, headed by Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, recently.

“The Egyptian government expressed interest in employing the services of Sri Lankan jewel craftsmen, noted for their workmanship and oriental designs,” she added.

Chamber of Commerce Secretary General Prema Cooray who was part of the Sri Lankan delegation alongside Mrs. Kotelawala, announced the move to initiate a Sri Lanka-Egypt Business Chamber Council to be set up soon.

“There has been a hundred percent increase in exports and a three hundred percent increase in imports which has garnered more than US$30 million in exchange for Sri Lanka,” Cooray said elaborating the reasons for the business partnership.

The Egyptian government had also expressed interest in the Sri Lankan tea sector; with the aim of enabling Sri Lanka to enjoy the profitable position it once held in the global market, Cooray said adding that, “Egypt has a great number of tea drinkers which provide a conducive environment for Sri Lanka to enter its market as a competitor.”

A corporation agreement was signed for this purpose while steps to strengthen the island’s Tourism Industry were also discussed at the bilateral meetings Cooray concluded.

Sri Lankan Air Force fighter jets made precision air sorties this morning (Apr 24) at what was identified as a 'black tiger' training facility, located at Pannikkankulama, North West Mankulama junction, in Mullaittiuvu district.

Speaking to defence.lk Air Force Spokesperson Andrew Wijesooriya said, the target was engaged by SLAF fighters at around 6.20a.m. According to defence sources, the air raids were conducted on reliably obtained information of intensified activities in the area.

With the President of the European Council Danillo Turk President of Slovenia who is the current President of the EU Council and Dr Hans Gert Poettering President of the European Parliament, Nirj Deva Conservative MEP for the South East of England in the European Parliament launched the global campaign to provide 100 million laptops for children in developing countries.
Together with Maria Martens MEP fellow EPP-ED Coordinator of the Development Committee of the European Parliament Nirj Deva demonstrated the extraordinary laptop which he said " will change the world forever by empowering the poor children of the developing countries "

The laptop which works by solar power can be used in remote villages without access to electricity and can be connected to the world wide web through a solar powered connector which can communicate with satellites to download the internet. Each laptop he said can come preloaded with a 1000 books, an astonishing transformation of the access to education. Can you imagine a poor child without electricity empowered with the internet, 1000 books and access to the global information portals, communicating with the whole world from a remote African or Asian village which has no electricity or running piped water.

Its not enough to give grants and hand outs to the poor countries of the world.
"Over the last 30 years the EU has donated over 300 billion euros AND WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED ? The number of those not attending school has gone up, those living at the margin has increased. There is an old saying that it is better to give a starving man a fishing net than fish. In today's world millions of poor children will only escape poverty through education. This computer is the door to a new world and a key to many children realising their full potential Deva said.

The Chinese government decides to expand investment opportunities in Sri Lanka. Governor of the Xijan province in China Shon Shan says this decision was taken since the Sri Lankan government has been able to create a peaceful environment in the country.
Mr. Shan expressed these views when he met Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickremanayake at his office today. There is a higher demand for Sri Lankan tea in the Chinese market. The visiting Chinese government also said that his government is interested in promoting tea and canned fish industries in Sri Lanka.
He invited the Buddhists in Sri Lanka to visit ancient Buddhist temples situated in the Xijan province. Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Wickremanayake said the government adopted a steady policy to defeat terrorism and create peace in the country.
He said the government has planned to obtain the assistance of super economic powers such as China for the development of the country.

Sunil C. Perera in Colombo
India has begun aiding English-language teaching in Sri Lanka in a major way to enable young Sri Lankans get jobs in the corporate sector.

The “English as a Life Skill” programme, started by the Mahinda Rajapaksa government, aims to train at least 50,000 persons between the ages of 18 and 24 in the use of the language with assistance from the High Commission of India and the English and Foreign Languages University in Hyderabad.

The course will be short-term in order to get quick results.
Speaking at the launching ceromany in Colombo today Minister Sarath Amunugama points out the need of using modern technologies to teach the English language. 11 educational institutes of India will contribute to this programme. Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Alok Prasad also participated in the event.

According to the sources Colombo will host an “English Teaching Business Mela” from today to 25th in which the EFLU, the Sri Lankan government, and Indian and Sri Lankan investors would discuss the possibility of joint ventures to teach job-oriented English-language skills.

The CID decides to seek the assistance of the district secretary of Mullaitivu to establish the identity of female suicide bomber who attempted to assassinate Minister Douglas Devananda at his office recently.
The CID informed this decision to the Colombo Magistrate Court today.
A report submitted by the CID to the court said the suicide bomber has been identified as Megawanam Susantha and a resident in Mullativu.
The CID said they have requested the Mullativu district secretary to furnish the relevant details through the Grama Niladari of the village of the suicide bomber.

The ten Sri Lankan fishermen who were taken into custody by the Indian Coastguards recently have been released and arrived in the country from Trincomalee Harbour. They were released following the discussion held recently between the Tamilnadu state government and the Sri Lankan High Commissioner’s Office in Chennai.

Jaffna theatre of battle heated up since early this morning (April 23), as Sri Lanka army 55 and 53 divisions put- on stiff resistance to an LTTE embarked fresh offensives at the Army forwards defences on the Muhamalai and Kilaly frontiers. According to the defence sources in Jaffna heavy fighting broke out between troops and LTTE since 2 am this morning, as troops mounted retaliatory attacks at the offensive LTTE formations.
According to latest information LTTE suffered severe beating and were pushed some 500m back from its initial positions. Seizing the opportunity SLA broke the LTTE's first line of defence in the Muhamalai front, and are now engaged in consolidating the defence lines, security sources said.
So far, 38 soldiers have laid their lives while 84 suffered injuries and some of them have been air lifted to Colombo national hospital. Meanwhile, monitored radio communications and ground sources have confirmed that 52 LTTE terrorists have been killed and many injured in the latest skirmishes in Jaffna, Military Spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is concerned that police in Sri Lanka have not investigated threats made against K. Rushangan, treasurer of the Free Media Movement (FMM), an IFJ affiliate.

According to FMM, Rushangan was first threatened on April 13 by a caller identifying himself as "Ealaventhan" and claiming to be from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The caller demanded that Rushangan hand over a motorbike or the equivalent of US$1500 by April 16, or he would be abducted.

Despite lodging a complaint with Dehiwala police on April 16, no investigative action has been taken by local authorities, reports FMM. Dehiwala police reportedly told Rushangan that they were unable to investigate the case without a court order to obtain the caller’s details from a mobile phone company.

FMM reports that the caller repeated his demand to Rushangan on April 21, extending the deadline until April 25.

The police failure to take action over the threats is an example of a worrying lack of commitment to the protection of media personnel in Sri Lanka.

“For the operation of a free and transparent media in Sri Lanka, incidents such as this must not be allowed to continue,” said IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park.

“It is the responsibility of law enforcement agencies to act decisively against such threats.”

The IFJ joins FMM in calling for police to take action for the protection of Rushangan to demonstrate their commitment to creating a safe environment for journalists and for press freedom for all Sri Lanka.

MUMBAI (Thomson Financial) - Fitch Ratings Lanka said it upgraded the national long-term rating of Sanasa Development Bank Ltd. (SDB) to 'BB(lka)' from 'BB-(lka)' on the materialisation of SDB's planned capital program and profitability and asset quality even though the rating is somewhat constrained by risks inherent to the micro-finance segment.

Fitch said the outlook is stable.

Loan growth in FY07 was 48 percent, mainly driven by housing and micro-finance loans and SDB's non-performing loan (NPL) ratio for the fiscal year 2007 improved to 3.9 percent from 4.2 percent a year earlier and Net NPL/Equity ratio remained steady at 21.6 percent, Fitch said.

However, Fitch noted that due to recent high loan growth, these ratios could deteriorate as the portfolio seasons.

SLMC headquarters, 'Darussalam' in Colombo 2 was raided by the Fort Crime Division this noon. Party Chairman Basheer Segu Dawood and several senior party members had been at the office by the time of the raid. The police had carried out the search without a warrant. SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem is currently in Trincomalee on campaign trail.

Air Force jets and helicopters bombed several positions of the LTTE at the Muhamalai defence lines a short while ago.

The Tamil Nadu State assembly passed a resolution on Sri Lanka today calling for an end to the fighting and the resumption of peace talks between the warring parties.

European Union, at a conference attended by Justice and Interior Affairs Ministers has agreed to proscribe the use of Internet by terrorist and armed outfits in the world, including the LTTE.

The decision was reached at a conference attended by Justice and Interior Affairs Ministers. It is not a secret that terrorist organisations were raising funds and carrying out their propaganda through the internet. The meeting was held in Luxembourg.

Reflecting mounting anxiety that the Internet has become a crucial tool for would-be terrorists, the agreement will make it a crime to disseminate terrorism propaganda through the Internet for recruiting, training and bomb-making purposes.

It was decided to encourage all European Union member nations to enact laws to thwart terrorists and armed groups using Internet. The Ministers were unanimous in stating the intent to put an end to rackets undertaken by terrorist organisations with the help of Internet.

The new rules are aimed at codifying terrorist crimes among countries with very different histories and experiences with terrorism, with the goal of preventing radicalization and helping police locate and arrest suspects in cross-border investigations.

The ministers said in a statement that the initiative would help "equip our legal systems across the EU with the adequate tools to bring to justice the criminals who spread violent propaganda providing terrorism tactics and instructions on how to manufacture and use bombs or explosives to provoke others to commit terrorist acts."

The agreement updates anti-terror laws passed by the European Union after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, in the United States that were aimed at preventing terrorists from exploiting loopholes in various legal systems across the Continent.

It should make it easier for police to shut down Web sites disseminating terrorist propaganda and bomb-making instructions and to identify and pursue proselytizers and recruiters. It could also help courts and administrative authorities to demand that Internet service providers remove information considered dangerous.

Jaffna theatre of battle heated up since early this morning (April 23), as Sri Lanka army 55 and 53 divisions put- on stiff resistance to an LTTE embarked fresh offensives at the Army forwards defences on the Muhamalai and Kilaly frontiers. According to the defence sources in Jaffna heavy fighting broke out between troops and LTTE since 2 am this morning, as troops mounted retaliatory attacks at the offensive LTTE formations.

According to latest information LTTE suffered severe beating and were pushed some 500m back from its initial positions. Seizing the opportunity SLA broke the LTTE's first line of defence in the Muhamalai front, and are now engaged in consolidating the defence lines, security sources said.

So far, 38 soldiers have laid their lives while 84 suffered injuries and some of them have been air lifted to Colombo national hospital. Meanwhile, monitored radio communications and ground sources have confirmed that 52 LTTE terrorists have been killed and many injured in the latest skirmishes in Jaffna, Military Spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.

In recognition of his invaluable contribution to insurance in Sri Lanka, and, Janashakthi Insurance Co Ltd which he founded 14 years ago, the company’s management in collaboration with the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka recently launched an awards scheme in honour of Mr. C.T.A. Schaffter.

“The CTA Schaffter Award”, as it has been called, will be awarded annually to the top three students who excel in the B.Sc (Hons) degree programme in Insurance and Valuation at the Wayamba University. This newly launched degree programme comes at a time when Sri Lanka needs fully fledged professionals in the spheres of insurance and valuation. This year the course will extensively cover all aspects of insurance and valuation, and is expected to train about 25 such graduates each year.

The Best Student will receive a Gold Medal and cash award while the second and third best students will receive Silver and Bronze Medals and cash awards respectively.

Security Forces continues in intensive attacks on the LTTE Forward Defence Line

Army Media Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara says the Security Forces are currently engaged in launching intensive attacks on the LTTE Forward Defence Line in the North. Operations in Muhamalai, Kilali and Nagarkovil continue in addition to attacks launched by three Battalions in Mannar, Vavuniya and Weli Oya.

The Spokesman added the troops are laying siege to the sacred Madhu church from positions 600 metres to the South and two kilo metres to the east. All supply routes of terrorists have been blocked.

Minister Felix Perera has made a request from Catholic clergymen to assist in the efforts to bring back the sacred Madhu Statue of the church to an area under the control of the Government.

Daya Group of Companies bombed-Two injured -Gamage requests additional security

Two people were injured following a grenade explosion in Daya Group , Pepiliyana, Borelasgamuwa last night . Police said that according to eyewitnesses unidentified men riding a motorbike lobbed the grenade and fled.
Owner of the Daya Group Mr.Daya Gamage is contesting Eastern Province Election behalf of the UNP.
Mr Gamage has requested the IGP to increase his security after this attack.
Speaking to media today he said most powerful political leaders are behind this scene and they wanted to stop his political journey by bombs, weapons or threatening his life.
Mr.Gamage is a leading entrepreneur and he was a product of Ampara .
“This is my first election which I contest as a candidate, he said through the phone.
Explaining his political environment in the Eastern Province he said a majority of public is with the UNP. Some of armed political parties forcefully spray their preferential numbers on walls of innocent voters .However the UNP never threat any voter to cast their votes behalf of the UNP, he said.
He said these threats cannot stop his political journey but plans to increase his security to serve the public.
“How can we freely contest the polls , he asked.
According to him , the Daya Group of Companies assist rural masses to obtain employment , to grow their fields and start self employment projects .“I did so many social works, charity works and community projects during past years , he explained.
Meanwhile IGP Victor Perera has informed all police officers serving in the East that they would be held responsible for any election-related violence that takes place in their respective division in the run up to the provincial council polls there.
The police chief has informed them by letter to take steps to maintain law and order in their areas.

Two people were injured following a grenade explosion in Daya Group , Pepiliyana, Borelasgamuwa. Police said that according to eyewitnesses unidentified men riding a motorbike lobbed the grenade and fled.

Owner of the Daya Group Mr.Daya Gamage is contesting Esatern Province Election behalf of the UNP.
Mr Gamage has requested the IGP to increase his security after this attack.

IGP Victor Perera has informed all police officers serving in the East that they would be held responsible for any election-related violence that takes place in their respective division in the run up to the provincial council polls there.

The police chief has informed them by letter to take steps to maintain law and order in their areas.

By yesterday (April 22nd), sixteen election related incidents of violence were reported from the date of nominations, Police say.

Nine incidents were reported from Batticaloa district, followed by five in Ampara and two from Trincomalee.

At a press briefing yesterday, Peoples’ Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) said that 21 serious incidents including four murders, seven assaults and eight threats have been reported.

The Army Headquarters has banned retired Major General Janaka Perera and Colonel Jayavi Fernando from entering army camps citing security reasons.

An expectant mother gave birth to quadruplets at the Castle Street hospital late last night. The four girls are reportedly in healthy condition.

The military this morning advanced its forward defence lines in Muhamalai to Kilali by 500 metres after a fierce battle. At least 52 LTTE cadres were reportedly killed. The military also confirmed that 15 soldiers were killed and 74 injured.

Security arrangements are now in effect for all political parties to engage in the Eastern Provincial Council elections campaign without any difficulty and also for the voters to cast their vote in a violence free environment, Eastern Security Forces Commander Major General Jammika Liyanage told the Daily News yesterday.

"A strong presence of 20,000 Security Forces personnel apart from the Police in the East will strengthen security in the Eastern province especially for the Eastern polls," Major General Liyanage said.

Explaining special security arrangements for the forthcoming PC polls in the East, he said that 40 additional platoons will be deployed during the elections period.

"We are providing security for all political parties without any difference to conduct their elections meetings. So there is no question about conducting elections meetings in the East," he added.

Security has been beefed up after increasing the number of road blocks, road pickets and mobile patrols in the East. The Eastern Security Forces Commander also said that the Security Forces also have sealed off the possibility for the LTTE infiltrate into the East by deploying troops inside jungles and by improving the intelligence network inside the province.

"Therefore there is no possibility for the LTTE to sabotage elections in the East," he added.

He said so far no major incidents have been reported in the Eastern province in the run up to the May 10 elections and added that Security Forces and Police are determined to continue a similar record in the coming weeks too in the East.

The close relationship between the Security Forces and the public has also contributed immensely to improve security in the province.

"Under these circumstances we are confident that the May 10 elections would be conducted in a free and fair manner," Major General Liyanage noted.

A team of international legal experts Tuesday stepped up their criticism of Sri Lanka, noting that repeated calls to improve its record on the issue had fallen on deaf ears.
he International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) said Colombo lacked the political will to investigate grave rights abuses.

The panel members spoke to reporters Tuesday for the first time after attacking Colombo in a statement last month for blocking efforts to ensure minimum standards were maintained in probing serious abuses.

As their work progressed, the government's tone "was becoming increasingly disrespectful (of the experts)," British panel member Nigel Rodley said at the briefing.

"They were accusing us of all kinds of nefarious stuff, including making way for an international panel to monitor the rights situation on the ground here. It's not true, the allegations are baseless," Rodley said.

The IIGEP, which includes experts from the European Union, United Nations, Australia, Canada, India, France and the United States, was formed in 2007 to oversee a presidential commission of inquiry into 16 cases of major human rights abuses in Sri Lanka.

However Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe says the Government rejects the final report of the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons. He said the group was appointed to monitor the activities of the special presidential commission. Speaking at a press briefing at his ministry this afternoon the minister emphasised that most of the statements of the group are false. He noted that the group always released its report targeting a meeting of the International Human Rights Council. The minister said this gives rise to a reasonable doubt regarding the activities of the Group of Eminent Persons. The Group was appointed by the government as a fact finding mission. Minister Samarasinghe stated that the government granted all the facilities needed for the group in this endeavour. This depicts the government’s genuine desire to find the truth. Therefore he pointed out that the groups claim that the government doesn’t have a true political desire is greatly unjust. The minister added that members of the group have not actively taken part in investigations.

Also addressing the media briefing Attorney General C.R. De Silva said the claim made by the group that the involvement of the Attorney General’s Department threatened the impartiality of the investigations is ungrounded. He said the attorney general’s department had no occasion to invene in the activities of the group.

Two people were injured following a grenade explosion in Pepiliyana. Borelasgamuwa police said that according to eyewitnesses unidentified men riding a motorbike lobbed the grenade and fled.

Finalized military reports received from battlefronts in the North indicate 28 deaths of LTTE cadres during yesterday's (April 21) clashes with Army. In addition, according to the reports, one soldier was killed and 17 others suffered injuries during these clashes.

In the Jaffna theatre of battle, troops launched several attacks at LTTE defences in the Muhamalai and Elthumaduwal areas during the day and claimed 4 LTTE bunkers were destroyed. 2 LTTE cadres were reportedly injured in these attacks. 4 soldiers suffered injuries due to LTTE mortar fire and anti personnel mine (AP) explosions.

On the Mannar front, troops in a pre- dawn attack captured LTTE stronghold called "Lima Base - 3" located at east of Kattankulam . Seven LTTE terrorists were killed in this incident while one soldier was also killed and 8 others suffered injuries. Further , snipers deployed in the Manthota and Kattankulam area claimed shooting down of 4 LTTE cadres. While clearing their way further into the Wanni territory, troops removed 71 AP mines and 8 booby traps laid by the terrorists. 2 soldiers suffered injuries due to AP mine explosions in Minnukkaid and Kattankulama areas.

On the Welioya front, troops had a series of daylong clashes with LTTE cadres in the North of Janakapura and the North of Kiriibbanwewa and claimed to have killed 9 terrorists and wounded 6 others. A soldier suffered injuries in one of these clashes occurred in North of Janakapura area.

On the Vavuniya front, troops claimed to have killed seven terrorists during the clashes occurred in Palampiddi , Thachchanamaruthamadu and Navathkulam areas on the same day. Two soldiers suffered injuries in these incidents .

According to the military reports received so far from the Vavuniya battlefront 3 terrorists have been killed in today's (April 22) military operations in the area.

In the general area South Palampiddi , troops have confronted with a group LTTE terrorists around 4.30 pm . Ground troops claimed to have killed two terrorists in this incident. Troops have suffered no damages/

Meanwhile, a sniper deployed in the general area Chinnavalayankaddu area claimed shooting down of one LTTE cadre around 5.25 pm.

Ground sources in Mannar battlefront reveal that the terrorists have suffered heavy casualties today (April 22) in the continued military effort to liberate Wanni from terror clutches.

In the Malikkattidal area, troops engaged artillery and mortars at a group of terrorist around 12.25 pm. According to the ground sources terrorists have suffered heavy casualties in the incident. However, the exact damage to the terrorists is yet to be ascertained, the sources further add.

Meanwhile, snipers deployed in the Minukkan area claimed to have killed 2 LTTE cadres around 9 am. Also, a soldier suffered serious injuries in a separate confrontation occurred in the same area.

COLOMBO, 22 April 2008 (IRIN) - Intensified fighting in recent months in Sri Lanka's restive northwestern Mannar District has forced more than 16,000 people to flee to safe areas within the region.

In light of this, A Nicholasspillai, the government agent for Mannar, told IRIN he had made contingency plans for up to 25,000 additional IDPs fleeing the clashes between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the district, while government military spokesman Brig Udaya Nanayakkara also expected additional civilians to flee to government-controlled areas in the district.

"There are 40,000 people registered as living in the Manthai West division [an LTTE-controlled area] where fighting is intense," Nicholasspillai told IRIN. "Most of them have already moved out of the [immediate] areas where the fighting is taking place, but if the clashes continue and they move further north, they will have no other option but to flee to government areas."

Fighting has been continuous along the line of control in Mannar District since December 2007, with government forces trying to dislodge the Tamil Tigers from their frontline positions.

The conflict has also threatened Madhu church and its prominent 500-year-old statue, Our Lady of Madhu. Clashes close to the church prompted Catholic authorities to relocate the statue and key artifacts and documents. "Our Lady of Madhu [statue] has become a refugee in her own land for the first time," the Catholic bishop for the district, Rev Rayappu Jospeh, said.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), there were 23,000 IDPs in Mannar District by end-March. Most of the displaced - 16,700 - remained in the Manthai West division, under the control of the Tigers. No access is available to the division through government-controlled areas in Mannar due to the fighting. Humanitarian agencies have had to reach the displaced through the Tiger-controlled Kilinochchi District.

UN agencies have reported that security and access restrictions have affected their ability to provide medical assistance to those displaced in Manthai West.

"[The UN Children's Fund] UNICEF reports that due to ongoing military operations, Public Health Midwives (PHM) have returned to Mannar and only one [government] medical officer and three PHMs are covering the whole of Manthai West," the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (ISAC) stated in its latest situation report released on 12 April.

"Approval for transportation of Tri-posa [a children's nutritional supplement] and Corn Soya Blend to Manthai West is pending. In 2007, only three of the 12 months' supplies were transported," it said.

Nicholasspillai said strict security measures had also delayed supplies to government-controlled areas of the district. "Access continues to be problematic due to the checkpoints."

All vehicles proceeding to Mannar undergo rigorous screening by government security forces at Madavachchiya, 90km from Mannar, where supplies are unloaded and reloaded into vehicles.
"That takes a considerable amount of time and there are other checkpoints on the road to Mannar," Rukshan Fernando, coordinator for the human rights in conflict programme at the Law and Society Trust (LST), a Colombo-based rights advocacy group, told IRIN.

Sri Lankan military authorities told IRIN they were not denying anyone entry into Mannar but were taking precautions to prevent attacks by the Tamil Tigers. "We have not restricted anyone, but the usual strict checking is in place," Nanayakkara said. "We have to be responsible for the safety of everyone."

Nicholasspillai said humanitarian agencies were also awaiting clarification from security authorities regarding the status of a new IDP centre at Kalamoddai, which is sheltering about 200 people in temporary shelters. Nicholasspillai said more IDPs were expected to arrive there. So far, the humanitarian community had limited its assistance to the provision of emergency supplies, he said.

Nanayakkara said: "We plan to set up more sites as the number of people fleeing the Tiger areas increases."

Charging that the government is violating election regulations in its campaign for the forthcoming Eastern provincial Council election, the UNP has lodged six complaints with the Department of Elections.

These complaints include the abduction of a person, use of state resources for election campaigning and intimidating government officials, reports from the UNP say.

The UNP says that Mohan Velu, the son-in-law of its candidate for Padirippuwa was abducted and that UPFA candidate A.L.A.M. Hiszbullajh has indulged in election campaigning from a government office.

In addition, the main opposition party says that several government ministers have been using state resources including vehicles for campaign activities.

The state-appointed Commission of Inquiry is making a very slow and lethargic progress in its probe into grave human rights violations, the head of an expert panel that oversaw the investigations has alleged.

Retired Indian Chief Justice P.N. Bhagwati, Chairman of the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP), made the allegation at its final news briefing that was held in Colombo this morning (April 22nd).

He maintained that the Attorney General should not play any role in a commission of inquiry, which was not the case under question.

As a public servant, the AG’s functioning in the CoI tasked to investigate HR issues, raises questions about its independence, Justice Bhagwati said.

Invited into the country by the Sri Lankan President, the 11-member IIGEP initially oversaw probes into 15 HR violations that had taken place between August 01, 2005 and October 16, 2006, and was later given another case to observe.

Its observations and recommendations to the CoI met with a sluggish response, Mr. Bhagwati claimed, after which the panel decided to terminate its functions.

He also responded to a charge by Defence Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella that the IIGEP chairman was unaware of the legal system and the law of the country.

Mr. Bhagwati said that he was very much knowledgeable about the Indian and Sri Lankan legal systems, which have many similarities.

He questioned Mr. Rambukwella about the basis of his allegation.

Countering a government charge that the IIGEP had acted beyond its mandate, Mr. Bhagwati said they had fulfilled their duties by observing the proceedings of the CoI and by submitting views and recommendations.

It is now up to the government to implement our recommendations, he said.

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Don Camp visited Colombo April 20-22 as part of the U.S. Government's regular, ongoing consultations with the Sri Lankan Government, US embassy in Colombo said in a statement today.

According to the statement to, Mr. Camp During his visit met with senior Government of Sri Lanka officials, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Rohitha Bogollagama, Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Defense Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, and Secretary to the Ministry of Justice Suhada Gamalath. He also met with leading political figures, civil society leaders, and business representatives, statement further revealed.

The statement also cited Mr. Camp having characterizing his meetings as "useful and frank, in the way of long time friends".

"We value the dialogue we continue to have with the government, as well as the lines of communication we maintain with Sri Lanka's political, business, and civil society leaders. Many of the issues we discuss are difficult ones, particularly on human rights and the resolution of the conflict, but the U.S. will remain engaged in the hope of seeing progress." ,the statement further cited.

Mr. Camp also welcomed initial measures to demobilize TMVP child soldiers, urged progress on human rights, and stressed the importance of free and fair elections in the East, without violence or intimidation, the statement said.

Mr. Camp's first Foreign Service posting was to the U.S. Embassy in Colombo in the late 1970s, and he served here again briefly as Charg‚ d'Affaires in 2003.

A grenade blast had been reported from Pepiliyana a short while ago.

Bahrain Labour Minister DR. MAJEED BIN MOHSIN AL ALAWI left for Sri Lanka, India and Nepal with a delegation of businessmen and senior officials of the government to sign MOUs related the workforce and vocational training fields.

The minister aims to strengthen vital role towards the expatriate workforce in light of the kingdoms’ international reputation in protecting workers rights ,
The minister will sign three year memos on behalf of Bahrain government with the three countries to regulate corporation and the exchange of expertise in the workforce and vocational training fields.

Mauldivian high commissioner in Sri Lanka Ali Hussein Didi says the SAARC regional meeting to be held in Sri Lanka this year will be greatly beneficial to the regional countries.
He stated this at the opening of the South Asian Book Exhibition 2008 at the National Libraries and Documentation Services Board in Colombo this morning.

No decision to increase milk powder prices

Ministry Bandula Gunawardena says the government has not taken any decision to increase milk powder prices. He said the maximum retail price of 400 grams of milk powder is 275 rupees.
The consumer protection authority signed an agreement with milk powder importing companies to retain this price for a period of 6 months. Speaking at a press conference in Colombo today the minister said this period ends this month so the two parties are now engaged in discussions regarding maintaining stable prices.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Consumers’ Union also plans to import milk powder. These imports will be distributed through cooperatives and Lak Sathosa outlets.

by Mel Gunasekera


COLOMBO (AFP) - A team of international legal experts Tuesday stepped up their criticism of Sri Lanka, noting that repeated calls to improve its record on the issue had fallen on deaf ears.
he International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) said Colombo lacked the political will to investigate grave rights abuses.

The panel members spoke to reporters Tuesday for the first time after attacking Colombo in a statement last month for blocking efforts to ensure minimum standards were maintained in probing serious abuses.

As their work progressed, the government's tone "was becoming increasingly disrespectful (of the experts)," British panel member Nigel Rodley said at the briefing.

"They were accusing us of all kinds of nefarious stuff, including making way for an international panel to monitor the rights situation on the ground here. It's not true, the allegations are baseless," Rodley said.

The IIGEP, which includes experts from the European Union, United Nations, Australia, Canada, India, France and the United States, was formed in 2007 to oversee a presidential commission of inquiry into 16 cases of major human rights abuses in Sri Lanka.

Among the cases was the August 2006 massacre of 17 local aid workers attached to a French charity in the island's northeast. The evidence had pointed to the involvement of security forces and a state cover-up.

"The commission of inquiry has been slow to respond to our recommendations. We don't see a point of carrying on our role further," said the panel's head, P.N. Bhagwati, a retired chief justice of India.

Bhagwati accused Colombo of making little effort to enable the commission to maintain its independence in terms of funds to carry out field visits and hire its own legal counsel, without taking on the state attorney general (AG).

"Hiring the state attorney general to provide counsel is a clear conflict of interest. The AG is an organ of the state, so is the army. Justice must not only be done, but must appear to be done," Bhagwati said.

The panel also recommended the government set up a witness protection programme to encourage people to testify.

"We conclude that the government as a whole does not have the necessary political will to implement our recommendations. We keep repeating the same recommendations over and over again," said professor Yozo Yokota of Japan.

The Sri Lankan government has accused the IIGEP of working to an "international agenda" to force a UN human rights monitoring mission on Sri Lanka, a charge denied by the experts.

Sri Lanka is under increasing pressure to clean up its record with rights groups saying that more than 1,500 people have disappeared in the past two years.

Colombo pulled out of a tattered 2002 truce with Tamil rebels in January in the belief that it could defeat the guerrillas. The guerrillas are fighting a decades-long separatist war against Colombo in which tens of thousands have been killed.

COLOMBO, April 22 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's trade deficit widened to $317.2 million in February from $147 million in the same month last year, as imports of consumer goods outpaced exports led by tea and rubber products, the central bank said on Tuesday.

The country's exports in February grew 9.7 percent to $642.6 million, compared with $585.8 million a year ago. Imports rose 31 percent to $959.8 million in February, compared with $732.8 million a year earlier.

The trade deficit has widened to $937 million in the first two months of 2008, from $447.3 million during the same period last year.

JVP said today no JVP member has involved with any other persons in the recent attacks .
The JVP said the publicity given to the alleged attacks are a combined attempt to discredit the JVP's image. It said it is suspicious that there is a conspiracy behind this attempt .They wanted to suppress the JVP activities.The JVP urges the IGP to take stern actions against the culprits and bring them before the court.

The Patriotic National Movement (PNM) decided to return the vehicle belonging to JVP Parliamentarian Lakshman Nipunaarachchi. The vehicle was imported using the JVP duty free concession for use by the PNM.

A general amnesty for the Army deserters has been declared by the Army Headquarters today, commencing from May 2 to 16.

Main accuse of the JVP MP's vehicle theft case Parliamentarin Jayantha Wijesekara's security has been slashed, the party sources say.
According to the sources the Ministry of Defence has withdrawn his backup vehicle and reduced the number of guards to five.
In several instances, the present regime is known to have reduced or removed the security of parliamentarians and ministers for crossing over to the opposition or for being critical of them.

The Government has relaxed restrictions on fishing imposed along the Muttur and Kinniya coastal belt in the Trincomalee district.

This follows a discussion Presidential Senior Advisor Parliamentarian Basil Rajapaksa had with a delegation of the fishing community in Muttur during an inspection tour of the region on April 20. Earlier, the Government imposed certain restrictions on fishing in this region for security reasons on the recommendation of the Navy.

At the discussion with fishermen in the region on Sunday, Rajapaksa gave a patient hearing to the fishermen's grievances and negotiated with the Navy to have these restrictions relaxed to enhance the living conditions of the fishing community in the area.

It was also decided at this conference to increase the number of Ma del used in the area with Fisheries Ministry approval.

Earlier, fishing was banned in the region during the operation of the Navy's Jet Liner vessel. Fishermen will now be allowed to engage in fishing utilising Ma del and Theppam during the operation of this vessel.

Fishermen in Kinniya and Muttur would also be allowed to engage in fishing within a distance of five miles from the shore three days per week.

Earlier, fishermen were allowed to engage in fishing upto a distance of two miles. The possibility of allowing fishing on all seven days of the week would be considered soon depending on the security situation.

It was also decided at this discussion to advance the fishing time to 2 a.m. and to relax the prohibition on fishing in the Gange area.

Earlier, the use of motor boats for fishing was prohibited in the Kinniya and Muttur region. The Navy agreed to relax this rule on the insistence of MP Rajapaksa. Accordingly fishermen would be allowed to use motor boats below 15 horse power capacity for fishing from April 27.

07 terrorists were killed in several confrontations reported in Vavuniya front yesterday April 21.

In a clash reported in general area Palampidi, ground troops confirmed that 04 LTTE terrorists were killed around 11 a.m yesterday.

An army soldier also received injuries due to the LTTE's retaliation.

Meanwhile, troops attacked at LTTE bunker line established at Nawathkulam area last afternoon, sources said. Ground troops confirmed that three terrorists were killed in this attack.

Separately, an army soldier suffered injuries due to an explosion of anti-personnel mine in general area Sulainamarapamadu while he was in mine clearing duties. The explosion occurred around 5 p.m and the victim was rushed to the hospital for medical attention immediately, sources added.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a PIL demanding Haj-like subsidy for Hindu pilgrims who wish to visit the Ramayan-fame Ashok Vatika, which the Sri Lankan government claimed to have located recently and has publicised to attract tourists from India.

Petitioner advocate Ashok Pandey also requested a bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice R V Raveendran to issue a directive to the Centre to subsidise the pilgrimages to Hindu shrines in Pakistan, Pashupatinath Temple in Nepal and Mansoravor in China.

However, the petitioner could not give any pilgrim figure to the bench, which asked whether he had any knowledge as to how many people visited the shrines in Pakistan last year.

The advocate said when a minister wanted to perform Haj, even he got subsidy by the Central government. However, no such facility was extended to a poor Hindu if he wanted to visit shrines in neighbouring countries, he added.

Supporters of the TMVP and PLOTE clashed in Batticaloa last evening injuring at least four people.

The main opposition UNP yesterday blamed the TMVP for the abduction of Mohan Velu, the son-in-law of its candidate for Batticaloa District at the Eastern Provincial Council. But the TMVP dismissed the claim saying the abduction probably is the work of the Wanni Tigers.

The UNP Election Incidents Monitoring Unit said Mr. Velu was abducted in Paddiripu in the Batticaloa District on Sunday night and released yesterday morning. He had been asked to report to the local TMVP office at 5.00 pm last evening. The party blamed the cadres attached to TMVP local office in Vechipalayam in Paddiripu for the abduction.

A complaint has been made to the Kalavanchikudi police , the Polls Chief and monitors.

TMVP spokesman Azard Mowlana commenting on the matter said the party had nothing to do with the abduction and claimed the Wanni Tigers may have been behind it. “We stand for a free and fair elections and will never resort to such violent acts,” he said.

"Desertion by three so-called ‘LTTE Policemen’ in their twenties with uniforms and their subsequent most recent arrival in Mannar with pleas for clemency from the troops, amply proves that the terrorist outfit appears now terribly shaken and thrown into disarray, as defeat becomes inevitable to the terrorists", states a press release from Army Headquarters.

Those three LTTE deserters, Amala Sumanyan (26), Rathnakumar Sadeesh (23) and Sebastian Pillai Arulraj (26), according to their confessions made to the troops, had shunned LTTE "Police duties" on several occasions as separate individuals, but the LTTE had repeatedly arrested them and finally confined all three of them to LTTE's Kanagapura prison in Kilinochchi on different counts where all three of them met together and became friends.

On that fateful day on 31st March 2008 terrorist leaders unlocked them from the prison and made their way to the north of Mannar across dense jungles with thirty-four more "LTTE Policemen", including three of them for deployment for LTTE duties. Consequently, twenty-five of those "Police" youngsters were ordered to serve Parappakandal area, north of Uyilankulam and the remaining nine "Policemen" had been brought to a "Police" behind for work at that point. An LTTE leader called, Elil Kannan in Madu are conducted the nine-member team to Chettiyarkattai Adampan LTTE checkpoint, but was furious to find that even those remaining two "policemen" had also gone missing from the point with no trace, according to those escapees.

The three protagonists, despite their exhaustion and fatigue finally made up their minds on 2nd April 2008 and managed to exit secretly to the check point in Chettiyarkattai Adampan, on the opposite bank of the Giant Tank, named by members of the Armed Forces and the Police where they sought refuge with them.

The LTTE "Police" deserter Amala Sumanayan (26) of Kannadidamapn, Mannar after he was conscripted by force to the LTTE, had once escaped and crept into Iluppukadeweli area, but the terrorists again abducted him on 20th April 2007 and forced upon him to serve LTTE route clearing and picket duties after he had been given LTTE "Police" and weapon training.

The other one, Sebastian Pillai Arularj (26) from Champainpattu, Thalady had a different story to relate after he was abducted by the LTTE terrorists on 18th June 2007. He was subjected to LTTE's "Police training" at an LTTE training base in Iranamadu area and was later deployed for route clearing and picket duties in various places in Wanni. He further went on record saying that over eighty percent of the LTTE conscripts under LTTE diktats in Wanni are now fully up against the LTTE hierarchy and the organisation, and are actually marking time to abandon and disappear at any given moment. Heated arguments had prevailed, escapees said.

The youngest one, Rathna Kumar Sadeesh (23) of Akrayankulam, Kilinochchi has been abducted on 17th June 2007 by Tiger terrorists and ordered to serve many areas as a "policeman" afterwards until he too ended up in LTTE jail some time back after he ran away from "police duty" where he had the chance to meet other affected colleagues.

Those three surrendered LTTE "policemen", now handed over to the Police are receiving short-term rehabilitation under a special programme before they are referred to the special rehabilitation programme conducted by the government.

The JVP’s internal battle is getting more violent and anyone having connections with dissident leader Wimal Weerawansa is in for trouble.

Yesterday the Patriotic National Movement reported that its Treasurer Dr. Sumith Vanniarachchi of Kandy, who is also the Treasurer of the Mavubima Lanka Foundation, had been assaulted by a JVP Provincial Council member and a group of JVP activists and warded at the Peradeniya Hospital.

A media release from PNM president Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekara said Dr. Sumith Vanniarachchi, a veterinary surgeon, had given a tea party to Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa and the group of 10 dissident JVP parliamentarians at his residence at Balagolla, Digana after they had worshipped at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy. "This act would have provoked the JVP to attack the social activist Dr. Sumith Vanniarachchi."

Dr. Amarasekera said the conspiracy to expel Wimal Weerawansa from the JVP had led to a spell of ugly incidents. The first such brutal attack had been in Bandaragama on April 17, where the Kalutara District Executive Committee member Hemantha Perera was attacked.

He said it was a tragic and a dangerous situation that the JVP was facing and the conspirators were trying to destroy the party with such ugly incidents.

The PNM has requested the Inspector General of Police to take action against those who assaulted Dr. Vanniarachchi.

District Election officers of Trincomalee, Ampara and Batticaloa districts say all preliminary arrangements for the eastern provincial election have been completed. The Election officers informed media that the distribution of election cards and assigning the officers for election duty are being completed.
Officers from other districts have been appointed as election officers for eastern provincial election. A workshop to brief these officers on eastern provincial council election will be held today and tomorrow. These officers will be given an introduction on all activities pertaining to election including postal voting procedures. The Assistant Elections Commissioner of Batticaloa district
Mr. S. Sudhakaran said that arrangements are made in 125 centres in Batticaloa district to cast the postal votes. Meanwhile, Assistant Elections Commissioner of Ampara district Mr. L.D.K. Thennakoon says 253 centres will be established in Ampara for this purpose. Assistant Elections Commissioner of Trincomalee district Mr. M.S.K. Bandara Mapa says centres are established in Trincomalee district to cast postal votes. The propaganda activities of eastern provincial election had already been started.
Meanwhile PAFFEREL says an environment has been created in the eastern province to hold a free and fair provincial council election. Only a few minor incidents have been reported so far since the closing date of accepting nominations. PAFFEREL has already commenced monitoring activities of the pre-election period. Foreign monitors from counties such as Germany, US, Portugal, Thailand and Switzerland will be in Sri Lanka to observe the eastern polls. 2,500 local observers will also monitor the election. Chairman of PAFFEREL Kingsley Rodrigo says they will meet leaders of political parties and independent groups contesting the election this week. They also hope to meet the Elections Commissioner.

Lanka-e-News Journalist Shantha Wijesuriya, who went to cover the release of JVP MP Jayantha Wijesekara was beaten by a group of party supporters at the Colombo Chief Magistrate courts premises today.

A jailor and a guard at the Welikada Prison were interdicted over the stabbing incident of convicted underworld Leader Potta Naufer by a fellow inmate last week at the Prison premises.

The security forces have consolidated power in the east of Kattankulam in Mannar.
Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said the troops advanced 1,300 meters into the enemy’s territory by launching a surprised attack around 4.30 am today.
The security forces ran over an LTTE camp named Lima Base-3. Seven LTTE terrorists were killed in the attack.

Paddy mill owners, rice importers and wholesale dealers further assure the government that rice will be sold under the prices stipulated by the government.
They made this assurance at a meeting held this afternoon with the participation of Minister Bandula Gunawardena and Secretary to the Treasury Dr. P.B. Jayasundara. They requested the government not to impose a controlled price for wholesale prices of rice.
Minister Gunawardena pointed out that there would be no such need if the dealers supply rice to the market at the controlled price. These retail price limits are not applicable to rice verities such as Basmati.

The businessmen expressed the hope that rice could be sold below the controlled prices in future. Paddy mill owners also promised to the Minister that they would purchase paddy from farmers above the government’s guaranteed prices.

PAFFEREL says a situation has been created in the eastern province to hold a free and fair provincial council election.
Few minor incidents on violating the election law have been reported so far since the closing date of accepting nominations.
PAFFEREL has already started monitoring activities of the pre-election period. Foreign monitors from Germany, US, Portugal, Thailand and Switzerland will be in Sri Lanka to observe the eastern polls.
Around 2,500 local observers will also monitor the activities of the election. Chairman of PAFFEREL Kingsley Rodrigo says they will meet leaders of political parties and independent groups contesting the election this week. They also hope to meet the Elections Commissioner.

The Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka is organizing a Trade Delegation to participate in the Kunming Import and Export International Trade Fair that will be held at the Kunming Province in China from the 06th to 10th of June.
This is one of the largest Trade Fairs in the work where more than 48 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Asian countries, some European countries take part to exhibit and sell their products.

Sunil C.Perera in Colombo
The distribution of official poll cards of the eastern provincial council elections begins today. The cards will be distributed by post until 2nd of next month. If anyone does not receive the poll card, the person will be able to collect it from the relevant post office by proving the identity. Casting postal votes of the election will commence on 28th and 29th of this month.
Meanwhile, the United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance says they will intensify its propaganda campaign for the Eastern Provincial Council Election from today. Public rallies have been organized in the districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara. The UNP and the JVP also plan to expand its election campaign from today. Rest political parties and independent groups are also to intensify propaganda campaign from this week. Several organizations including PAFFREL have already started monitoring the election campaign. Managing director of PAFFREKL Rohana Hettiarachchchi says that a peaceful environment is prevailing in the eastern province at present.

Sunil C. Perera in Colombo
Major political parties excluding UNP will organize May Day rallies in various locations in Sri Lanka.
According to our sources the United National Freedom Alliance will hold their May Day at Dehiattakandiya and the JVP plans to organize its rally in Colombo.
The entire leadership of the JVP is now in the east participating in campaigning for the May 10th provincial councils there. Therefore, the party will not organize a May Day procession this year, the sources said.
The sources said the decision was taken early March, when the party was not facing its present internal strife. In addition, the insecure situation in Colombo has also made the party to decide against holding a procession.
However, the JVP will hold a rally at the Colombo municipal grounds on May 01st.
Meanwhile the major opposition will not organize their rally but plans to organize religious activities at Kelaniya Raja Maha Temple. The JVP sources confirmed they would not organize a May Day procession due to the security reasons.
UPFA shifted their rally to obtain highest support for the forthcoming Eastern Province election. Parties also under the government umbrella will attend this rally.
Major estate Tamil parties will be in Talawakelle and Nuwaraeliya. Leftists will have May Day processions in Colombo.
Most of opposition parties will highlight current cost of living problem and other burning issues. Speaking to Asian Tribune General Secretary of the UNP Tissa Attanayake said their party has decided to refrain from holding rallies or processions on May Day, in view of the prevailing security situation in the country. Accordingly, the UNP has cancelled its public events planned in Kurunegala. Instead, it will hold religious observances on May 01st.

The Army categorically and unreservedly ridicules LTTE's blatant attempts to discredit and blame its troops for Sunday (20) afternoon murder of the Rev Fr M.X. Karunaratnam when he was on Mallavi-Vavunikulam road in un-cleared areas, about 50 kms to the north of Wanni in Mullaithivu district.
The LTTE upon this unfortunate demise, as is the case in many instances, has been hell-bent on feeding their mouthpieces worldwide and attributes the incident to the Army, with a view to tarnishing its image and trying to hold it responsible for this crime, particularly in the wake of negative criticism the LTTE was receiving regarding the recent holy Madhu church episode.
Late Rev Fr Karunaratnam, well known as "Father Kili" among LTTE cadres serves the North-East Secretariat on Human Rights (NESoHR) and has been provided an LTTE security escort whenever he travels in un-cleared areas, the intelligence has confirmed. Equally, he has expressed concerns about violation of Human Rights in un-cleared areas.
Likewise, the place of the attack on the clergy in un-cleared areas is situated, about 50 kms away from the nearest security detachment in cleared areas where no troops of the Army are operating.
Reliable information in the aftermath of this assassination further re-affirmed the fact that the clergy was with a leading Tiger (LTTE) member, called "Yogan" who was formally with the LTTE Sea Tiger wing when the incident occurred.
Therefore, the Army while unequivocally condemning the brutal murder, which bears all the hallmarks of LTTE brutality, and further points to probable internecine feuds, flatly refuses LTTE's shrewd and baseless allegations, leveled at the Army which has nothing to do with the killing of an innocent clergy.

(AFP)

- Sri Lanka will ask the world athletics governing body to grant a reprieve to banned woman sprinter Jani Chaturangani de Silva, the sports minister said on Monday.
"I have asked the lawyers to compile the facts related to Jani's ban so that I could make a request to the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations)," Gamini Lokuge told AFP.
Lokuge said he believed there had been technical flaws in the investigation against De Silva, who won silver medals in 100 meters in the South Asia Federation Games in 2006 and 2008.
She tested positive for Nandrolone in a urine sample tested in Malaysia after the 2006 Games in Colombo.
"I was told that the urine samples were not in a dry ice container when they were sent to Malaysia," Lokuge said.
He said he would also be requesting the IAAF to back-date her ban from September 14, 2006.
The IAAF last week banned her for two years with effect from April 14, 2008, ruling that all her performances since August 2006 be withdrawn.

Sunil C. Perera in Colombo
The Kandy Vanilla Growers’ Association (KVGA) recently felicitated Ceylon Cold Stores at it 08th anniversary celebrations, in recognition of its efforts to nurture and promote Sri Lanka’s vanilla industry. Present on the occasion were, President of Ceylon Cold Stores Ltd Jith Goonarathna, Vice President of Ceylon Cold Stores Ltd Neil Samarasinghe and several other officials from the KVGA.

President of the Kandy Vanilla Growers’ Association Muthubandara Madugalla said that in today’s profit-oriented corporate world, it was encouraging to see how CCS was actively involved in uplifting and developing the local vanilla industry, and also using locally grown produce in its ice creams.

“When our members initially went into mass scale production, we did not know anything about vanilla processing techniques. It was the personnel from CCS who patiently taught us the finer points and even went a step further by purchasing our entire produce. The friendly relationship that exists between CCS and the members of our association has grown into one of strength and mutual respect”.

“The fact that CCS has taken its Elephant House Ice Cream to the world is also an endorsement of the quality of locally grown vanilla beans. We do not use artificial fertilisers and insecticides. This is also an industry suited to both the young and the old especially women. It empowers them and gives them a good and steady source of income”, Madugalla added.

President of Ceylon Cold Stores Ltd Jith Goonarathna said that the benefits of this project are manifold. “Firstly there is a considerable saving in valuable foreign exchange. We buy the locally produced and processed beans to extract vanilla essence and therefore do not need to import. A burgeoning industry also means employment for hundreds of people and thus a change in their quality of lives. We consider this a national responsibility and are committed to uplifting Sri Lanka’s vanilla bean industry”

100% natural vanilla essence is a key ingredient in the world renowned Elephant House Vanilla Ice Cream. A project to extract essence from processed vanilla beans was first initiated at its factory in Ranala, Kaduwela in 2002. This proving feasible, CCS then turned to the Sri Lankan farmer in its efforts to extract vanilla from locally grown and processed vanilla beans. Local vanilla cultivation had, until then, been promoted by the National Agri Business Council. The national yield was 30 kilos in 2002.

CCS identified the Kandy Vanilla Growers Association (KVGA), a small group of approximately 30 farmers who were involved in vanilla production, as partners in the revival of the local vanilla industry. With the assurance that the CCS will buy the total vanilla bean production, the KVGA went on a recruitment drive to enlist local farmers. Today, six years later, a total of 2500 farmers are engaged in the profitable cultivation of vanilla in the Central Province in Matale, Kandy, Kurunegala, Kegalle and Nuwara Eliya. It has also proved to be an ideal home garden crop.

“In addition to providing assistance to farmers, the KVGA also buys the raw beans at a pre-guaranteed price, processes and cures the beans and supplies the processed beans to CCS for extraction. Of the 5000 kilos produced annually, 3000 kilos are produced for CCS. This in turn yields 600 kilos of processed beans which are sold by the farmers to CCS at Rs. 5500/- per kilo. The Association plans to increase its production capacity to 1000 kilos of processed beans and thus meet the total CCS requirement in the very near future”, Madugalla added.

Sunil C. Perera in Colombo
Tetra Pak, the world leader in food processing and packaging solutions unveiled plans to revitalize its brand in order to strengthen its global identity. The brand revitalization will help strengthen awareness of what the company does and what it stands for - bringing to life Tetra Pak’s existing motto “PROTECTS WHAT’s GOOD.” This motto can be found on over 100 billion Tetra Pak packages around the world.

In January Tetra Pak launched its new graphic identity, which puts the “PROTECTS WHAT’S GOOD” promise at the heart of the brand - with a bolder, fresher, more colorful look. “Tetra Pak is a brand with a rich heritage and an exciting future,” said Dennis Jönsson, CEO, Tetra Pak. “Our motto ‘PROTECTS WHAT’S GOOD’ extends far beyond protecting the contents in a package. We are protecting what is good in order to shape a better future for our customers, the company, our employees, our suppliers and the communities in which we operate.”

Country Manager Tetra Pak Sri Lanka Dushantha Ranaraja said, “The Company is constantly innovating new products and services to make food safe and available everywhere. Tetra Pak is also committed to sustainable forestry, recycling and a low carbon footprint within its value chain. The new brand identity is designed to help differentiate the company and support its leading position in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Tetra Pak will roll out its new visual identity in phases during 2008”.

The brand work was developed with Ogilvy Group UK, which conducted an extensive strategic review of the Tetra Pak brand identity on a global basis.

Army sniper deployed in general area Kattankulam in Mannar front has gunned down an LTTE terrorists this afternoon, April 21.
The incident took place at 12.50 p.m, sources from Mannar said.