May 2 (PTI) Promising to rehabilitate soon the 1.85 lakh civilians who fled the LTTE-held areas, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said the Tamil diaspora should realise that the rebels were killing innocent people by weapons purchased from the money collected from them. "What is going on in the North is a struggle to consolidate the right to life of the working and innocent people of this country," more..

May 2 (DBS) At least 27 civilians were killed and 126 injured as fighting continued between the armed forces of Sri Lanka and the LTTE in areas of Karaithuraipatru AGA division in the Northern district of Mullaitheevu. Dr. V. Shanmugarajah, displaced medical officer from Mullaitheevu hospital who is currently attached to the makeshift hospital in Mullivaaikkaal told the BBC “Thamilosai” that there were twenty-seven bodies lying at the premises by the evening of Friday May 1st. more..

May 2 (PTI) The family of LTTE's former deputy leader Mahathaya, who was executed at the command of Velupillai Prabhakaran, has left the rebel-held areas in Sri Lanka's north and sought refuge with the Government. Mahathaya's wife and three children fled the rebel-held areas in Wanni region and reached the Government-controlled areas on Friday. Mahathaya, whose real name is Gopalasamy Mahendrarajah and a childhood friend of the elusive LTTE supremo, more..

May 2 (AFP) Sri Lanka's defence ministry rejected satellite imagery issued by the United Nations in support of allegations that security forces shelled a civilian area. The defence ministry said the allegations based on UN aerial images posted on the UNOSAT website and used on several foreign television channels had "no scientific validity" unless there was verification on the ground. "Conclusions drawn from the interpretations of these images have no scientific validity," the ministry said, more..

May 3 (AP) Having fled his homeland in Mullaitivu due to ongoing war, a Sri Lankan Tamil engineer, who landed here after being rescued from mid-sea, says he prefers to stay in India as he is"scared"of going back to the island nation as the Sinhala- Tamil divide"still persists". Inder, a 25-year-old hardware engineer from Trincomalle, is among the 11 refugees who landed on the shores in Uppada village in the Bay of Bengal more..

May 3 (Hindu) A convoy of Army trucks was attacked near the Neelambur bypass road here on Saturday by Tamil chauvinists belonging to the Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (PDK) who claimed that the vehicles were transporting weapons for the Sri Lankan Army for use in the war against the LTTE. Over 100 activists, armed with stones and logs, blocked the convoy which was ferrying Army personnel, who had completed field training in Secunderabad, more..

May 3 (AN) May 1st has two faces in Sri Lanka. On the one hand the p0ublic demonstrations led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s UFPA, and the opposition UNP together with the main unions. On the other, everyday people, seasonal workers and fishermen whose rights have yet to be recognised and who are pressing the government to ratify the International Labour Organisations convention. more..

May 3 (G&M) According to some residents, five days is far too long to block one of the city's major thoroughfares. According to protesters, it's a small inconvenience relative to atrocities suffered by friends and relatives abroad. In the end, the decision to end Tamil protesters' blockade of University Avenue was made by Toronto Police Services, and it balanced a number of conflicting interests. more..

May 3 (AT) The financial meltdown has unleashed a latent and emergent social crisis across the Canada. This economic crisis is in large part the result to the detriment of entire population, leading to a renewed wave of corporate bankruptcies, mass unemployment and poverty. When people across Canada, whose lives have been shattered, destroyed, struggling hard to run their day to day life and future in jeopardy, more..

May 3 (LG) Following is the full text of the House of Commons debate on Sri Lanka: Mr. Deputy Speaker (Sir Michael Lord): We now move on to a debate on Sri Lanka, and I must advise the House— [Interruption.] Order. We have more serious business to deal with. Will those who are leaving please do so not en masse, but quietly, and let us get on with the next business. I advise the House that Mr. Speaker has selected the amendment in the name of the Prime Minister. more..

May 3 (NP) The arrest on Thursday of 15 Tamil Canadian protesters after they crossed a police line in front of the U. S. Consulate in Toronto seemed to mark the climax of a national rally -- from Montreal to Ottawa to Toronto -- against the humanitarian disaster in Sri Lanka's northern warzone. But to organizers, the minor violence was little more than a last gasp of frustration at the rally's failure to attract any high-level political support. more..

May 3 (DBJ) “Sacrum Romanum Imperium” (Holy Roman Empire) was a misnomer according to some historians. Even at it’s zenith the so-called Holy Roman Empire was neither holy nor Roman. It was not even an empire. Likewise the UNP in Sri Lanka too has neither been United nor truly national in recent times. Given the internal turmoil and external unpopularity some feel it may soon cease to be even a party. more..

May 3 (AT) In an increasingly globalising world there can be no political, economic or cultural islands. In an interconnected and interdependent world there are realistic limits to the exercise of sovereignty by any country. These limits are more stringent for small underdeveloped countries with a pronounced tendency to mismanage their affairs. That is the Lankan condition today. Still the objective impediments to the exercising of Lankan sovereignty may not have reached critical levels, had not more..

May 3 (LG) Note by the Editors of Sri Lankan Guardian: Shanika Sriyananda’s warm and poignant account of Priya, is not an exceptional one. Many such are unfolding about how the LTTE brutally exploited the Tamil community, outraged its tameness, reduced it to utter timidity by ruthless terror, seized its children to bear arms and consign them to the frontlines as cannon fodder. more..

May 3 (LG) The EU Sri Lanka Business Summit, the first ever initiative of its kind to take place in Sri Lanka is a combined effort in restoring economic sustainability. The key theme of the summit will be "A concerted effort towards rebuilding a nation and unleashing Sri Lanka's potential". An initiative of the European Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka, the unique event "EU Sri Lanka Business Summit 2009" will be held in, Colombo on 5th May 2009. more..

May 3 (LG) Madam Secretary, we address this response to you as registered Democratic Citizen voters of the United States and the Free World of Sri Lankan Origin. We value democracy and freedom for all people in Sri Lanka. Your comment concerning the end of the war in Sri Lanka to quote your words, "I think that the Sri Lankan government knows that the entire world is very disappointed that in its efforts to end what it sees as 25 years of conflict, more..

May 3 (LG) British Foreign Minister David Miliband has to be pitied. He’s working hard for his constituents, some of whom are vociferous Tamils who are either ignorant about Sri Lankan realities or unabashed supporters of the LTTE. So this Mr. Busybody came all the way from ‘great’ Britain to orchestrate a ceasefire. He had to go back empty-handed but only after he got an earful from the Secretary of Defence. Sad! Doubly sad! more..

May 3 (LG) The Government has moved in the direction of a ceasefire. But Lanka is in a dire situation that begs for the attention of the workers of the world's focus. There is no time to lose. Urgent action is immediately necessary to avoid further destruction. All socialists world over should take this point seriously. The Lankan government backed by the Sinhala supremacist oppressors, has almost crushed the struggle of the Tamils more..

May 3 (LG) The failure of the efforts of Western leaders and diplomats in their humanitarian efforts to free thousands of Sri Lankan Tamils and perhaps also save Velupillai Pirapaharan and his cohorts in the process from the Sri Lankan government should be pitied. Last week British and French Foreign Ministers David Milliband and Bernard Kouchner confessed to their failure to bring about a ceasefire after strenuous efforts and departed. more..

May 3 (LG) David Miliband and Bernard Kouchner, the foreign minister of Britain and France, respectively, may be rather ignorant. Their bullishness can perhaps be attributed to this; they are out of tune with global realities and probably still believe they are living in the 18th century. They came. Sorry, they strutted in. They saw. They heard. And they left with their tails tucked under their legs. more..

May 3 (Hindu) India will be rushing another consignment of 50,000 family packs to northern Sri Lanka from Chennai early next week, said official sources here. The Centre is also planning to increase the strength of the Indian medical team from the present 62 by 50 per cent, they added. “It was generally felt that the distribution of these family packs was the most effective way of distributing relief material directly to the people. more..

May 3 (Hindu) With the military advance into the remaining seven square kilometre area inside the no-fire zone (NFZ) under LTTE occupation considerably slowing down and proving to be torturous, President Mahinda Rajapaksa told the visiting Special Envoy from Japan, Yasushi Akashi, that his government was determined to free civilians being held hostages by the Tigers. more..

May 3 (SL) Excerpts of an interview with UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya, post election. Q: Should UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe accept sole responsibility for this 17th defeat? A: Be it victory or defeat, it is the leader who should take responsibility. However, it would not be fair to expect him to solely shoulder the responsibility. In my opinion, everyone in the party – particularly the seniors, including myself as the deputy leader and more..

May 3 (SL) Ranil Wickremesinghe is not a natural born politician. A shy, stubborn, introvert, with a streak of arrogance in his personality, he is happiest listening to music, reading books and traveling, less happy addressing political rallies and leading street protests. An easy smile, the ability to indulge in small talk with unknown people, the talent to tell a convincing lie, these are more important for political success than are vision and ability. more..

May 3 (SL) The Supreme Court's ongoing investigation into Golden Key has now uncovered evidence that Central Bank officials colluded with representatives of Golden Key to enable the company to keep functioning despite legislation that states that companies are not authorised to take deposits without a licence from the Central Bank. The Finance Companies Act of 1988, states that no deposits can be taken from any company or persons without a licence from the Central Bank. more..

May 3 (SL) The Development Lotteries Board (DLB) has incurred huge losses amounting to several millions of rupees from the recently suspended Deyata Kirula lottery, All Ceylon Lottery Dealers' Association (ACLDA) said. The Deyata Kirula lottery was first introduced solely for the Deyata Kirula exhibition in February 2008 but later on December 28, 2008 the lottery was once again released to the market for a weekly draw, which could not last for more than 17 weeks more..

May 3 (CI) Marvan Atapattu is aiming to build a new career as international coach if Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) lifts its sanctions on the country's ICL players on the lines of the BCCI's amnesty offer. SLC has said it is yet to discuss the ICL issue, but is keen to welcome the cricketers back into the system. Atapattu plays for Delhi Giants in the ICL and recently completed a stint as batting coach of Canada, more..

May 3 (TT) The 11 Sri Lankan Tamils, who escaped in a rickety boat from the island and were rescued mid-sea by Andhra Pradesh fishermen, don’t want to go back. “Please don’t send us back to the jaws of death,” pleaded Niranjanala, a 32-year-old Lankan Tamil housewife, who was among the lucky 11 to survive the LTTE-army crossfire when they set sail from Mullaitivu, a strife-torn area in the island’s north. more..

May 3 (LB) The cash strapped government will make a personal appeal to the international donor community tomorrow for urgent funding to meet the humanitarian needs of nearly 200,000 displaced persons. “We have called the donor community for a discussion on Monday,” said Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe. “We need immediate funding for specific needs such as shelter, water, sanitation and food for these people.” more..

May 3 (LB) It is reported that Colombo is once again under the ‘control’ of underworld gangs as political protection has been afforded to gangland thugs. Meanwhile, it is also understood that political high ups have asked police to turn a blind eye as far as these thugs were concerned. In addition police have been warned that if they took action they would have to face consequences. The underworld in Colombo, which for a time was silent, has once again decisively raised its ugly head. more..

May 3 (LB) A shocking incident of a father killing his two small children by hanging them on a rafter beam using a piece of cloth -- and then hanging himself on the same beam --- was reported from Mirissa, Weligama last week. The children were 11 year old Nupe Hewage Kavindya Sudarika a grade 5 student and 5 year old Nupe Hewage Pasith Minsara a grade 1 student of Henawala Jayatissa Maha Vidyalaya in Mirissa. more..

May 3 (TOI) I was about seven when I first heard the word ‘LTTE’. That was the time ordinary conversations started to feature the following vocabulary: ‘Puligal’ (Tigers), ‘Iyakkam’ (the movement) and ‘Armykaran’ (armyman). I grew up listening to village elders talking about the ‘fight’, but it was at 14 that the words started to make sense. Often, young people from my village in Jaffna would go missing, only to return a day or two later, weary and injured. more..

May 3 (LB) Sri Lanka Police ignores court orders to arrest government MPs for their criminal activities, but implements the law to the letter without fail in arresting opposition members. Last week, in the Meerigama police area, the police acted very promptly in an incident involving an opposition politician. The incident concerned a clash between a UPFA candidate who stood for the Western Provincial Council election from the Gampaha District and more..

May 3 (TS) Authorities here have rescued a Sri Lankan boy who was supposed to be on his way to Switzerland to be with his family but ended up a captive in Malaysia for eight months. A joint operation between the police and MIC led to the arrest of two people last week. Several hours later, the boy, known only as Dilruckshan, 14, was found in a restaurant in Sentul Pasar. more..

May 3 (TOI) As the final battles are fought in Sri Lanka, most people are unanimous in what the epitaph of the LTTE would probably read: “Here lies an organisation that dug its own grave.” The manner in which the group — that prided itself on being a highly motivated and trained cadre-based organisation — has sunk rapidly, shows that it went on self-destruct mode, says Lt Gen S C Sardeshpande, author of the book, Assignment Jaffna. more..

May 3 (TOI) The term ‘post-LTTE era’ dominates discussions on Sri Lanka. What now for the Tamils? What now for the ‘Tamil Eelam’ battle cry, first heard in 1976? The fate of Tamil political aspirations — their hopes of equality, justice and self-rule — is now a matter of conjecture. Does the forced end of the armed struggle mean the dawn of a new era of political engagement with the Sinhalese? Or will it be a return to the old days of majoritarian violence and discriminatory policies? more..

May 3 (AN) It is perfectly possible to simultaneously fool the United Nations, P. Chidambaram, much of the media and M. Karunanidhi with the same ploy, and within the same 24 hours. The outbreak of self-congratulation in Delhi when Colombo announced that it would cease using heavy artillery and air power against the trapped LTTE was not really self-delusion, it was a desperate attempt by ruling coalition politicians to chalk up talking points for the elections in Tamil Nadu. more..

May 3 (LG) I had admired Prof. M Sornarajah’s authoritative work titled ‘The International Law on Foreign Investment’ during the course of my law studies in London a few years ago. Little did I know then that he was a lousy and irresponsible hypocrite who unabashedly defended one of the most brutal terrorist organizations in the world, the LTTE. more..

May 3 (LG) Communication technology is such that information can be transmitted across the globe at the speed of sound; perhaps light. We have been asked to investigate a story by our editors that appears to have originated from Australia and is being transmitted no doubt with vicious intentions to throw dirt at the Armed Forces engaged in the Wanni. According to this story there are houses in Kilinochci and the surrounding areas where 15-35 year olds are held as prisoners. more..

May 3 (CT) Appointment of teaches in violation of the Teachers Charters has come in the way of their training at training colleges, said Ceylon Teachers Union chairman Joseph Stalin. As per circular dated 11.07.2008 for the recruitment of trainees - teaching assistant and estate teachers, who have not fulfilled basic qualifications, cannot undergo training at training colleges, he has told 'Ravaya.' more..

May 3 (CT) The former principal and three other teachers of Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo, Sri Lanka have been suspended from service without pay, on a recommendation by the Public Services Commission, 'Ravaya' reports. Furthermore, the Bribery Commission has been asked to probe the personal wealth of the ex-principal and members of her family, senior assistant secretary of Education Ministry B.K. Anura said. more..

May 3 (CT) The Ceylon Tobacco Company has paid the state Rs. 11.4 billion as excise tax in the first quarter of 2009, said CTC spokesman Ranjith Ranawaka. Comparing this with the figure for the same period in the previous year, he has told 'Ravaya' this was an increase of Rs. 539 million. This is due to the raise in the excise tax by two per cent, he has said. Usually, there is a 1.2 pc to two pc drop in smoking annually, but more..

May 3 (SO) Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has appointed a special team of senior Government officials to reunite Internally Displaced families, following reports that a large number of them had been separated from their families during their escapade to Vavuniya and are now in a state of psychological trauma. The team is now in Vavuniya collecting details of all families who were separated in an effort to reunite them and more..

May 3 (SO) The All Party Representative Committee (APRC) report will be made available to all political parties shortly. “The APRC Report is a substantial document which recommends the full implementation of the 13th amendment plus certain additional power devolution, said SLFP, APRC representative, Minister Prof. Wiswa Warnapala. He said that 120 APRC sessions chaired by Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana were held during the last two years. more..

May 3 (NS) The authorities are said to be in a dilemma as to whether they should expel UN Resident Representative here Neil Buhne, after it came to light that his office had deliberately leaked unauthenticated casualty figures of IDPs to a selected group of Western embassies in Colombo as verified figures, which were later picked by wire services and splashed across the world to the detriment of Sri Lanka. more..

May 3 (SO) The private sector has assured its assistance to Internally Displaced Persons in revamping their resettlement activities in the North. Chairman Maubima Lanka Foundation, Ariyaseela Wickramanayake said that North is a 90 percent agri based economy and the government must introduce new technology, and provide other facilities for these IDPs to get back and engage in their professions. more..