Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

An estimated crowd of 2736 displaced civilians, remained housed at four Jaffna based IDP Welfare Centers found way back to their original places of residence in Jaffna, Mannar and Vavuniya districts during past three days after Army troops facilitated their return under government`s `Northern Spring` (Uthuru Wasanthaya) programme.

Those people rescued from LTTE clutches during the height of humanitarian operations in Wanni were temporally sheltered in Gurunagar Welfare Centre, Kopai Welfare Centre, University Welfare Center at Kaithady and Children`s Welfare Center at Kaithady, Mirusuvil Welfare Centre and belonged to 957 families. Some of these people selected their places of resettlement in the Jaffna peninsula itself under fifteen Divisional secretariats.

New LTTE leadership`s grand idea of a Transnational Eelam Government suffered an inglorious defeat when 90 percent of the Tamil diaspora showed its contempt by abstaining from voting for the transnational government.

The LTTE leader Nediyavan, who succeeded K P as head of the terrorist outfit suffered a humiliating setback when Tamils in Norway rejected his leadership on Sunday.

Norway based LTTE leader decided to hold the first phase of Eelam Transnational election in Norway itself with the strategy of obtaining a resounding victory to force the sympathetic Oslo regime to recognize the Transnational Eelam Government. But only 2667 Tamils out of a total of 27,000 Tamils in Norway exercised their franchise.

Nov. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Sri Lanka`s central bank cut its benchmark interest rates to spur credit demand and support a recovery in the island`s economy.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka lowered the reverse repurchase rate to 9.75 percent from 10.5 percent, according to a statement on the Colombo-based bank`s Web site today. The repurchase rate was reduced to 7.5 percent from 8 percent.

Nov 17, 2009 (LBO) - Post-war Sri Lanka has an opportunity to generate employment quickly by developing tourism to ensure employment for youth especially in conflict-affected areas, a new report said.
The study by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) said it was important to initiate efforts that would have a `tangible impact` on target communities in conflict affected areas in the short run while contributing to long-term tourism development.

Nov. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Sri Lanka said it is cultivating the rice-producing area in Mannar after clearing mines from the northwestern region captured from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam before the group`s defeat in May.

The mine clearing allowed 7,000 additional acres (2,833 hectares) to be cultivated recently and another 7,000 acres will be converted for rice growing once water storage levels rise, the government said on its Web site, citing Major General G.A. Chandrasiri, the governor of Northern Province.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), after a visit to the IDP camps for the first time since they were set up, said today that the government appears to be serious about the resettlement of these displaced persons, and there is a sense of commitment by the military officers and civil servants in this respect.

A seven member team of TNA members visited the IDP camps and the newly resettled areas yesterday, and it was organized by the government.

TNA MP for the Jaffna district N. Sri Kantha told Daily Mirror today that the basic facilities had been provided to the displaced persons housed at welfare camps and villages in Chettikulam, Vavuniya. (KB)

:)

Ranil Wickremesinghe is reported to have told the `Sudar Oli` newspaper that in the event Sarath Fonseka contests and wins the Presidential election, he wants to be the Prime Minister. To me this is one of the most interesting statements to come out of the whole Sarath Fonseka drama. Worthy of comment, I thought, so here goes.
First of all, in entertaining the idea of Sarath Fonseka (or anyone else) as a `Common Candidate of the Opposition` (CCO), Ranil Wickremesinghe is saying, `I don`t have what it takes to take on Mahinda Rajapaksa`. So he says, `Hey Sarath! Can you do the honours this time?` Then, perhaps wondering what would happen to him in the unlikely event that Fonseka actually contests and wins, he throws in a caveat: `Promise to abolish the Executive Presidency`.

A group of UNP front-liners have planned to pressurise the newly formed United National Front (UNF) leadership to field UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as the common Presidential candidate after making arrangements for General Sarath Fonseka also to contest on the ticket of another party, UNP sources revealed.

KEVIN Rudd has emphatically denied that Sri Lankan asylum-seekers on board the Oceanic Viking are receiving special treatment from Canberra.

The Prime Minister said the offer made to those on board the Australian Customs vessel, 22 of whom agreed to go ashore last night, was in line with Australia`s international obligations concerning the handling of asylum-seekers and subsequent resettlement of refugees.

MR:Sarath What are the probs you have
SF:There is no point talking now ,i have acknowledged them to higher officers
MR:I did not know them
SF:I`m gonna contest next election as the common candidate..
Silence ..................
MR:I congratulate you..
Silence..........
MR: I think this is the verse decision you have taken in life,I`m going to win it ,Don`t get in to trap of these people,Anyway I congratulate you,We will work together after the election..
You are like a brother to me ,even the people who filth me are now work with me,so you also can come back at anytime.

http://www.rivira.lk/2009/11/15/deshapa2.htm

GUANGZHOU, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Manjula Kumara Wijesekara brought home Sri Lanka`s first gold in men`s high jump event Friday at Asian championships.

Wijesekara chose the opening height of 2.10m and then cleared the following three heights on his first attempt. But he failed on the height of 2.26m, leaving the height of 2.23m to be his winning jump.

China`s Huang Haiqiang grabbed the silver while Kazakhstan`s Vitaliy Tsykunov took third place with the mark of 2.20m.

1.Yes
2.Don`t Know
3.Hell no :)

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday accepted Chief of Defence Staff General Sarath Fonseka`s resignation letter. Accordingly, Gen. Fonseka will cease to be CDS with effect from Dec. 01, 2009.

Gen. Fonseka informed the President of his desire to resign at a one-to-one meeting on Wednesday, where they were expected to iron out their differences. Cordial as the meeting was, President Rajapaksa said he had no objections to Gen. Fonseka`s resignation or his decision to enter politics. `I have instructed my Secretary to accept you resignation letter immediately, should you tender it,` the President told Gen. Fonseka.