LTTE's Michael Base falls to Army

Troops operating under Army 59 division yesterday (July 4) captured an LTTE base called "Michael Base", said the defence sources on the Welioya front. According to the sources, the LTTE camp is one of the strategic satellite bases of the LTTE's main "One Four Base" Complex situated inside the Mulaithiuvu jungle.

Troops marching northwards in the Mulaithiuvu jungle from the area North of Janakapura made this capture after 3 days fierce fighting. Soldiers entered into the camp after beating off the enemy last morning and declared the area secured by afternoon. The structure of the base extends over 200 square meters that includes several underground defences. Troops believe at least 17 LTTE cadres were killed in this operation.

Earlier, soldiers of army 59 division captured the Munagam Base, the strategic transit base between LTTE's main bastions in Mulaithiuvu and the Southern parts of the country. The Michael Base is located about 7 Km from Janakapura, inside the jungle and about 3 Km northwards from the Munagam Base.

Sri Lankan Envoy Barred from Israeli-Occupied Territories

Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam, Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the UN and chairman of the UN's Special Committee on Israeli Practices, was barred once again from entering the occupied Palestinian territories, including the West Bank and Gaza.

He said the Israeli authorities prevented him and his three-member committee "from seeing the reality." As a result, he said, the Special Committee had to rely on consultations with witnesses to the "human symptoms developing among many of Gaza's children."

"Children see their fathers humiliated everyday and they are losing hope, it can lead to them turning to extremism," he told reporters at a press conference in Cairo. The other members of the committee are the UN ambassadors from Malaysia and Senegal.

While he warned of the immediate and long-term consequences of rising unemployment and poverty levels, fuel and electricity cuts, restrictions on the import of essential goods and restrictions on freedom of movement to and from Gaza, Kariyawasam was especially concerned about the children of Gaza.

Three Special Police Teams For Investigation

Media representatives have alerted the British Government and multilateral organisations here to the latest physical attack on a Sri Lanka journalist by still unidentified assailants which also saw a local official of the British High Commission in Colombo injured.

It is understood that questions are to be raised with the British authorities about what the government expects to do about the violence which has now targeted, inadvertently or not, a Sri Lankan attached to the high commission in Colombo.

Meanwhile three special police teams have been directed to track down the assailants of the journalist and a local officer of the British High Commission in Colombo, presidential secretariat sources in Colombo said yesteeday

Karuna deported back to Sri Lanka

Vinayagamoorthy alias Karuna Amman, Leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal was deported back to Sri Lanka yesterday. He arrived at the Katunayake International Airport on 03 July, around 3 PM.

His arrival to Colombo was confirmed by Azad Moulana, Coordinating Secretary to the Chief Minister of East Provincial Council, who revealed to press that Karuna contacted him over the telephone from the Katunayake airport.

Defence Spokesman and Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion, Keheliya Rambukwella, earlier said if Karuna returned the authorities would deal with him according to the law.

Victor Perera the new Governor of the Northern Province

Retired Inspector General of Police Victor Perera was sworn in as the new Governor of the Northern Province, by Sri Lanka President by Mahinda Rajapakse, at a brief swearing in ceremony at the Temple Trees this morning. Lalith Weeratuna, Secretary to the Sri Lanka President was also associated in the ceremony.

This is the first time, a former head of the police department has been appointed as a Governor to a province.Victor Perera who was the 30th Inspector General Police joined the police service in 1974 as an Assistant Superintendent of Police and was promoted as IGP on 12 October 1976. He retired from service on 30 June 2008.

Subsequently on 01 July, Mahinda Rajapakse appointed Victor Perera as the first Governor of the Northern Province. He succeeds Rear Admiral Mohan Wijewickrema, Governor of the Eastern Province, who was also acting as the Governor of Northern province since 1 st January 2007, after North and Eastern provinces were demerged by a bench of five judges, headed by the Chief Justice, Sarath N. Silva, who ruled that the temporary merger of the Northern Province with the eastern province “unconstitutional, illegal and invalid". The ruling was delivered on 16 October 2006. Since then Northern Province became a separate provincial entity.

UNP still keeps secretly names of its Chief Ministerial candidates

The UPFA and the JVP are announced names of their Chief Ministerial Candidates but the United National Party is still not announced its Chief Ministerial Candidates and a party spokesman Gayantha Karunathilaka said names of their Chief Ministerial candidates are still kept secret due to the government pressure on their candidates.

However UNP General Secretary General Secretary, Tissa Attanayake m revealed that a team leader too has been appointed to each district: Gen. Janaka Perera, Anuradhapura; H.M. Donald, Polonnaruwa; A.A. Wijetunga, Ratnapura and Jayatilleke Podinilame, Kegalle. But he too has failed to disclose UNP’s chief minister candidates for the two provincial councils.

The UNP, SLMC and Western Province People’s Front have formed a common front to fight the elections under the Elephant symbol, Attanayake said.
Howeverl major political parties and independent groups are now engaged in final discussions on nominations for the Sabaragamuwa and North Central provincial council elections.

UPFA Chief Minister candidate for the North-central province is former Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake, while the Chief Minister candidate for Sabaragamuwa is former Chief Minister Mahipala Herath. Several political groups including the democratic group of the UNP are contesting under the UPFA.

General Secretary of the JVP Tylvin Silva said the party’s nomination list has been compiled. Former JVP parliamentarian Wasantha Samarasinghe is the JVP Chief Minister candidate for the North-central province and the JVP Chief Minister candidate for Sabaragamuwa is Chameera Koswatta.