Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

Instead, they should go after the leadership.

Easy to forget why the 13 terrorists were killed though right TK?

Just a little gang rape of a Tamil doctor, or did you forget who started it all?

Sinhala terrorists reap what they sow...

LTTE have more than their fair share by killing from kids, women to the Buddhist monks which is unacceptable.

Minister summons cricket selectors and interim head for urgent meeting

By Bipin Dani

Concerned that several senior cricketers and Sri Lanka Cricket interim committee chief Jayantha Dharmadasa have voiced displeasure against the national selectors, Sports minister Gamini Lokuge has invited all national selectors and Sri Lanka Cricket interim committee members to his office for an urgent meeting today.

Allrounder Upul Chandana who announced his retirement a few weeks ago criticised the selectors and then Sri Lanka Cricket interim Committee chairman Dharmadasa joined the criticism.

?If the best player was not offered a place there is something wrong with the selecting process' Dharmadasa told the BBC referring to the non-selection of Anil Ridegammanagedara who was adjudged the most outstanding player of the last season by both Sri Lanka Cricket and also the Players? Association.

Then former Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu joined the growing list of selection critics last week when he tuned his back on the selectors who wished to recall him for the tour of Australia.

?I will not attend any meeting as long as it is chaired by Mr. de Mel,? 37-year old Atapattu told the BBC.

'The players can't dictate their terms to the selectors, but I want to understand why the players have been showing dissatisfaction towards them', Lokuge told the ?Daily Mirror?.

'I have sent a message to CEO (Duleep Mendis) and invited all interim committee members (Jayantha Dharmadasa-Chairman, K. Mathiwanan, secretary and Sujeewa Rajapakse-treasurer) and the four selectors (Ashantha de Mel- chairman, Don Anurasiri, Ranjith Madurasinghe and Jayantha Seneviratna) at my office at 10.00 a.m.', he said.

However, one of the four selectors- Jayantha Seneviratne- will be leaving with the Sri Lanka A team to Zimbabwe today and is unlikely to be available for the meeting.

Karuna fired, alleged swindle of Rs. 80 mn

Pillayan appointed as new leader of TMVP

* Pillayan meets Tamil representatives
* Karuna appointed Sivaram murder suspect as political head

By Easwaran Rutnam

The Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (TMVP) central committee which met on Sunday night, decided to suspend its founder- leader Karuna Amman from the organization and formally appoint its former ?supreme commander? Pillayan as leader, party sources told the Daily Mirror yesterday.

The Daily Mirror on October 1 broke the news about moves to appoint Pillayan as the new TMVP head and the construction of a multi storeyed building on Lake Road in Batticaloa, to house the headquarters of the organization under the new leadership.

?Karuna was removed after a probe on financial irregularities and other allegations levelled against him. He was found guilty of swindling more than Rs. 80 million of our funds,? the TMVP source said adding that an official announcement in this regard was likely to be made later today.

On Sunday Pillayan met representatives of Tamil political parties operating in the east including those from the EPDP, PLOTE and EPRLF and briefed them on the latest developments assuring them complete freedom to carry put their political activities in the east, which was earlier under threat by Karuna.

Pillayan a former close ally of Karuna, also met businessmen and civil society leaders in Batticaloa and urged them not to give into extortion by Karuna cadres and also assured that child recruitment will stop and underaged recruits would be released. He told the people to complain to the police if such activities continued.

Meanwhile the Daily Mirror learnt that Karuna had appointed Iniyabarathy -- one of the suspects in the killing of journalist Dharmaratnam Sivaram -- as TMVP?s new political head. This was before Sunday?s central committee meeting where the sacking of Karuna was decided.

?The appointment of Iniyabarathy will stand until we officially announce the central committee decision. Once that is done all the TMVP political offices will come under Pillayan including the Colombo office,? the TMVP source said.

Despite the open warrant issued by the Ampara courts for Iniyabarathy?s arrest for his involvement in the senior journalist?s killing, Iniyabarathy has been freely moving around Ampara has been involved in leveling threats against the TNA and some other journalists.

Karuna had earlier fled to London when a rift between him and Pillayan deepened and more TMVP cadres began to support Pillayan. TMVP spokesman Azad Maulana had however denied there was any rift within the organization.

Rights groups, and most recently UN special envoy Allan Rock alleged there was clear evidence of Karuna?a involvement is several disappearances and killings in the east and the international community has since urged the government to crack down on the armed outfit.

Easy to forget why the 13 terrorists were killed though right TK?

Just a little gang rape of a Tamil doctor, or did you forget who started it all?

Sinhala terrorists reap what they sow...