Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

Q: How can supporters of a banned terrorist organisation hold open elections in the EU, US, Canada and Australia to form governments in exile to support the cause of separatism in Sri Lanka? Isn t it against their laws?

A: Sri Lanka s External Affairs Ministry and its missions overseas have failed in their responsibility to advance its national security interests. Instead of reacting to events, Sri Lankan diplomats should have proactive raised an awareness and educated those governments that LTTE international network was planning to revive their organisation and disrupt the peace in Sri Lanka.

Operating through the transnational government of Tamil Ealam in the US and the Global Tamil Forum in the UK, the LTTE has built a network that seeks to poison the young Tamil minds once again.

Q: We hear stories of LTTE presence in many countries. Where is the LTTE s actual operational base Malaysia, India or Norway?

A The LTTE has a presence in all the three countries - they have penetrated respective political establishment in all three countries and have created support networks.

The LTTE leader Nediyawan lives in Norway. LTTE network in India and Malaysia did suffer due to sustained operations mounted by the Indian and Malaysian governments. To fight this threat, Sri Lankan government should build a much larger diplomatic, law enforcement, intelligence and informative capability to operate overseas.

Q: India is the closest destination for fleeing LTTE cadre. Can Tamil Nadu be the base for future LTTE ?

A: Sri Lanka must post its best diplomat, not to Washington DC or to London, but to Chennai. Traditionally, Tamil Nadu has been the largest support base of the LTTE.

This must be made to change by engaging the Tamil Nadu politicians and inviting the Tamil Nadu officials to visit Sri Lanka and see for themselves the unprecedented development in the north east of Sri Lanka.

Q: How can Sri Lanka effectively counter the human smuggling racket?

A: Build larger criminal intelligence capabilities both at home and overseas. Revamp the anti-human smuggling capability in the police and post highly trained and motivated officers overseas to work with their foreign counterparts.

Boeing Defence Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA), and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) today (03/06) announced the graduation of the first RAAF C-17 Globemaster III pilots trained in Australia.

Since commencing Pilot Initial Qualification (PIQ) training on Feb. 1, Flight Lt. David Whyte and Pilot Officer Stephen Maunder have received more than 350 hours of programmed training from Boeing Defence Australia instructors at RAAF Base Amberley, including 120 simulated flight hours in the C-17 Globemaster III Aircrew Training System (ATS).

'Delivering Australia's first in-country C-17 pilot training program is a significant achievement for both Boeing and the RAAF,' said Nigel Page, C-17 ATS site team lead for Boeing Defence Australia. 'The graduation of Flight Lt. Whyte and Pilot Officer Maunder as qualified C-17 pilots demonstrates the success and value of the RAAF's new in-country pilot-training capability, assisted greatly by Boeing's training expertise and the Amberley-based C-17 ATS.'

The Boeing-developed C-17 ATS consists of a Loadmaster Station, Learning Center, various support systems and a Weapons Systems Trainer (WST), which is a realistic, full-motion simulator used for pilot training.

'Training C-17 pilots at Amberley has saved the RAAF both money and time by removing substantial travel costs and the need for student pilots to spend longer periods of time training overseas,' said Squadron Leader Brent Taylor, 36 Squadron Training Flight Commander. 'We are pleased with the end result of the locally based training system, and congratulate Flight Lt. Whyte and Pilot Officer Maunder for passing with flying colors.'

The students' training culminated in five flights at the controls of a real C-17 airlifter under the instruction of RAAF Qualified Flying Instructors, and acceptance by the RAAF's No. 36 Squadron.

'There is no doubt in my mind the Boeing-delivered PIQ training has equipped me with the tools and knowledge required for my career as a RAAF C-17 pilot,' said Maunder. 'I'm proud to have achieved my goal to become a C-17 pilot and look forward to supporting the C-17 strategic airlift capability for national and international operations.'

The next two student pilots, Pilot Officers Luke Ridgway and Brett Hopewell, will graduate from the second PIQ training course this month. The third and fourth PIQ training courses will commence in July and August, respectively.

Boeing Defence Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company and a business unit of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, is a leading Australian aerospace enterprise. With a world-class team of more than 1,500 employees at 14 locations throughout Australia and two international sites, Boeing Defence Australia supports some of the largest and most complex defense projects in Australia.

There were at least 50 backhoe excavators at work dotting the vast expanse of the land being excavated for the construction of the new Hambantota Port project. The droning of the backhoe excavators at work in the mid day could be heard up to where the observation platform had been set up.

Work was in progress when we visited the new port site last week accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Ports and Aviation, Dayasritha Tissera. The construction work supervised by Chinese engineers, is expected to be completed this year, marking a milestone in port construction in Sri Lanka.

A mega project that will bring in economic prosperity not only to the people in the southern province but to the whole country as well! Deputy Minister Tissera said the Sri Lanka Ports Authority has signed a deal with the China Harbour Engineering Company to launch the second phase of the Hambantota Port in November.

Around 200-250 ships sail daily close to Hambantota. We hope to attract at least one-sixth of the fleet to Hambantota for refuelling. By August this year the port would be filled with water and arrangements would be made this year or by the beginning of next year for a ship to call over at the Hambantota harbour, he said.

He said the government plans to develop the Galle harbour as a tourist attraction harbour and work at the Colombo south harbour is now in progress. The government also held discussions with neighbouring countries to develop the Trincomalee and Kankesanthurai harbours. We should have developed these harbours 15 years ago, he said.

He said that some people had reservations about the Hambantota Port project and considered it a daydream four years ago. However, they have been proved wrong.

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority in consultation with the government secured funds for the Port project. We acquired land for the project after paying compensation to the people. The Chinese government had also realised the importance of this project,

Hambantota, is in close proximity to a major shipping lane in the Indian ocean. It extends from the Far East to Australia and cargo worth billions of dollars from the Far East and Australia is shipped across to the west on this route.

There are tremendous opportunities for Sri Lanka to rake in millions of dollars from ships calling over at the Hambantota Port for bunkering and refuelling. Today only a few ships de-tour and call over at the Colombo Port for refuelling.

We visited the observation platform at the construction site that enables viewers to get a glimpse of the entire project.

The platform is usually crowded with people on weekends, we were told. We met some professionals while others were ordinary folk who accompanied their children to show the work being carried out at the port. The depth and scope of the work carried out by local engineers under the supervision of Chinese experts is tremendous. The entire project is due to be completed by the end of the year.

We spoke to a group of persons at the observation post. The former Commissioner of Inland Revenue, Mrs. Indrachapa Balasooriya was among them. She had come along with her friends to witness the construction before the whole area gets inundated with water in September. Having read for Geography honours at the University of Peradeniya, I was keen to see the work in progress.

The huge boulders excavated from the dam site can be made use for construction rather than bringing them from outside. We are glad to see that the best Port in South East Asia is being built at Hambantota. It is an arid area where cultivation on a mass scale is not possible. A port of this magnitude will provide jobs for those in the area, she said.

Employment opportunities

Mrs. Muri Silva, a former University lecturer, said the southern province would be developed when the project is completed. It will provide employment opportunities for the people. Retired Professor Jayanthi de Silva said she was happy to see the development of the southern port and hoped stage 2 and 3 of the project would also be completed soon.

We are from the south and happy to see that the south is being developed. It has not been developed for a long time. The Ships sailing here have bunkering facilities in the future, said Mrs Sunila Rajawasam.

Engineer Senarath Rajawasm said This was the first occasion I visited the Hambantota Port. I worked at the Port Commission after my initial training there. According to my experience, dredging the ground while it is filled with water takes a long time and is also expensive. But what is being done here is that the dredging is done after the water and mud has been siphoned off.

It is fast, convenient and economical. It is also a good technique that the Chinese experts have taught us. In a few months time the first ship will be docked here. When the second phase is completed in 4-5 years time, the port will be fully operational to accommodate 33 ships. container yard is also being built to stock containers, he said.

We visited the bowels of the dam which are about 100 feet below ground level. The excavation process is still under way while the water and mud has been drained out. The ground at the bottom level remains dry.

The bachoe cranes have removed huge boulders at ground level. Asked how much of earth will be removed the Sri Lanka Ports Authority Engineer , M.M.M.C. Bandara said 11 million cubic metres of soil would be removed from an area of 85 hectares, during the first phase of the project.

Sri Lanka Ports Authority Engineer Agil Hewageegana said due to the construction of the new port, the Hambantota-Kataragama road has been closed temporally but the motorists can use other alternative routes to go to Kataragama.

We have acquired 1500 Hectares of land for the construction of the new port complex. Even the Colombo Port consists of only 300 hectares. We hoped to construct a small harbour in Hambantota initially. When the second phase of the project is completed nine ships could be accommodated. The depth of the harbour will be 17 metres. Huge boulders excavated by backhoe cranes have been dumped in the sea, 4 miles away from the Hambantota harbour in a depth of 60 metres.

The cost of the project is estimated to cost US dollars 360 million. Meanwhile, a 14-storied building will also be constructed. Hewageegana said that the 11 million cubic feet of earth excavated would be deposited into the sea bed to make an island for tourism.

The Hambantota Port Development Project was initiated a few years ago following several studies to assess its viability. Initially, Ms. SNC Lavalin International of Canada undertook a preliminary study in 2003. In 2005, the master plan for the Hambantota Port project was completed by Ms Ramboll of Denmark.

The Hambantota port was planned initially as a services and industrial port and to develop it subsequently as a transhipment port with the increase of cargo volume. The construction of a port at Hambantota, one of the less developed regions is seen as a catalyst for major economic development in Sri Lanka. Hambantota is within 10 nautical miles of the world s busiest shipping lane.

Estimates show that over 100 ships bypass Sri Lanka on their daily voyage between Europe and the Far East.

Hambantota is well positioned and compared to any other Indian port to act as a transshipment centre. Geographically Hambantota is ideally located to serve domestic trade with a direct roadway connection to the southern, central and eastern regions of the island. The port will also pave the way to develop harbour-related industries such as ship-repair, ship building, bunkering, oil refinery, power generation and a free trade zone.

Air Power should act independently of armies and fleets.

All possible resources must be used to strengthen the independent air force, so that it can operatre and defend itself in the air solely by means of intensive and violent offensives.

The purpose of aerial warfare is the conquest of the command of air. Having the command of the air, aerial forces should direct their offensive against surface objective with the intension of crushing the material and moral resistance of the enemy.

No enemy resources should be diverted under any circumstances to secondary purposes, such as auxiliary aviation, local air defence and anti aircraft defences.

Civil aviation should be so organised as to be utilized as a complement to military aviation in case of war.

Aerial warfare admits of no defensive attitude, only the offensive.
An independent airforce should be so organised as to move as quickly as possible over its own terrority with its own means, in order to be of the greatest use against any potential enemy.

The only efficient protection against enemy aircraft is an airforce capable of defeating it

He defines airpower as the ability to do some thing in the air.

Airpower, if properly developed can hold of any hostile airforce which may seek to fly over and attack our country, but it can also hold of any hostile shipping which seeks to cross the oceans and menace our shores.

Any power in future be deprived of its airforce, it could in no way hope to cope with an antagonist provided with an adequate airforce.

The frontiers in old sence - the coast lines or borders are no longer applicable becuase aircraft can fly any where. Nothing can stop the attack of aircraft except other aircraft.

Aircraft possess the most destructive weapons ever designed by men and can cause much more destruction than any other weapon.

Aerial seige, in case of an insular power which is entirely dependent on its sea lanes of commerce for axistance would starve it into submission in a short time.

Air force by attacking the Heartland of enemy and destruction of factories producing the munitions and maintaining the armed forces would subdue the enemy in the battlefield.

By air threat of bombing a city will cause people to evacuate and work in munition and supply factories would be stopped.
Most of the airpower can be used in peace time for some useful purposes.

Airpower should not be an auxillary to army or navy.

Centralize all aeronautical efforts to develop the aviation.

To obtain mastery of the air, and to keep it, which means contineously fighting for it.

To destroy means of production and communication in his own country, that is, by strategic bombing force.

To maintain the battle without any interference by the enemy, which means to enable the commanders to build up the colossal supplies and reinforcement necessary for the battle, and to be able to maintain them without interuption by the enemy.

To prevent the enemy being able to maintain the battle, that is to prevent him being able to build up adequate supplies for his armies or navies or air forces.

In future wars, airpower would be the dominent military force.

The airarm should be a separate autonomous service, equal with the army and the navy.

Air power can mount attack at enemy s population or at the industry and economy that supported that population.

Air power would not be an auxillary service to army and navy.

Joly,

one man show...???????????????

Good..:))