Sinhala pro-LTTE

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Dr Jayawardana was in Switzerland trying to get the UN and INGOs to pressure Sri Lanka to stop the war. His attempt was described as a last ditch attempt to prevent the fall of Tamil Tiger bastian Kilinochchi to the rapidly advancing security forces.

It was reported that, Dr Jayawardana met the head of Swiss Tamil Forum, which is a front organization of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). When UNP MP John Amaratnga raised this at a UNP Parliamentary Group meeting, Dr Jayawardana objected to it, but did not deny the meeting with the LTTE leader in Geneva.
Mr Amaratunga said that Dr Jayawardana’s statements abroad were detrimental to the prospects of the UNP.

Satish Kumar challenge Jayalath Jayawardana

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Indian National Congress activists and anti-terrorism groups expressed shock at recent utterances of the Sri Lankan politician Dr Jayalath Jayawardana who urged Indian intervention to save the beleaguered Tamil Tigers in Kilinochchi. They said that Dr Jayawardana’s Press Release issued in New Delhi stating that the Tamils in the north are starving and India should intervene to save them is contrary to the reports issued by UN bodies and various INGOs on the humanitarian situation.

"Is the UNP, of which Dr Jayawardana is a member, endorses his call?" Satish Kumar of Delhi Free Thinkers’ questioned. "Dr Jayawardana is trying to save the LTTE, which is facing defeat in the battle front. We in India feel that the UNP should support the government’s efforts to liberate the Tamil masses from the LTTE grip and to restore their democratic rights. In India we all join when there is a national issue," he pointed out.

Dr Jayawardana’s press release, which was published in Tamil newspapers like Erasorthi of the DMK and websites like OneIndia, said that the people in the north are living like slaves without food and other essential items and stated that Sri Lankan government has refused to allow the NGO community, social workers and priest access to the LTTE controlled areas.

He also said that the military operations in general and air raids and artillery attacks in particular have resulted in the displacement of over 150,000 civilians. He added that Bishop of Mmannar has confirmed this personally to him. The Indian media highlighted his press release and said that as Dr Jayawardana is a Sinhalese MP belonging to a national party, his statement should be taken very seriously.

However, the Indian analysts are of the view that Dr Jayawardana has distorted the facts and completely ignored the fact that the military operations were against the Tamil Tigers, "a bunch of terrorists who massacred thousands, including our beloved former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi". They also expressed doubts whether the UNP would back the anti national utterances of Dr Jayawardana and pointed out that the timing of Dr Jayawardana’s attack on Sri Lanka Government coincided with the visit of President Mahinda Rjajapaksa to New Delhi.

They also pointed out that Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said in New Delhi that the civilians were not harmed and the Government has a policy of zero tolerance when it comes to civilian casualties. "The fight against the LTTE is continuing systematically and the troops make every effort to avoid civilian casualties. In Iraq or Afghanistan, there are hundreds of civilian deaths and in Sri Lanka situation is well in control," Indian analysts pointed out.

"What we want to know is the UNP leader Mr Ranil Wickremasinghe is endorsing Dr Jayawardana’s pro’LTTE stance?" they asked. "Mr Wickeramasinghe never made such public statements in India."

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India should put a stop to activities of Tamil Tiger proxy TNA

Several leading Tamil political analysts and university dons expressed surprise at India’s attitude of tolerance towards Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which is a proxy of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a terrorist organization banned in India. They said that it is a pity that India, instead of exposing these subversive elements, encourages them to mobilise Indian public opinion against the democratically elected government of Sri Lanka.

"How is it that India is tolerating anti Sri Lankan government campaign nurtured and conducted by TNA parliamentarians?" they asked. "New Delhi is well aware of the fact that TNA is a proxy political party of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which is a terrorist outfit that has been banned in India since 1992 and any direct or indirect help to TNA tantamount to helping the killers of Rajiv Gandhi."

The TNA parliamentarians are provided with visas to enter especially the state of Tamil Nadu and to conduct anti-Sri Lanka Government political activities. Since of late, TNA Parliamentarians with patronage from the Tamil Nadu state government are involved in planning and participating in protest rallies and campaigns against the Government of Sri Lanka. It is also alleged they are contributing huge amounts of money to various political parties as well as to numerous Tamil language dailies, weekly publication to carry their anti- Sri Lanka Government campaigns in Tamil Nadu.

"India should encourage Sri Lankan efforts to eliminate terrorists and to liberate the Northern Tamils from the grip of the LTTE," they pointed out. “Sri Lanka government has already restored democracy in the east and the Tamils in the North also eagerly waiting for these rights. Why Indian Government is not taking any actions against these TNA Members of Parliament for making use of the Indian soil to aid, abet a proscribed terrorist organization?” the analysts asked.

Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians are participating in protest rallies against Sri Lanka as well as they are allowed address public meetings to propagate and glorify terrorism. “By doing so, India is denying the democratic rights and freedoms to the Tamil people in the North”.

Families of number of TNA Members of Parliament namely M K Shivajilingam MP, Adaikalanathan MP, Mavai Senathirajah MP are allowed to live in Tamil Nadu and these MPs as well as other Tamil MP’s who represent the LTTE in proxy are allowed to freely conduct anti- Sri Lankan Government political campaign.

Since of late the presence of TNA parliamentarians and their political activities have increased in Tamil Nadu and they openly participate in the hate campaigns against Sri Lanka whipping up anti-Sri Lankan sentiments.

It is noted that State Government of Tamil Nadu, which is responsible for maintenance of law and order in the state, have failed to take any actions against these parliamentarians.

Furthermore, several Sri Lankan Tamil Members of Parliaments have participated in the events organized even by the Tamil Nadu state government leaders. The noteworthy one was the human chain demonstration recently conceived and organized by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

Now it is learnt that two Sri Lankan Tamil MPs sympathetic to the Tamil Tigers are in New Delhi to meet political leaders as part of their efforts to bring about a ceasefire in their country.

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Teachers, INGO workers thrown to Vanni front

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A captured LTTE woman has revealed ongoing LTTE attempt to strengthen its frontline positions by deploying hundreds of civilians. She was among four female cadres captured by fighting elements of the Task Force I (TF I) conducting operations at Vallayarkuttirukkumoddai, about four kilometres east of the A 32 (Mannar-Pooneryn road) on Tuesday.

The army identified the informant as 28-year-old Ms Nilaveli, an English teacher who had been coaching Grade 6 to 10 students at the time she joined the LTTE at gun point. Captain Hemantha Dayaratne of the army media told ‘News-Lanka’ that she had graduated from the reputed Kopay College of Education (English Faculty). He said that Ms Nilaweli, while fighting against the army had been drawing a government salary from the Department of Education in Kilinochchi. She had joined the organisation to save her teenage brother and sister from forced conscription, the official quoted the trained teacher as saying.

According to her many of her batch mates joined the LTTE to save their loved ones.

The LTTE facing a severe dearth of trained cadres has forced a large group of public servants including lower grade employees of the Department of Agriculture and local employees of INGOs to resist the army advancing on its strongholds, both east and west of the A9 road.

The LTTE has also deployed over 100 male and female teachers alongside its frontline units now struggling to thwart a relentless army advance.

The LTTE facing a severe dearth of trained cadres has forced a large group of public servants including lower grade employees of the Department of Agriculture and local employees of INGOs to resist the army advancing on its strongholds, both east and west of the A9 road.

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India extended the ban on the LTTE

A special tribunal headed by a Delhi High Court judge upheld the Centre's notification for extending the ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for another two years.

The notification extending the ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, declaring it as an unlawful association, was issued by the Union Home Ministry on May 15.

Justice Vikramjeet Sen, who was heading the special tribunal constituted under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, upheld the government decision saying that there is sufficient evidence against the organization to justify the extension of ban.

The LTTE, also known as Tamil Tigers, is a terrorists group that has waged a violent campaign against the Sri Lankan government since the latter part of 1970s in order to create a separate Tamil state in the northern and eastern part of the island nation.

The group-led by V Prabhakaran has been proscribed as a terrorist organization by several countries including the United States.

The LTTE was involved in the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991 and the group has been banned by India since 1992.

Additional Solicitor General P P Malhotra, while appearing before the tribunal, had contended that although the LTTE was based in Sri Lanka, it had sympathizers and agents on the Indian soil and there was urgent need to continue with the ban.

India was the first country ban the LTTE followed by USA, United Kingdom, 27 European Union Countries, Canada and it is learnt that Australia as well as Malaysia are seriously contempt plating on banning this terrorists’ outfit in their soil.

Waters Edge land handed back Roni

Counsel for the UDA Nihal Jayewardene, told the Court that the UDA abided by the recent Supreme Court judgement which declared that the alienation of this property to a private entrepreneur was mala-fide. The Court ordered the retired president Mrs. Kumaratunga to pay Rs. 3 million as compensation to the state, for misdirecting the Cabinet to believe that this land was alienated for a public utility purpose counsel Jayewardene also told the court that the UDA and the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation are having discussions to decide how best the land could be used to benefit the people. A draft of this master plan is to be submitted to the court within two weeks.

The UDA is awaiting the valuation report from the Chief Government valuer in respect of the constructions done on this land. This report is also to be submitted to the court shortly.

The court yesterday issued notice on the permanent commission to investigate bribery and corruption. The court ordered that the commission should submit their findings in respect of the mala-fide deal and submit the progress of their investigation at the next hearing, in two weeks time.

Senior State Counsel N. G. Pulle, said that the Commission has started on the Investigation.

Uditha Egalahewa appeared for seven hotelier employees of the Waters Edge Club. He said that his clients are likely to lose their jobs. They are top hotelier, but unable to secure elsewhere as the hotel industry is at present having a lean time.

The court directed Mr. Egalahewa, to check the employees employment data and to check with the Commissioner of Labour, what best relief could be granted for them.

The counsel for the UDA said that the Chairman of the UDA, had expressed willingness to retain any competant employees.

Faiz Mustapha PC, appeared for some former land owner of Battaramulla, who had not received compensation, when the land was originally acquired by the state. The court advised the UDA to look into this matter.

The bench comprised the Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva, Justice Shirani Tilakawardene and Justice Saleem Marsoof.