Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

MR ready to sacrifice two years of term

May hold presidential and general elections together

By Sandun A. Jayasekera

Addressing the 7th National Convention of the SLFP affiliated Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya at Temple Trees yesterday, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, expressed his readiness to forego two years of his six year term and hold the presidential election early.

Sri Lanka strengthens navy to deter overseas threats
Sept 05, 2009 (LBO) - Sri Lanka`s navy commissioned 90 officers and an offshore patrol vessel last weekend as it continues to expand, having defeated the powerful Tamil Tiger naval wing.
Senior defence officials said the navy`s future focus will be on protecting the island`s ocean resources and patrolling the surrounding seas to ensure terrorism, which was sustained by overseas supplies, does not recur.

Sri Lanka forex reserves at US$3.9bn with new IMF allocation
Aug 28, 2009 (LBO) - Sri Lanka`s gross official reserves rose to 3.9 billion US dollars after receiving the equivalent of 475 million US dollar under a new allocation International Monetary Fund reserves, the Central Bank said.
Sri Lanka`s reserves have now topped a 3.5 billion dollar peak reached in September 2008.

Flair all round as Sri Lanka face Windies
LONDON, June 18, 2009 (AFP) - West Indies are confident of chasing nearly any total in this event Sri Lanka believe there is no score they can`t defend. Clearly, something will have to give in their World Twenty20 semi-final.
Friday`s match at the Oval sees two exciting sides up against one another and, while Sri Lanka will start favourites, the West Indies have shown that they are not to under-estimated.

Sri Lanka, who have an admirably well balanced side for cricket`s shortest format, have yet to lose a match at this tournament.

Mi 24s role in eelam war IV emphasised

by Shamindra Ferdinando

The Hingurakgoda-based Mi 24 helicopter gunship squadron played a critical role in the recently concluded eelam war IV with nearly 400 missions in the Northern and Eastern theatres. Known as the No 09 squadron, it had caused devastating losses in coordinated attacks directed at fortified LTTE positions situated close to what Wing Commander Sampath Thuycontha, Commanding Officer of the squadron called forward location of own troops.`

***SLIC privatisation null and void-SC
2009-06-04 14:25:16

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the 2003 privatisation of Sri Lanka Insurance Corp (SLIC) was `null and void`. -

The 3-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Sarath N Silva and including Justices P. Sripavan and G. Amaratunga, said the (privatisation) process was flawed and that the petitioner`s fundamental rights had been violated.

Dedicated to all Sri Lankans! We have to now rebuild!

For those who wish to know what is going on in Colombo

1) Sporadic Crackers going on still!

2) People are not working. Many institution allowed their employees to celebrate on streets!

3) Flags fluttering.

4) People shaking hands with forces at check points who for once dont look at u with suspicion

5) People still cannot believe it

6) Sigh of relief

7) Waiting for presidents speech

As for the people in other area`s well i dunno whats going on and hope the people in North will now live in peace and harmony! Devolution of power is the need of the hour!

Sunday, May 17, 2009
Breaking News: Prabhakaran missing

Prabhakaran and his clan are nowehere to be found. Clearing operations started in an area 200m x 200m by the Special Forces. If Prabhakaran is hiding in this last uncleared patch or his remains are in the area, they would be found.

Some surrendered LTTE leaders say Prabhakaran had escaped while other said he was still there when they left the area. At the time of writing, Prabha and his coot`s whereabouts or fate was still unclear.

Sri Lanka Tiger chief`s fate a mystery as rebels routed
May 17, 2009 (AFP) - Scouring a tiny beach and lagoon peninsula in Sri Lanka`s northeast are thousands of government troops, examining the faces of the dead, hunting for hidden bunkers under the jungle floor.
They are looking for any sign of the leader of the defeated Tamil Tiger rebels, Velupillai Prabhakaran, who built up what was once the world`s most lethal guerrilla organisation.

And without him in a body bag or behind bars, the island`s bitter ethnic war cannot be considered won.

Prabha to commit suicide

Prabhakaran and a few of his cohorts are now completely surrounded and are expected to commit suicide within the next 24hrs, thus ending a 30 year-old bloody conflict once and for all.

There is no heavy fighting at this moment as regular troops engage in clearing operations removing civilians from the area. The LTTE has given up the fight!

President Mahinda Rajapakse is expected to make a speech on Sunday afternoon or Monday morning to declare the victory. He is expected to land tomorrow morning.

It has been reported tht LTTE leader vellupillai Prabhakaran has oredered his last meal! Its a special meal. He has ordered MASALA CYANIDE DOSA!

Sri Lanka president says `terrorism crushed`: state radio
May 16, 2009 (AFP) - The president of Sri Lanka declared Saturday that the island`s separatist Tamil Tiger rebels have been `crushed,` state radio reported.
President Mahinda Rajapakse, speaking to a G11 group of developing nations summit in Jordan, said he would return home on Sunday as `a leader of a nation that crushed terrorism,` the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation said.

Prabha`s last night

By the time this report is being compiled, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are preparing for its last attack. A meeting was called a few hours ago by Soosei who literally handed-over his family to the Navy (appears to the public as a capture by the Navy) calling on Black Sea Tigers to launch a series of attacks targeting the 58 and the 59 Divisions.

The two Divisions are expected to link-up shortly thus sealing shut the coastal zone and completely land locking the Tigers. The 59 Division faced stiff resistance as they approached the area closest to Prabhakaran`s known location.

Sri Lanka Tamil Tigers `giving up` fight: military
May 15, 2009 (AFP) - Sri Lanka`s Tamil Tigers are `slowly giving up` their fight against advancing government troops, the island`s military said Friday as it appeared poised to capture the last tiny strip of rebel territory.
A military spokesman told AFP around 10,000 civilians had managed to flee to government areas, and that there was now `hardly anybody left` in the rebel zone on the northeast coast.

`They are slowly giving up. They are blowing up whatever arms and ammunition they have,` Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said of the remnants of the once-powerful separatist army.