Cabinet meeting in Ki'linochchi aims to deceive Sinhala people: UNP MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 July 2010, 18:17 GMT]
“All should understand that the Sinhala people also have to bear the burden of foreign loans Sri Lanka has to borrow to develop the North which was destructed by Tigers,” Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed in a public meeting in Ki’linochchi Wednesday after having held the Cabinet Meeting in Ira’naimadu Sri Lanka Army (SLA) head quarters in Vanni. Nearly a hundred people brought by SLA participated in the meeting held under tight security. “There is no minority in the country but all are majority in the sense that all are Sri Lankans,” Mahinda Rajapaksa further claimed. Meanwhile, Jayalath Jeyawardene, an opposition United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian said in a statement to media in Colombo Wednesday that Mahinda Rajapaksa’s cabinet meeting in Ki’linochchi was a political drama to deceive the Sinhalese in the South, condemning the Ki’linochchi cabinet meeting.
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SLA strengthens security in Ki’linochchi prior to Cabinet meeting

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 July 2010, 18:23 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has strengthened security in and around Ki’linochchi in Vanni as President Mahinda Rajapaksa has decided to hold his cabinet meeting in Ira’naimadu SLA Vanni Head Quarters Wednesday, sources in Ki’linochchi said. Traffic along A9 road has been cut down while hundreds of SLA soldiers and police personnel are posted at several points along the road. This is the first ever cabinet meeting to be held out of Colombo and an important one for President Mahinda Rajapaksa after the end of the war on Vanni, the sources added.
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Imelda Sukumar assumes duties as Jaffna GA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 July 2010, 13:47 GMT]
The Government Agent (GA) for Mullaiththeevu district in Vanni, Imelda Sukumar, officially assumed duties as GA Jaffna district Tuesday in place of outgoing Jaffna GA, K. Ganesh, whose term was extended after the announcement of his retirement on July 01 following alleged influence exerted by Northern Province Governor, former Major Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri and Douglas Devananda, a minister in Mahinda Rajapaksa's cabinet. Three days ago, Ms. Imelda Sukumar was again asked to assume duties as GA in Jaffna, cancelling the decision to keep Mr. Ganesh as GA in Jaffna for another six months.
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Indian Film actress Asin visits Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 July 2010, 06:43 GMT]
Leading Indian film actress Asin paid an unannounced visit to Jaffna Sunday along with the wife of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and took part in the events in Eye Treatment Centre in Jaffna Teaching Hospital, sources in Jaffna said. Despite warning that her films will be boycotted in all South Indian States if she participates in shooting in Sri Lanka, by the Federation of South Indian Film Industry Unions, Asin is in Sri Lanka to act in a Hindi film. Asin had reportedly told media in Colombo that she is not in anyway connected to South Indian politics adding that the warning will not affect her.
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‘All roads lead to Mahinda Rajapaksa’

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 July 2010, 19:24 GMT]
The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh advised the visiting Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians to work with Mahinda Rajapaksa to find political solution, according to media reports Friday. The TNA parliamentarian A. Vinayagamoorthy was cited saying: "Prime Minister Dr Singh advised us to take along with us the Muslims, the upcountry Tamils and others and work unitedly with President Rajapaksa to evolve a solution to the Tamil problem. We told him we will try to do so." The MP further said: "We depend hundred per cent on India for help to find a political solution acceptable to our people. We will be happy if President Mahinda Rajapaksa gives us what India thinks is reasonable."
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Weerawansa abandons fast unto death after Rajapaksa visit

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 July 2010, 14:27 GMT]
Wimal Weerawansa, the leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF) and an ally of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance government Saturday evening abandoned his fast unto death accepting a glass of water from Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Mr. Rajapaksa paid a surprise visit to the venue where Weerawansa had been fasting. He was immediately transferred to a hospital in an ambulance.
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Sexual abuse of resettled women in Vanni by SLA soldiers escalates

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 July 2010, 07:46 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers occupying Vanni continue to sexually abuse women among recently resettled civilians, according to complaints made to a Christian priest now living in Vanni. Meanwhile, a journalist from Tamil Nadu who returned Friday from a visit to Vanni also said that the resettled people in Vanni had told him about SLA soldiers sexually abusing women besides intruding into their privacy under the pretext of search and checking. The journalist who wishes to remain anonymous said that he will write in detail the sufferings of resettled civilians in Vanni in Tamil Nadu papers when he returns home.
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Gotabhaya's involvement in agitation against UN irks foreign missions

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 July 2010, 16:36 GMT]
Sinhala journalists concerned on freedom of speech released recorded evidence of verbal abuse by the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa against the police officers providing security to the UN Compound on Tuesday, raising questions on Rajapaksa brothers involvement in triggering protest against the UN. Meanwhile, the heads of foreign missions in Sri Lanka from Germany, UK, USA, France, Italy, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Romania, Norway and EU delegation on Friday issued a statement saying that they were dismayed by the blockade of the UN-compound in Colombo and the role played in it by a government minister.
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SLFP wants diplomatic approach to UN issue than protest

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 July 2010, 15:38 GMT]
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the main constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government led by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse Friday called upon its constituent parties for more diplomatic approach to resolve the crisis with the United Nations over the appointment of Experts Panel on Sri Lanka and to advice the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon that holding protests and fasting against UN organization. Senior members including six cabinet ministers have appealed to the hierarchy of the SLFP to resolve the issues diplomatically. SLFP general secretary and a senior minister Maithripala Sirisena is reported to have told Colombo media that the issue with the UN could have been resolved in a diplomatic manner than protesting agaist it.
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Weerawansa resigns ministry portfolio, continues fast against UN

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 July 2010, 10:19 GMT]
Wimal Weerawansa, the leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF), a splinter group of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and currently an ally of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Friday resigned from the post of Minister of Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Colombo media reported quoting his ministry spokesman. However Lalith Weeratunge, the Secretary to the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse told media that he has not received the resignation letter yet.
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UN recalls Resident Coordinator from Colombo, closes UNDP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 July 2010, 17:29 GMT]
United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, Thursday recalled UN's Colombo Resident Coordinator, Neil Buhne, to New York for consultations, and closed the UNDP Regional Centre in Colombo, Sri Lanka media reported. UN spokesperson blamed Sri Lanka Government for failing to prevent demonstrators disrupting operations of the UN office, according to reports.
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Put a stop to media intimidation, IFJ appeals to Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 July 2010, 13:11 GMT]
In a press alert issued by International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), a media watchdog, appealed to the Government of Sri Lanka "to act quickly to investigate the latest threat against a Sri Lankan media outlet after a threatening letter was sent to the Colombo office of Lanka-e-News," and called on Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse to "investigate and punish the perpetrators of the latest attacks on media freedom, and guarantee protection for Lanka-e-News and its personnel."
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Weerawansa begins fast unto death in front of Colombo UN office

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 July 2010, 08:53 GMT]
Wimal Weerawansa, a Sri Lankan minister in Mahinda Rajapaksa's cabinet and the leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF), has launched a 'fast unto death campaign' in front of the UN office in Colombo at Bauddaloka Mawatha Thursday.
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Weerawansa threatens fast unto death campaign

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 July 2010, 19:45 GMT]
Sri Lanka Government's frontline minister Wimal Weerawansa has vowed to go on a fast unto death if the United Nations (UN) fails to disband the expert panel appointed by Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, State owned daily Dinamina reported. Weerawansa is expected to kick off his fast-to-death campaign Thursday if the UN does not respond positively to demands put forward by Sri Lanka demanding the immediate disbanding of the expert panel, the paper said.
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Devananda, Perumal join hands in new forum

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 July 2010, 08:45 GMT]
A group named 'Tamil Political Parties Forum' (TPPF) of nine Tamil Political parties, paramilitary cum political parties and activists allegedly backed by New Delhi and Colombo, has been formed with the aim to explore ways of finding solution for the problems of the Tamil people in the North and East, political sources in Colombo said. Varatharaja Perumal, Chandrahasan and PLOTE Siddharthan, already known to have close links with New Delhi, have joined hands with M.K. Sivajilingam, a former TNA MP, Anandasangaree of TULF, Pillayan from TMVP and Kumarakuruparan of Democratic People Front in creating the forum. The move has been initiated by Shereen Xavier of Home for Human Rights and Douglas Devananda, the leader of EPDP, who is aligned with Mahinda Rajapaksa government.
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Ampaa’rai Tamil, Muslim volunteer teachers complain of discrimination

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 July 2010, 06:17 GMT]
The president of Ampaa'rai District Volunteer Teachers' Union (ADVTU) accused Sri Lanka government for not making their appointments permanent though they had served for more than twelve years under trying circumstances and for having granted permanent appointment for seventy Sinhalese volunteer teachers an year and half before, sources in Ampaa'rai said. The president of ADVTU, M. S. A. Sabras, said that 109 Tamil medium volunteer teachers had not been made permanent in their appointments though they had faced several interviews held by Education Department in the past. He added that their union has launched a protest to draw the attention of the authorities to their five demands and that they will go on hunger strike if the demands are not met.
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Move afoot to make Kumaratunga UNP MP

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 July 2010, 11:05 GMT]
Moves are afoot by the main opposition United National Party (UNP) to make Chandrika Kumaratunga a Member of Parliament through the UNP list, political sources in Colombo said. The move has been reportedly initiated by a splinter group of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), led by Mangala Samaraweera.
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Central Bank of Ceylon opens Northern Provincial Office in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 July 2010, 18:44 GMT]
Northern Province Governor Major Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri officially opened the Northern Provincial Office of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka in Jaffna in a private building on Arasadi Veethi in Jaffna Sunday, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, Jaffna Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander Major Gen. Mahinda Kathurasinghe participating in the event walked out when he was called upon to light the traditional lamp as he was dissatisfied with the seating arrangement, apparently because he was not given his due place, the sources added.
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Colombo sinhalicises Ampaa'rai District Secretariat

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 July 2010, 04:38 GMT]
Biased Sinhala officials in Ampaa’rai District Secretariat have been taking steps to transfer all Tamil officials working there in an effort to convert it a Sinhala only office. As a first step a Tamil Assistant Director of Planning has been transferred out of Ampaa’rai District Secretariat causing hardships to Tamil people in the district.
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Clash of Roadmaps

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 June 2010, 19:33 GMT]
The Mahinda – KP move handled by the military intelligence of Sri Lanka, whether a culmination of a long-term strategy or a move to probe the diaspora, is now backfiring against Colombo, is backfiring against some international actors harping on wrong notions of reconciliation and is backfiring against some elements in the diaspora which were long dreaming on the success of this move to trail behind with their tangential politics.
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