China wants to start fisheries project in Mullaiththeevu: SL Fisheries Minister

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 June 2010, 10:48 GMT]
A Chinese company has applied to the Sri Lanka’s Fisheries Ministry to start and invest in a fisheries project in Nanthikkadal lagoon in Mullaiththeevu district, according to Sri Lankan Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne, a news report by the Daily Mirror newspaper said Monday. The report on Chinese move has come while Sinhala fishermen from South have encroached the coastal areas of Mullaiththeevu district.
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Sri Lanka one country, unitary state: Namal Rajapaksa, in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 June 2010, 16:38 GMT]
“Sri Lanka is one country and a unitary state,” Namal Rajapakse, MP and son of President Mahinda Rajapaksa said speaking at the event where Minister Douglas Devananda officially inaugurated a boat service Sunday around 11:00 a.m at Ma’n’niththalai jetty in Poonakarai, sources in Jaffna said. “Douglas is a model person to the Tamils of the country as he sets an example by cooperating with the government in the development of the whole country,” he added. Meanwhile, civil society circles in Jaffna said that Namal Rajapaksa had praised Douglas Devananda in an effort to pacify him as Namal Rajapaksa had brought five of his own boats to be engaged in the boat service between Kurunakar and Poonakari in the project which was initiated by minister Douglas Devananda.
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Namal Rajapaksa’s men monopolize Jaffna-Poonakari boat service

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 June 2010, 05:40 GMT]
The new boat service between Kurunakar and Poonakari in the North which is to be inaugurated Sunday by Namal Rajapaksa, son of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is to be entirely serviced by boats owned by him, sources in Jaffna said. Colombo government and the powerful men from South are exploiting all possible sources of income in Jaffna peninsula, Tamil circles in Jaffna commented.
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Major earthquake in Indian Ocean, tsunami watch cancelled

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 June 2010, 20:23 GMT]
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii, which issued a tsunami watch warning following a major earthquake off the Nicobar Islands Sunday at 1:26 a.m. local time at the epicenter, has cancelled the warning later as sea level readings did not indicate any significant tsunami. Tsunami watch was initially announced for India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and for other areas of the Indian ocean following the powerful 7.5 Magnitude earthquake at a relatively shallow depth of about 22 miles in the Nicobar Islands area of the Indian Ocean. Several parts of the island of Sri Lanka experienced a tremor around 1:00 a.m. Buildings and houses in and around Colombo, Negombo, Galle, Matara experienced the tremor that lasted for less than one minute. The Sri Lankan Meteorology Department had also issued a tsunami warning around 2:00 a.m. local time.
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Sri Lanka, China sign six agreements to enhance co-operation

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 June 2010, 19:32 GMT]
The governments of Sri Lanka and China Friday signed six agreements to enhance the co-operation in the spheres of technology, industry, information technology and construction, according to the officials of Mahinda Rajapaksa government in Colombo. Acting Ports and Aviation Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena and Chinese Transport Minister Lin Shenjin signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development of maritime ports. The second phase of the Hambantota Port will commence under this agreement and the Chinese Government will provide a loan of US $600m which is payable within 20 years, the sources further said.
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India treats Sri Lankans on a par with Chinese in visa extension

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 June 2010, 23:38 GMT]
Sri Lankans and Chinese either employed or in business in India require direct visit to the home ministry in New Delhi for all extensions of their visas, according to recently revised regulations of the Government of India. The other nationals may apply and get extensions from local authorities. In the case of foreigners married to Indian nationals, Sri Lankans are singled out from the others and are required approval from the home ministry for all visa extensions. What do these regulations mean in the wake of recent Indo-Sri Lanka agreements in the name of economic cooperation as well as people to people contact and the influx of the corporates of India in the island, wonder business circles in Colombo.
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China, India, USA work to increase influence in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 June 2010, 14:17 GMT]
China, India and the United States of America are gradually strengthening their presence in Jaffna. India and China have openly sought to influence the 'post-war development’, which is unilaterally undertaken under the supervision of Basil Rajapaksa, the brother of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Tamil circles in Jaffna commenting on the corporate race by the powers said articulate sections of Tamils in Tamil Nadu and in the diaspora should come out with appropriate responses that the powers should respect the rights of the people of the land in deciding their own development.
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India compels CEPA on Sri Lanka: Dr. Wickrembahu Karunaratne

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 June 2010, 08:15 GMT]
India is compelling Sri Lanka to sign the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) for the favour of supplying weapons in the war against the Liberation Tigers, Dr. Wickremabahu Karunaratne, the leader of the New Left Front (NLF), said in a press meet held in Colombo Wednesday morning. He further said that India which had been instrumental in the mass killings of Tamils in Sri Lanka is employing schemes like CEPA to bring Sri Lanka under its control. He warned that all trade ventures including small industries in Sri Lanka will become Indian if the CEPA is signed.
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Indian citizen running a BOI factory in Chilaw abducted, assaulted by local politician

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 June 2010, 16:30 GMT]
A local politician who is the Chairman of a local council in Chilaw district in the North Western province is alleged to have abducted and assaulted an Indian Businessman on June 8 Tuesday. He was admitted in a private hospital in Colombo Wednesday morning and is beign treated. The victim has been identified as M. Maniyam Hariraj, the owner of the factory approved by the Board of Investment (BOI). This incident took place following a dispute between the workforce and the management of the factory, sources in Chilaw said.
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US ambassador to Sri Lanka visits Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 June 2010, 15:36 GMT]
Ms. Patricia A. Butenis, Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives arrived in Jaffna Wednesday on a two-day visit where she first went to the ‘Periya Pa’l’livaasal’ (Big Mosque) of the Muslim community in Jaffna town, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, the Intelligence wing men of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) were active in covering all her visits collecting particulars of the places she went, persons she met and also the subjects she discussed, the sources added.
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JVP: Gotabhaya insulted Fonseka in BBC interview

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 June 2010, 07:37 GMT]
The Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Tuesday condemned the comment made by Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse to BBC Hard Talk interview where he claimed General (retired) Sarath Fonseka, former commander of the Sri Lanka Army would be treated as a traitor and hanged if he gives evidence in the war crime probe.
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Emergency needed to nab sleeping Tiger cells: Sri Lankan PM

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 June 2010, 07:29 GMT]
Heated argument ensued in parliament Tuesday during the debate on extending the state of emergency for another month between the opposition and ruling party parliamentarians over the speech by the Prime Minister D.M.Jayaretna that the State of Emergency was needed to nab sleeping LTTE senior cadres in Colombo and that Sri Lankan intelligence personnel are working around the clock day and night to arrest these LTTE cadres.
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Exert pressure on Colombo to declare detained LTTE members as political prisoners: CPI politician

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 June 2010, 02:50 GMT]
Thousands of former LTTE members, who were captured by the Sri Lanka Army in May last year are still perishing in Colombo’s detention camps in unknown locations. “Many of the families of these young Tamils do not even know the whereabouts of their loved ones. The Sri Lankan state is treating them like criminals. Rajapaksa is not recognising these young Tamils as Prisoners of War. But, he should at least be pressurised by the global community to declare those detained as political prisoners,” said C. Mahendran, the deputy state secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) in Tamil Nadu. Mr. Mahendran was addressing fellow activists of Ilangkai Thamizhar Paathukaappu Iyakkam, while they were held under collective custody by Tamil Nadu police, after a protest on Tuesday against Rajapaksa’s visit to New Delhi.
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Rajapaksa visits India amid wide-scale protests in Tamil Nadu

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 June 2010, 11:33 GMT]
All the district capitals and major cities of Tamil Nadu state Tuesday noon reported wide-scale protests against Mahinda Rajapaksa's visit to India. All the prominent leaders of political parties and movements, Vaiko, Pazha Nedumaran, Thirumavalavan, Seeman, Nallakannu, Mahendran, T. Rajendar, Thiyagu were arrested by Tamil Nadu police with thousands of other activists after they concluded their speeches and protests. The protests, including black flag demonstrations in front of Indian Central Government Institutions in Tamil Nadu, blocking railway and burning effigies of Sri Lankan President, have brought many Tamil parties and movements together in support of Eezham Tamils. All major media outlets operating from India have given coverage to the protests.
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Court orders Sunday Leader Editor to produce note book regarding Fonseka’s interview

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 June 2010, 03:51 GMT]
Colombo Chief Magistrate Champa Janaki Rajaratne Monday ordered the Chief Editor of the Sunday Leader, a weekly newspaper published from Colombo. to produce her note book in court on the next date of inquiry on June 21. Her note book is said to have contained the original transcript of the controversial interview with the former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army General (retired) Sarath Fonseka.
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Rajapaksa reschedules 'victory day' parade for June 18

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 June 2010, 08:14 GMT]
Colombo's 'victory parade' postponed due to bad weather in May is re-scheduled to be held on June 18 at Colombo Galle Face Green, according to government sources in Colombo. The three armed forces, police, and Civil Defence Force are to participate in the parade to be held by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Meanwhile, Democratic National Alliance (DNA) led by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) would mark 'Victory Day' on June 8 with Adishtana Pooja at the Viharamahadevi Open Air Theatre, said Mrs. Anoma Fonseka, wife of General (retired) Sarath Fonseka, former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army who led the Sri Lankan forces in the war against Tamils.
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SLA Commander's deposition provides convincing evidence of war crimes- TAG

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 June 2010, 00:21 GMT]
Tamils Against Genocide (TAG), a US-based activist group, claimed in a press release issued Saturday, that it has obtained a 100-page long sworn affidavit from a senior commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) who has fled Sri Lanka seeking asylum for himself and his family. Noting the sensitivity of the evidence, TAG said that the affidavit was recorded by a court reporter but declined to reveal the name of the commander or the modalities used in obtaining the affidavit. The sworn testimony contains "clear and convincing evidence" that Colombo committed war crimes, and this document can be made available to "other independent organizations which can demonstrate serious intent in pursuing legal action against Colombo officials," TAG spokesperson told TamilNet.
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Mahinda Rajapakse to hold talks with TNA, EPDP before leaving to India

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 June 2010, 20:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse has invited the representatives of Tamil National (TNA) for talks on the eve of his visit to India Tuesday, sources in Colombo said. The president has also invited representatives of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) led by Minister Douglas Devananda for talks to be held following his meeting with TNA representatives Monday evening, the sources added. Meanwhile, the joint statement by Sri Lanka and India to be released following the meeting with the heads of both governments in India is expected to include the various development projects that are to be launched in Jaffna peninsula, the sources added.
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China Vice Premier to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 June 2010, 01:30 GMT]
Vice Prime Minister of the State Council of the People’s Republic China, Zhang Dejiang, is to pay an official visit to Sri Lanka from June 10 to 12. He will be leading a thirty member delegation, Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Ministry said in a press release.
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TNLA to register as political party

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 June 2010, 04:16 GMT]
The new Tamil political party, Tamil National Liberation Alliance (TNLA), is to hand over an application to be registered as a political party in Sri Lanka as Sri Lanka Elections Department has begun to entertain newly formed political parties from 1 June, according to M. K. Sivajilingam, General Secretary of TNLA and former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian of Jaffna district told media in Colombo.
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