Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

sinhala ex-army chief vows to `restore` democracy...

:))

COLOMBO (AFP) Sri Lanka`s former top military officer who resigned last week promised on Friday to `fight for democracy` amid reports he will challenge the president at upcoming elections.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091120/wl_sthasia_afp/srilankapoliticsmilitary_20091120075011

A recent newspaper article spoke of Kerala planning to recruit Sri Lankan coconut pluckers a development which will surely gladden the hearts of this small community of skilled workers that is making a silent but significant contribution to the national economy.

The announcement of the Kerala State that it is prepared to recruit pluckers from neighbouring countries offering high perks has given our pluckers international recognition. This is not the first time that coconut pluckers are in the limelight. Over 50 years ago when that outspoken, one time prime Minister Sir John Kotalawala was told that the coconut industry was suffering from a dearth of pluckers, his famous quip was, They have all entered Parliament.

Sri Lanka top general retires, may run for president

Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:13pm IST

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka`s top general, who engineered the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam after a 25-year war, submitted his resignation on Thursday amid speculation he will run for president.

General Sarath Fonseka, the Chief of Defence Staff, is expected to challenge his commander in chief, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in an election which may be held by April.

Katirkamam also Kathirgamam and Katirgamam (Tamil க த ி ர ் க ா ம ம ் ) is the name of the Hindu temple dedicated to lord Murukan in Sri Lanka. Today it has become primarily a Buddhist place of worship.

The chinkalee Anthropologist Gananath Obeyesekere a thug says, `Though historically the god Skanda was a Hindu deity, he has been incorporated into Sinhala Buddhism

By Kalyananda Godage

The news last week that Raj Rajaratnam had pledged a million US dollars to help with the rehabilitation of former LTTE combatants would be welcomed in certain circles but would have raised the hackles among the hardliners in the Diaspora and he may be under sever pressure to change his mind. There would also be many in this country who would ask the question as to why we should accept money from any member of the Tamil Diaspora who has given money to the TRO. That was of course during the Ranil Wickremasinghe administration when we had the CFA and the TRO was considered respectable. It was long before the organization was proscribed.

Plight of conflict-displaced children deserves greater attention, says top UN official

Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy
14 October 2009 A top United Nations official today urged that greater attention be given to the plight of internally displaced children, among the most vulnerable groups affected by armed conflict.
This is becoming an increasing issue around the world, Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, told reporters ahead of the presentation of her annual report to the General Assembly.

That was another scene in the drama.

Yes, the ten-member DMK-Congress VCK delegation has returned. Though Karunanidhi says the delegation was sponsored by the participating parties, the Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat website said the MPs were `Here on an invitation from Mr. Rajapaksa.` The website also says, `The delegation thanked the President for the invitation and appreciated the arrangements made for its visit.`

http://www.chennaionline.com/Columns/DailyDose/20092415072427/Another-Scene-in-The-Drama.col

explains it self...

tamil nadu ruling MPs visited the island and praised colombo of the handling the war and the post war situation.

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Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Sri Lanka
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (David Miliband): My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development and I would like to inform the House about the Government`s ongoing active engagement in Sri Lanka following the end of the conflict almost five months ago between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka.

NO ARTICLE...JUST THE PICTURES WILL DO....I THINK!!

October 13th, 2009 - 6:43 pm ICT by IANS -
London, Oct 13 (IANS) Indian MPs currently on a visit to Sri Lanka should raise concerns about the safety and dignity of the hundreds of thousands of Tamils who have been displaced by civil war, Amnesty International said.
The refugees, who have been sheltered in 21 government-run closed camps in the north and east of the island nation, have not been allowed to leave the camps and seek alternative accommodation, the human rights group said.

The UN and human rights groups have warned that the imminent arrival of monsoon rains could see tents in state-run camps being flooded with sewage, and lead to outbreaks of disease.

But officials argue that enough drainage ditches have been dug to cope with excess water at the camps, where some 250,000 Tamil civilians are currently held.

The government says it is detaining Tamils in camps so that they can be screened for former Tamil Tiger fighters.

Al Jazeera`s Wayne Hay reports.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/10/200910125353600207.html

Rameswaram (TN) Oct 11 (PTI) A fishermen`s association here alleged that Sri Lankan navy personnel today assaulted a group of Tamil Nadu fishermen near Katchathivu in Palk Straits.

The fishermen, who had put out to sea from Rameswaram and Mandapam, were scared away by Lankan navy personnel by firing in the air, Fishermen Association President N J Bose said.

He alleged that the navy men snapped their fishing nets and also broke their Global Positioning Systems.

lowest of the low chinkala savages using their *power* to influence the temple administration and the priest to do the service...

Indo-Lanka joint Naval exercise ends with success

An Indo-Sri Lanka joint Naval training exercise concluded successfully yesterday, the Sri Lanka Navy said.

It identified the effort as one which strengthened bilateral ties and consolidated naval cooperation between the two neighboring countries. On the direction of Defence Secretary Dr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy Vice Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe in close cooperation with his Indian counterpart Admiral Nirmal Verma posted the two Indian vessels INS Shardul and INCGS Varuna on a goodwill mission for elaborate training exercises along with Sri Lanka Navy vessels SLNS Sayura, and SLNS Samudura.