'Pathetically unenforceable' – Sri Lanka response to UN war crimes warning

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 January 2008, 23:44 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s militarist government reacted furiously Tuesday to warnings by UN Human Rights Chief, Louise Arbour, that human rights abuses in Sri Lanka left perpetrators and their commanders at risk of international war crimes charges. Rejecting Ms. Arbour’s comments as “pathetically unenforceable threats,” Sri Lanka’s embassy to the UN said the Colombo government “will not be deterred by thinly veiled threats attempting to undermine the morale of its military, deter its military campaigns and save separatist terrorism from elimination.” It also challenged the transparency of funding for Ms. Arbour’s office and the extent to which it represented the “world’s peoples.”
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SLA, police cordon, search many areas of Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 January 2008, 17:47 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police launched extensive cordon and search operations in many parts of Jaffna peninsula from Monday morning till evening, subjecting people to search and interrogation. Karaveddi in Vadamaraadchchi, and Kurunakar near Jaffna town were two places where the searches were intensive, with hundreds of SLA troops and policemen deployed, sources in Jaffna said.
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SLA, Tigers clash in Northern Front, 1 SLA killed - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 January 2008, 15:38 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamleelam said three attacks mounted by Sri Lanka Army on LTTE positions in the Northern Front in Jaffna were thwarted by them on Monday. One SLA soldier was killed and many wounded when Tigers counter-attacked a group of SLA soldiers who launched an attack on a LTTE Forward Defence Line post at Naakarkoayil. The SLA, with wounded soldiers, pulled back the troops to its FDL, the Tigers said. Meanwhile, two attempts were made by the SLA at Mukamaalai.
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Iran's Finance Minister visits Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 January 2008, 15:14 GMT]
Iran's Finance Minister Davoud Danesh-Jafari arrived in Colombo Monday on a formal three-day visit to discuss bilateral economic cooperation between the countries before visiting New Delhi on Wednesday, ministry officials at the Iranian embassy in Colombo told the Iranian news agency, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). The visit by the Iranian finance minister was in response to the recent visit by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajpaksa to Iran, according to a news report by the IRNA. Mr. Danesh-Jafari is scheduled to meet the Sri Lankan President during his stay in Colombo.
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30 SLA killed, ground offensive thwarted in Mannaar - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 January 2008, 13:56 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam Operations Command in Mannaar has claimed to have thwarted a major push by the Sri Lanka Army launched in Parappaangka'ndal area on Monday. The SLA movement was thwarted after almost 8-hours of stiff resistance. At least 30 SLA soldiers were killed and more than 100 soldiers were wounded, the Tigers said. One SLA dead body was recovered by the Tigers who seized three AK-LMG guns, one RPG, two disposable Light Anti-tank Weapons and five T-56 type-2 assault rifles. Three LTTE fighters were killed in action.
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Monopoly on Violence

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 January 2008, 02:05 GMT]
German social scientist Maxwell Weber said one hundred years ago that the monopoly on violence, and the provision of security and public order, are the cornerstones of modern, Westphalian, state legitimacy. A current school of conflict resolution theory has advanced a more progressive definition of "Public monopoly of force," that accommodates legitimate international intervention in "fragile or failing" states. In many cases, such as in Sri Lanka, the challenge by an armed non-state actor to the Weberian State's monopoly of violence can pose a serious threat to the State's stability, creating further need for an international response commensurate with "Public monopoly of force" doctrine.
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Census officials escape claymore attack in Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 January 2008, 18:06 GMT]
A team of officials involved in census work in Jaffna peninsula escaped injuries in a claymore attack targetted on them Sunday noon in Sampanthan Kadai area in Karaveddy as the device failed to explode completely, sources said.
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Indian Foreign Minister refuses to criticise Colombo for abrogating CFA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 January 2008, 17:29 GMT]
Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, in an interview to CNN-IBN news channel, Sunday admitted that India had "scrupulously avoided" being a party to peace negotiations in Sri Lanka. The Indian FM who last week had ruled out any military solution to the ethnic strife in the war-torn island, on Sunday, failed to criticize Sri Lanka for abrogating the ceasefire. Questioned whether Colombo's decision to abrogate the ceasefire agreement was a "mistake," the minister replied that "any country that takes action against terrorists is free to do so within their legal system."
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Youth killed near Kurunakar SLA Camp

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 January 2008, 17:12 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) claimed an unidentified youth detonated a hand bomb and died Sunday early morning at 2:30 a.m, near Kudaakkadal, Kurunakar within Jaffna municipal council area while trying to infiltrate through barbed wire fencing around the Army camp.
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Military action against LTTE not a solution: Indian Defence Minister

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 January 2008, 07:37 GMT]
Indian Defence Minister A K Antony favoured a political solution to the 25-year-old ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka and said that military action against the Tamil Tigers would not bring lasting peace to the island nation. He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a defence meet in New Delhi Friday.
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Fonseka vows not to leave war to successor

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 January 2008, 06:27 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army Commander Lt. Gen. G.S.C Fonseka, due for retirement this year, has claimed that he would not leave the war to his succeeding commander, at a New Year party hosted by him Friday evening to select local and international journalists at his residence at Bauddhaloka Mawatha in Colombo. Fonseka was being tactfully upbeat as news of an explosion inside Fort Railway station threatened to dampen spirits at the cocktail party.
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Sri Lanka Navy attacks TamilNadu fishermen

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 January 2008, 19:38 GMT]
A TamilNadu fisherman was injured and his boat damaged when Sri Lankan naval personnel fired 'indiscriminately' at his boat fishing between Kadchatheevu and Thalaimannaar on Saturday, official sources said.
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Colombo's low enthusiasm on reconciliation, distressing- British FM

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 January 2008, 19:21 GMT]
During discussion in British Parliament on 8 Jan 2008, Dr Kim Howells, British Foreign Minister, in responding question on increasing number of killings in Sri Lanka, said: "I think that the most distressing feature is how the Government have won some military battles, but then become less enthusiastic about reconciliation and involving everyone who lives on that troubled island in a more inclusive way. We will continue to work with the Government, however, to emphasise that reconciliation must take place. There must be talks; otherwise the killing will continue."
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17 SLA, 5 Tigers killed in Pa'ndivirichchaan - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 January 2008, 14:09 GMT]
A two pronged ground movement by the Sri Lanka Army was thwarted at one front by the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam after almost 6-hours heavy fighting in which 17 SLA soldiers and five LTTE fighters were killed, according to LTTE Operations Command in Mannaar, media sources in Ki'linochchi said. Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopters landed at least 10 times, transporting wounded soldiers from the SLA defence line.
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Gunfire ambush kills SLA soldier, wounds troops

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 January 2008, 10:10 GMT]
A group of gunmen armed with assault rifles ambushed a group of Sri Lanka Army soldiers on foot patrol near Aa'ndiyaa Pu'liyangku'lam area 28 km southwest of Vavuniyaa town Saturday around 7:00 a.m., Police said.
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LTTE, the most dangerous, deadly, says FBI

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 January 2008, 03:09 GMT]
In a campaign "celebrating a century," U.S.'s Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) said of the Liberation Tigers: "Needless to say, the Tamil Tigers are among the most dangerous and deadly extremists in the world. For more than three decades, the group has launched a campaign of violence and bloodshed in Sri Lanka, the island republic off the southern coast of India." The website added that LTTE's "ultimate goal is to seize control of the country from the Sinhalese ethnic majority."
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Sri Lankan State not secular, nor fair- Retd Indian Colonel

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 January 2008, 21:01 GMT]
Noting that Sri Lankan State has a fundamental problems that lie at the root of the conflict, Retired Indian Colonel, Mr Anil Athale, in a column appeared in Rediff Friday, says "many Indian commentators have flippantly advised Tamils to accept Sri Lankan unity without realising that Sri Lanka is not a secular State like India nor is it a 'fair State' like the UK in terms of rule of law."
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Civilians in protective custody apprehensive of future

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 January 2008, 19:02 GMT]
212 civilians in Jaffna peninsula who sought protection with Human Rights Commission (HRC) due to death threats by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and SLA-backed paramilitaries, and placed in the protective custody of Jaffna prison, are uncertain of their future in after the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Jaffna ceasing to funtion in Jaffna, legal society sources in Jaffna said.
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"Military solution is all Mr. Rajapakse has left" - Wall Street Journal

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 January 2008, 15:47 GMT]
Despite holding moral high ground as countries have labelled the LTTE terrorists and cracked down on funding, Rajapakse's "commitment to the negotiated cease-fire has always been shaky," and Rajapakse and his party "have done little to win over moderate Tamils," said the Wall Street Journal in an article published in Friday edition, and added that "now, the military solution is all Mr. Rajapakse has left, and it's not a sure bet by any means."
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SLA, LTTE clash in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 January 2008, 08:16 GMT]
Heavy clashes erupted in Mannaar between the Sri Lanka Army and the Liberation Tigers on two fronts when the SLA launched ground movement towards Uyilangku'lam in Mannaar Town DS division at 6:00 a.m. and towards Paalamoaddai in Vavuniyaa - Mannaar border, around 8:00 a.m. Friday. Mannaar Operations Command of the Tigers told media in Vanni that the SLA units was pushed back to their old positions after counter attacks that were carried out amid heavy artillery fire. The SLA sustained heavy casualties in Uyilangku'lam, the Tigers said. Meanwhile the SLA handed over 3 dead bodies of females to Murungkan Police claiming that the bodies belonged to LTTE fighters.
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