Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

Indians are crazy they try to sell a maruti in Japan...recently without Air con, power steering and power windows.Japanese people were laughing at this.

How much do you guys think Ricemarshal VP 's bunker complex cost?

I think Chennai is jealous that he didn't get one

he deserves much more!

Reminds me of Tamil Peelam...Army, Navy, Air force..but no Hospitals, Roads, Schools, Water or Electricity!

Inspire Magazine, UK - Jul 19, 2008
In a further escalation of anti-Christian violence in Sri Lanka this month, Buddhist monks have destroyed a church in Thalahena, and attacked a pastor

Upon their arrival in Colombo they held a meeting with Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary, Gothabaya Rajapaksa, and then Arumugam Thondaman of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC). The next day they met with the EPDP leader, Douglas Devananda, and finally President Rajapaksa.

The delegation put forward some proposals that Rajapaksa apparently refused. The Indian delegation gave him two options: One, to allow the SAARC summit to be held from July 27 to August 3 in Colombo as proposed, and, two, should the president not accept, India would have no choice but to not lend its support to the SAARC summit in Colombo. They told the president of intelligence they had received that the LTTE would launch attacks in Colombo during or prior to the SAARC summit in Colombo. The president then had no choice but to accept the Indian delegation's demands.

What are these demands?
The demands are:
(1) A peace package to bring an end to the Tamil national question. The delegation was not satisfied when the President told them that he would bring a peaceful settlement to the conflict once the LTTE is wiped out of the North, which he estimated would take seven to eight months. The Indian delegation responded with an intelligence report that stated that the GoSL could not win against the LTTE militarily and the time frame Rajapaksa proposed was too long. They also told him that the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) was moving far too slowly.

The visiting delegation referenced the statement issued by their Government soon after the interim report of the APRC was released in January of this year. India declared those proposals as a 'welcome first step' and urged the Government to move ahead with forward thinking proposals. They also sought Government views on the much touted 'southern consensus' amidst fears that priority may be shifting to 'divisive politics.'

Talks also revolved around the non-implementation of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution and not allowing the Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) into the APRC unless disarmed.

(2) Economic issues. The Indian delegation wanted to make sure Indian companies were not made scapegoats of a crisis in energy or food supply. They feared this would force a different turn on bilateral relations. There had also been discrete exchange of views on the economic involvements of China, Iran and Malaysia.

(3) Defence procurements. They expressed their dissatisfaction over GoSL continuing to buy arms from Pakistan and China. Rajapaksa told the delegation that they would not need to go to other countries for weapons if India provided them. The Indian delegation responded by saying that India would come to Sri Lanka's aid only in the area of self-defence, but would not supply weapons to fight the Tamil minority on the island.

(4) Security situation. The delegation examined whether the intensifying military campaign against the LTTE resulted in retaliatory strikes and security lapses. They also expressed serious concern over the flow of Sri Lankan refugees into India, and the hardships caused to the Tamil community in Sri Lanka including those in the plantation sector due to stringent security operations throughout the country.

(5) SAARC summit in Colombo. The delegation reported attacks and/or discovery of weapons, bombs or improvised explosive devices in every potential SAARC venue, and several explosions have happened in and around Colombo after it was identified as the next venue. The Indian delegation urged the Government to provide the proper environment and security for the SAARC summit. India was particularly concerned about safety for their delegation, as well as for those from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal, and that an Indian connection would certainly be concocted in the event any unfortunate incidents occurred. If this situation remained unresolved, the delegation maintained, India might not attend the SAARC summit. Improved security could happen only by an improvement in the ground situation.

The delegation also highlighted several factors: (a) The ongoing military campaign in the north and resultant threats elsewhere (b) the security situation in the south (c) the absence of a 'southern consensus' through the APRC (d) feared accusations against India over political and economic issues and whether the trend would intensify and (e) unhealthy relations with the International Community over human rights and a growing list of other issues.

How much do you charge? What is your client le like?

In a move aimed at 'beautifying the city' (Colombo) beggars are to be taken from their regular spots and temporarily accommodated in designated locations