Propping up genocidal Sinhala State counterproductive, International Community should change approach – LTTE leader
The leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), V Pirapaharan, in his annual Heroes’ Day statement put a heavy responsibility on the shoulders of the international community for the breakdown of the peace process. He said that the involvement of the international community to resolve the Tamil national question has been unhelpful and added that their failure to condemn unambiguously the military path of the current reg ime has created the present situation in the island. He asserted that the propping up of the genocidal Sinhala State by the international community through economic aid, mili tary aid and subtle diplomatic efforts will be counterproductive.
Hillary Clinton urges nuanced approach to ‘terrorists’
US Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton this week urged a more nuanced approach to armed non-state actors, arguing “the bottom line is, you can’t lump all terrorists together. … what the Tamil Tigers are fighting for in Sri Lanka, or the Basque separatists in Spain, or the insurgents in al-Anbar province may only be connected by tactics.”
Tamil farmer abducted in Sambaltivu
Unidentified armed men Monday night around 8:00 p.m. abducted a Tamil farmer from his house in Iluppaikulam, Sambaltivu village, about 7 km off north of Trincomalee town, civil sources in Trincomalee said.
The area comes under the Uppuveli police division. The abducted has been identified as 37 year-old Sinnathurai Sithiravelautham, according to a complaint lodged with the Uppuveli police by his relatives. Eight armed persons went in a white van to Iluppaikulam, entered the house of Sithiravelautham and took him forcibly, relatives said in their complaint.
A young farmer abducted in Thampalakaamam
A Tamil farmer was abducted by a group of unidentified armed persons Monday 08.10.2007 around 3.30 p.m. at Puthukuddiyiruppu, according to complaints filed by his relatives with the Kanthae police. Puthukuddiyiruppu is a village under the administration of Thampalakaamam divisional secretariat division
The abducted has been identified as Sivalingam Surendran aged 33, and a father of three children. According to the complaint five unidentified armed persons had arrived in a white coloured van and forcefully took the farmer before driving off.
Japan’s aid not conducive to peace in Sri Lanka – Sampanthan
R. Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), has said that the decision by Sri Lanka’s major donor country Japan, to continue economic aid to Sri Lanka, will soften the International pressure on the SL government to seek a political solution and strengthen Colombo to pursue the military option. Pointing out Sri Lanka President’s categorical statement that there would be no change in his policy on a “unitary structure of a government” with the “district as the unit of devolution,” Mr. Sampanthan dismissed the efforts of All Party Representatives Committee (APRC) as “no more than a mere pretense” to show some action is being taken towards political solution. Read more »
Sri Lankan minister contradicts diplomatic immunity of SLMM
Sri Lankan Defense spokesman and a Cabinet Minister, Keheliya Rambukwelle, at the weekly press briefing in Colombo on Friday warned the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that their officials and vehicles would be checked at any checkpoints when they travel North. The Sri Lankan minister, by his statement on Friday, has contradicted the diplomatic immunity, provided to the SLMM according to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a well-placed diplomat in Colombo said. Read more »
Bail application filed seeking Ki’linochchi ACLG release
The wife of Kandiah Balasubramaniam, Assistant Commissioner of Local Government in Ki’linochchi district who is being kept in detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) since June 25 this year, has filed a bail application in the Court of Appeal Wednesday seeking the release of her husband. Read more »
Colombo court releases 9 Jaffna youths
The Colombo Chief Magistrate Tuesday ordered the release of nine Tamil youths, residents of Jaffna district, kept in detention in Boosa detention camp. Some of them were arrested in Colombo and its suburbs during cordon and search operation. Read more »
