Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

COLOMBO: President Mahinda Rajapaksa emphasised that all Tamil Children should have equal access to education and enjoy the privileges that were enjoyed by the children of the terrorist leaders.

President Rajapaksa said, 'We should ensure that the environment in which innocent Tamil children are forcibly dragged into war is ended and that their rights and their access to education is guaranteed. In short, you are engaged in a war to deliver these rights and facilities to them, as enjoyed by the children of Terrorists' Leaders'.

Science and Technology Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana, who is also the Chairman of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC), assured on Monday that President Mahinda Rajapaksa will definitely go for peace negotiations based on the consensual devolution proposal expected to emerge from the deliberations of the APRC. ?Our President is for Peace and not for War,? said Minister Vitharana.

Patriotic National Movement Vice President and JVP MP, Wimal Weerawansa, yesterday said the government had become an elephant orphanage by taking in UNP separatists to the government.

Addressing a rally organized by the Federation of National Organizations (FNO) in Nugegoda yesterday Weerawansa charged that that these separatists have been offered top ministerial posts.

Issuing warning signals to the government, he said its life span will be short if it does not take steps to abolish the ceasefire agreement and quash moves to set up a federal state and also stop taking in separatist forces into the government. He said President Rajapaksa would suffer the same fate of Former President Chandirka Kumaratunga, if he goes against the will of the people. President Kumaratunga?s government was defeated in the year 2001, after she tried to bring in a dangerous constitution the previous year and President Rajapaksa too will suffer the same fate, if he does not bow down to the will of the people,? he added.

Weerawansa also explained that government should defeat the LTTE in a proper manner. ?Defeating the LTTE in the East alone is not enough, therefore the government should abolish the CFA before it reaches its fifth year of signing in February and remove Norway from the post of peace facilitator,? he said.

Sinhala Jathika Sangamaya President, S. L. Gunasekera, who also participated in the rally, said that a federal state is a dangerous one. He said the central government will lose its powers if federal states are set up.

National Bikkhu Front President, Ven Dambara Amila Thero cited the words of Venerable Arahath Mahinda, who had spoken to King Devanampiyatissa which said ? You are only the caretaker of this land and not the owner? and said President Mahinda Rajapaksa cannot work as if he is the owner of the land. The Thero warned that the President will have to suffer immensely if he gives in to separatists. ?If a leader of a country works against the will of the people he would have to pay not only during this life but during the next life too,? he added.

Convenor of the FNO Professor Gunadasa Amarasekera, Ruhunu Bikkhu Front President, Ven Omare Kassapa, Patriotic Bikkhu Front President, Ven Bengamuwe Nalaka Thera and United Artists Union President, Somaratne Dissanayake also spoke at the rally.

UNP rebel MPs were up in arms Monday night after a meeting at Temple Trees over the allocation of portfolios.

The government has offered a maximum of seven ministries to the UNP rebels with two identified for the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and one for the JHU.

The Morning Leader learns several UNP rebels have protested after the meeting that the leaders of the group have lobbied for top ministries for themselves whilst offering crumbs to other MPs who have agreed to cross-over.

The MPs have argued that they were compromised by their names being revealed in the media and then forced to accept powerless portfolios.

Informed sources said Kalutara District MP, Rajitha Senaratne was one of the most vocal who, after having initially being offered the Health or Lands Ministry portfolios, was on Monday informed both portfolios were not available.

It is learnt that even of the ministries that are on offer, the subjects and fund allocations are minimal. Inside sources said UNP Gampaha District MP Karu Jayasuriya had asked for the prime ministership on the basis that he would bring 16 UNP MPs to government ranks but has now agreed to settle for the Power Ministry.

It is learned Colombo District MP Milinda Moragoda has been offered the Economic Development portfolio while national list MP, G.L. Peiris is to be given the Constitutional and Ethnic Affairs Ministry. Peiris is lobbying for the Investment portfolio with the BoI as one of the institutions under him. The sources said if the UNP MPs are not given the anticipated portfolios, they would not cross-over.

The STF captured a LTTE's women's wing camp - Nalini Base

http://www.gulfnews.com/world/Sri_Lanka/10097335.html

pic: Police commandos inspect unfinished coffins at a rebel base in Madurakavi, Ampara.