Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

The United States Embassy is closely following the case of the Sri Lanka Mirror and Lankaxnews, including the arrest of nine individuals associated with those websites.We have raised on several occasions our deep concern over efforts to suppress independent news media, including the blocking of news websites, intimidation, and disappearances of journalists.

The United States believes that an uncensored and independent media available to all citizens is an indispensable part of any vibrant democracy and we call for an end to the harassment of these and all other journalists.

A SURGE in the number of Sri Lankan asylum seekers reaching Australia by boat over the past three weeks treble the number that arrived over all of last year has seen arrival numbers surpass 2009, when the country was gripped by brutal civil war.

Already, over the first half of this year, 1346 asylum seekers claiming to have come from Sri Lanka have arrived in Australian territory, more than six times the 211 irregular maritime arrivals in all of last year.

And nearly half of all this year s arrivals have come in the last three weeks. Department of Immigration figures provided to the Herald on June 12 said the number of Sri Lankan asylum seekers for the calendar year was 708.

the number of Sri Lankans seeking asylum in Australia by boat peaked at 736 in 2009, the year government forces ended the country s 27-year civil war in a ferocious crackdown.

In 2010, 536 Sri Lankans arrived by boat claiming asylum.

'President tells officials to make best use of public funds

The Sri Lankan government is to take measures to recruit another 5,000 former LTTE combatants to the country's Civil Defense Force.

Director General of the Civil Defense Department Rear Admiral Ananda Peiris has said that steps will be taken to recruit 5,000 rehabilitated former LTTE cadres to the Department.

The government aims to utilize the service of the former LTTE members who have received vocational training in development activities.

They will also be used for the agriculture activities to be carried out in 3,000 acres in the Mullativu and Kilinochchi areas in the future.

Upon joining the Civil Defence Department each former LTTE cadre will be paid a monthly wage of 18,000 rupees.

The government earlier recruited 1,500 former cadres, 300 each from the five districts in the Northern Province.

Brigadier Peiris also has said that those LTTE cadres are now on active duty.

A fully powered Economic Advisory Committee would be established to take decisions regarding the economy of the country, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance P.B. Jayasundara has said.

He has said that the committee would have powers similar to the National Security Council.

The National Economic Committee will meet from time to time under the patronage of the President Mahinda Rajapaksa and take decisions pertaining to the economy of the country, Jayasundara says.

The ministers who are directly linked to the handling of the country's economy are to represent the committee.

LTTE leader Velupillai Prabakaran died while fighting during the last stages of the war and his body was found by the army later, former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka said. Fonseka, in an interview with the Ananda Vikatan magazine in Tamil Nadu, also said that the body of Prabakaran s youngest son was not found as the war drew to a close with the death of the LTTE leader

What is the point of reshashing this now unless he wants to hurt the government.