No LTTE hand in Ragu killing- Pillayan

Eastern Province Chief Minister Pillayan told Daily Mirror the LTTE was not involved in yesterday’s killing of his personal secretary & top TMVP leader Ragu.

The Chief Minister said he was able to draw this conclusion after personally inspecting the crime scene in Athurugiriya yesterday.

Mr. Pillayan, who termed his personal secretary as also being the leader of the TMVP as per the electoral list, urged the authorities to bring the perpetrators to book in order to protect the democracy of the country.

However TMVP leader MP Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman reiterated that the LTTE was behind the murder of his party’s senior member Ragu . He said that Ragu risked his life by traveling alone without his security personnel.

Courtesy: Dailymirror

Government organizes photo exhibition in Europe to showcase Tiger atrocities

Sri Lankan government has organized a photographic exhibition in European cities to showcase the atrocities committed by the Tamil Tiger terrorists.

The first of this exhibition tour will be opened for public from today in the Center One Hall at Cheswick Street in London near the Scotland Yard Police Headquarters.

Over 230 large size Photographs of the brutal assassination made by LTTE since the killing of the Mayor of Jaffna Alfred Doreiappa to Major General Janaka Perera will be showcase in the exhibition while a video film is to be screened.

British organizations opposing terrorism, Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry, Presidential Media Division along with the Sri Lanka High Commission in London have organized this event to expose the cruelty and the ruthlessness of the Tamil Tiger terrorists.

This exhibition is also expected to be held in Hague, the Netherlands on October 27th and 28th followed by a stop in Paris, France on October 30th and 31st.

By Christine Hettiarachchi
Courtesy : Lankapuvath

Twin blows to LTTE: Attempts to hoodwink IC boomerang

LTTE met with another defeat, to be humiliated again in the Northern waters, in its failed suicide boat attack this morning (Oct 22), targeting two merchant vessels with essential food supplies to the Jaffna peninsula. This is not an isolated attack but part of the clear strategy of the LTTE to bounce back from the inevitable defeat in the theatres of battle.

What lies beneath in this is: 1. An LTTE’s strategy to starve the civilian community in Jaffna, giving rise to agitation among the populace. 2. To inflame the pro-LTTE sentiments in TN at the cost of Tamil civilians, expecting a lifeline from TN extremists before the fall of Wanni. 3. If the attack had being successful, to gain a moral boost followed by a skeleton ceasefire demanding a de facto recognition as negotiators for the Tamils 4. To force the government to open the A-9 main road, a main source of funding and supply for the outfit and land access to the peninsula.
Destruction of essential food supplies

The latest LTTE suicide boat attack targeting two merchant vessels with essential cargo to Jaffna civilians comes within a week after LTTE shelled a UN food convoy to the Internally Displaced in Mullaittivu and Kilinochchi.

The LTTE’s attempt to ram the merchant vessels ended with chaos, as the terrorists lost 2 suicide craft, while another was seized by the naval FACs. According to defence observers, LTTE has made clear its intentions to cause a civilian catastrophe in the eve of its inevitable defeat at Wanni, in the hope of misleading the International Community. The outfit calling itself the saviours of the Tamil people has unmasked itself, only to cause death, destruction and misery to thousands of Tamils in the three-decade long conflict, defence observers state.

Another factor that raised interests at defence desks is that the failure of the sea tigers to pierce through the naval line of control consistently, bringing due credit for the SLN for its improvised strategies and constant vigilance. Earlier, on 18th September, LTTE sea units suffered a heavy blow when Navy unleashed its new combat squadron boats: RABS, destroying 10 LTTE craft and killing over 25 terrorists in a sea battle, off Nachchikuda at Valaipadu.
LTTE claims “sinking” the MVs:

“Two big explosions were heard in the seas off Kaankeasanthu’rai Harbour in Jaffna around 4:00 a.m. Wednesday. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers fired rockets from their coastal positions in Vadamaraadchi North…,” reported pro-LTTE news sources, who in their second leads followed the news with the destruction of a MV in the suicide attack.

“The supply ship was sunk and another vessel, MV Ruhunuwa, sustained heavy damages,” the sources reported. Some foreign media elements also clutched on to the LTTE propaganda version reporting same, only later to realise being hoodwinked.

The LTTE’s attempt at spin on the situation boomeranged as images from the confrontation site were posted within hours of the incident. Despite its array of efforts to whitewash the LTTE, following the failed attack on the two MV with essential cargo, pro-LTTE media declared the death of two suicide terrorists including a senior female cadre (Ilakkiyaa).

Courtesy: Ministry of Defence

India-Sri Lanka discuss concerns

India and Sri Lanka today discussed concerns at Foreign Ministry level over the situation in the North a day after Sri Lanka said it had no intension of stopping its military operations despite protests by Tamil Nadu.

Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon today summoned Sri Lankan High Commissioner C R Jayasinghe to convey India’s concerns over situation in island nation, Indian media reports said.

Menon had reportedly told the Lankan envoy that his country should take steps to address India’s concerns over the humanitarian situation there and stop killing and harassment of Indian fishermen.

Meanwhile in Colombo Indian High Commissioner Alok Prasad called on Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama at the Foreign Ministry. The discussion centered on current issues pertaining to Indo-Lanka bilateral relations in the context of developments in the North and the East of Sri Lanka. Concerns being expressed in this regard in India were conveyed to Minister Bogollagama by the High Commissioner.

Foreign Minister Bogollagama stated that Sri Lanka is fully conscious of the concerns being expressed and understand the context in which these matters are being raised. The Minister assured that in the spirit of existing excellent bilateral relations, Sri Lanka intends to further discuss these issues bilaterally to address those concerns. It was indicated that bilateral consultation process in this regard could continue at appropriate levels, the Foreign Ministry said.

Courtesy: Dailymirror

“Addressing internal issue of Sri Lanka is our business,” – UNP Chairman

“As the main opposition party we are extending our unconditional support to the Government in its endeavor to eliminate terrorism, said the Chairman of the United National Party Rukman Senanayake.

Mr. Senanayake in an interview with the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation said that it is the due responsibility of the Government to ensure the safety of all citizens irrespective of ethnicity or race.

Mr. Senanayake emphasized “no one else has the right to interfere in the internal issues of Sri Lanka”.

While admitting that it is the duty and the responsibility of the Government to exercise military operations to combat any form of terrorism, Mr. Senanayaka said that the LTTE is a separatist and a deadly extremist group unleashing terrorism in all its manifestations to achieve their goals.

“We should make the international community aware that this terrorist outfit is not fighting for the rights of Tamil people,” he said.

Refering to the recent political development in Tamil Nadu with regard to the situation in the North of Sri Lanka, Mr. Senanayake said “What we can do is to express our possition on the matter clearly and it is upto us to address our internal issues”

Expressing his views over the killing of Maj. General Janaka Perera he said “the LTTE might have been in frustration that at a time like this if a UNP Government came to power it may affect the terrorists negatively.”

“Terrorists are murderers trying to gain advantage by sowing ethnic disharmony among Sri Lankans,” Mr Senanayaka said adding “we all have to realize that and act accordingly”.

Courtesy: Government Information Department