Resettlement of Vadamaraadchi North uprooted families postponed indefinitely

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 August 2010, 06:52 GMT]
Jaffna Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander Major Gen. Mahinda Kathurusinghe and Jaffna Government Agent Ms. Imelda Sukumar, who met Friday in Palaali SLA head office to discuss the resettlement of the uprooted families of Vadamaraadchi North evacuated by SLA , did not come to any decision but announced that 'speedy action' will be taken, sources in Jaffna said. The announcement has caused resentment and anger among the various organizations in Jaffna peninsula which had been requesting the resettlement of uprooted families.
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UNP to discuss latest political development next week

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 August 2010, 13:25 GMT]
The Working Committee of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) is to meet coming week to discuss the move of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) to support and provide two third majority to the government led by Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa to pass the constitutional amendment, UNP deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya told media Saturday.
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Rajapaksa instructs UPFA MPs not to leave island for 2 weeks

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 August 2010, 13:19 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) led by Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse has instructed its parliamentarians not to go abroad till September 15. The leaders of the constituent parties also have been instructed by SL president Mahinda Rajapaksa to ensure the presence of their parliamentarians in Colombo during the period.
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SLMC to support Rajapakse from opposition bench

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 August 2010, 23:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka's predominant Muslim party, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) led by Rauff Hakeem, today decided to support the Sri Lanka government’s decision to make constitutional amenedments which will also remove the two term restriction on the presidency, political sources in Colombo said. SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem told the media in Colombo, his party has decided to support the government by helping it attain a two third majority in parliament which will held change the country’s constitution.
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Colombo "deliberately shelled civilians," accuses UN's departing Holmes

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 August 2010, 11:18 GMT]
United Nation's Human Rights Co-ordinator, John Holmes, in a parting shot at Colombo the end of his 3-year tenure at the UN, defended his department's funding of the Sri Lanka government's internment camps where more than 350,000 held for several months while admitting the Sri Lanka government may have “deliberately shelled” civilians and hospitals, Inner City Press reported.
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Rajapakse visits former UNP strongman's residence

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 August 2010, 04:31 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne made a surpise visit Tuesday to Parliamentarian Abdul Cader’s residence in Gampola where close door discussions were held, the Lankadeepa newspaper said. Cader, a former UNP strongman, has been seen leaning towards supporting the ruling government in recent months. He has also been suspended by the UNP’s working committee after he supported the ruling UPFA at several instances in parliament.
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Indian Foreign Affairs minister to visit Sri Lanka in September

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 August 2010, 13:45 GMT]
In response to the accusations raised by All India Anna Dravidia Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) parliamentarians against the Indian Government for having not given any help to the uprooted Tamils in Sri Lanka held in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) detention camps or any assistance to the resettled Tamils in Vanni in Indian Parliament Wednesday, Indian Foreign Affairs minister, S. M. Krishna, told the parliament he will be visiting Sri Lanka late September to hold talks with Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa again on the issues raised.
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SLFP’s annual convention to be held at Temple Trees

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 August 2010, 09:57 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s (SLFP) 59th annual convention will be held on September 2nd under the patronage of Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the state run, Dinamina newspaper said. The convention will be held at Temple Trees in Colombo, which is Rajapaksa’s official residence. According to the newspaper article, several important decisions will be taken at the convention.
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Sacked SL Deputy Minister Mervin Silva visits North

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 August 2010, 07:16 GMT]
Mervin Silva, the Sri Lanka Deputy Minister sacked from his post by President Mahinda Rajapaksa for tying an officer of Samurdhi Bank to a tree, paid an unexpected visit to Jaffna and Vanni Sunday and Monday, sources in Vanni said. Mervin Silva, who spent most of his time in the North visiting important Sri Lanka Army (SLA) bases in Vanni meeting key officers, was given top security protection befitting a cabinet minister, sources in Vanni said. Mervin Silva, said to be a close friend of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is expected to be offered a high position in the Rehabilitation Ministry for the North, political observers in Jaffna said.
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Mahinda Rajapaksa meets UNP delegation led by Wickremasinghe

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 August 2010, 06:36 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa Monday met a three-member delegation of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) led by its leader Ranil Wickremasinghe at Temple Trees. The UNP delegation comprised of two UNP parliamentarians Tissa Attanayake, general secretary, Joseph Michael Perera and the Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress party, Rauf Hakim, sources in Colombo said.
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Only Basil Rajapaksa leaves for India

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 August 2010, 06:32 GMT]
Basil Rajapaksa, Economic Development Minister and a brother of Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa will leave Tuesday to India to have talks with the Indian government leaders. Earlier the government said a three member delegation comprising Basil Rajapaksa, Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa and President's Secretary Lalith Weeratunge would be visiting New Delhi.
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Rajapaksa appoints new SLFP organizer to North

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 August 2010, 08:23 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the leader of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), a constituent of ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), appointed Saturday Angkayan Ramanathan, a leading businessman from Valveddiththu'rai as the new SLFP organizer of North Sri Lanka, sources in Jaffna said. Angkayan Ramanathan is appointed in place of Thangarasa, who was charged in Jaffna Magistrate Court of swindling more than seven millions rupees promising Jaffna peninsula youths employment and imprisoned. Meanwhile, this appointment is seen as one of the measures taken by Rajapaksa family to sideline Sri Lanka minister and leader of Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), Douglas Devananda who acts as the sole representative of Sri Lanka government in the North, political observers in the peninsula said.
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95 persons disappeared in Batticaloa district after SLA occupation

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 August 2010, 09:07 GMT]
Ninety-five persons including two women have disappeared without trace in Batticaloa district since Sri Lanka Army (SLA) occupation of the district, according to Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, P. Selvarasa. The youths who had left the Liberation Tigers and married leading a normal life and persons who had been supporters of the LTTE had been arrested or abducted by SLA Intelligence Wing with the assistance of Tamil paramilitary group of Pillayan and Karuna. These persons are among those gone missing. The abductors arriving in white vans during nights had taken away the persons who had disappeared since then, the MP said.
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President Rajapaksa presides Defence Ministry consultative meeting

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 August 2010, 04:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa Thursday chaired the consultative committee meeting of the Ministry of Defence in Parliament. He is the Minister of Defence. Commanders of the three armed forces, Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force attended the meeting.
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Namal Rajapaksa engaged in promoting government propaganda in North

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 August 2010, 11:27 GMT]
Namal Rajapaksa, parliamentarian and son of President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been frequently visiting Jaffna and Vanni in the North in an attempt to show that he is keen in the development of North, particularly in the field of education, sources in Jaffna said. The swimming pool project he inaugurated with much publicity in Jaffna Central College had to be abandoned as his 'Blue Brigade' young men had made away with millions of rupees allocated for the project, they added.
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Another Sri Lanka "Committee" to investigate ex-Minister's tree fiasco

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 August 2010, 01:50 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Rajapakse's ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Tuesday appointed a three member committee to inquire into the actions of controversial former minister, Mervyn Silva who allegedly tied a Samurdhi officer to a tree for not participating in a dengue awareness campaign conducted by the then Minister Silva. The chairman of this committee will be presidents counsel Jayantha Weerasinghe. Other members of the committee are N.M. Saheed and Mahinda Samarasekara who will function as the secretary to the committee, according to Colombo media.
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Sri Lanka's Prime Minister says, Rajapaksa strongest man in Sri Lanka’s history

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 August 2010, 10:48 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne said that incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the strongest man in Sri Lanka’s 2500 year old history, the state owned Dinamina newspaper said in a front page article. Speaking at the opening of the Hambantota Port, Premier Jayaratne said Sri Lanka has seen kings such as Parakramabahu, Dutugamunu and Walagamba build rivers for the country, but no one has seen an individual such as Mahinda Rajapaksa who has taken Sri Lanka's development drive to the highest level possible within a short span of just four years.
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Pandemonium in parliament over Fonseka punishment

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 August 2010, 10:38 GMT]
Pandemonium reigned in the Sri Lanka ‘s Parliament when it resumed its sittings Tuesday afternoon when the main opposition United National Party (UNP) and the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) demanded a full debate on the verdict of the first Court Martial against the former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Sarath Fonseka.
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SLA refuses to open key roads in Jaffna peninsula

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 August 2010, 05:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) occupying Jaffna peninsula continues to refuse to open the key roads which it had closed for public use despite repeated requests by governemnt departments, NGOs and public organizations, sources in Jaffna said. The same situation prevails in allowing uprooted families to settle in their properties appropriated by SLA as High Security Zone (HSZ) in Valikaamam North. It is alleged that the conflict of interests in these two matters between Northern Province Governor, Major. Gen. G. A. Chandarasiri and SLA Jaffna Commander, Major. Gen. Mahinda Kathurusinghe is the cause of the issues.
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UNP to assist JVP led alliance against UPFA government

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 August 2010, 17:35 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) Monday declared that it is ready to extend its wholehearted support to an alliance as proposed by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna to oppose the undemocratic actions of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government led by Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse. Gayantha Karunaratne, UNP parliamentarian and its spokesman told media Monday that the leadership of the alliance is not important to his party as long as it opposed to the dictatorial actions of the UPFA government.
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