Air Force bomb Tiger locations |
| The Air Force said it had bombed a LTTE Supply base in Vishwamadu, Kilinochchi, a radar point at Nagasiwanturai, Poonaryn and an intelligence camp in Puthukuduirrippu, Mulaitivu both last night and this morning. |
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Air Force bomb Tiger locations
Friday, August 8, 2008
President visits Olympic villag
President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived in Beijing today (August 06) upon the invitation of the Government of the People's Republic of China. He will attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, scheduled to commence on August 8.
The President visited the Olympic Village and met the Sri Lankan team competing in the Games and wished the good luck at the forthcoming sports extravaganza.
Eight Sri Lankan athletes will compete in six sports in the 29th 2008 Summer Olympics which will continue until Augst 24.
UN wants SB's civic rights restored
| UN wants SB's civic rights restored |
|
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR) of the United Nations has called for the restoration of the civic rights of S.B. Dissanayaka as well as the payment of compensation.
Traditional August Madhu feast cancelled
| Traditional August Madhu feast cancelled |
 The traditional Madhu feast scheduled to be staged this month has been canceled, Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph said in a press statement.He said that the Sacred Statue of Our Lady of Madhu will be taken to its original place of Madhu Church and enthroned after due penitential and purification service. |
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Breakfast meeting between the Prime minister and the president of Afganistan
JOINT STATEMENT
Breakfast meeting between the Prime
Minister of Pakistan and the President of Afghanistan
Picture--Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Gillani
The Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, His Excellency Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani and the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, His Excellency Mr. Hamid Karzai met over breakfast today on the sidelines of the SAARC Summit in Colombo. The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere.
The President and the Prime Minister recalled the strong bonds of brotherhood between Pakistan and Afghanistan and exchanged views on the common challenges facing the two countries in terms of dealing with terrorism and militancy
.
Both sides agreed that there was a need for the two governments to engage on all issues across the board with a view to developing a common strategy to overcome the challenges posed to the security and stability of both countries by terrorism and extremism. The two sides agreed to coordinate their efforts to stop cross border terrorism.
Picture:President Karzai
The Prime Minister and the President decided that their respective Foreign Ministers will meet to prepare grounds for a framework for close and constructive engagement between the two countries to build confidence and develop a common strategy at the political, military and intelligence levels in collaboration with their coalition partners and NATO/ISAF.
The Prime Minister and the President also stressed the importance of closer bilateral engagement at the leadership level and, at Afghanistan’s suggestion, agreed that the engagement should also lead to expediting the process of convening the mini-Jirga, as soon as possible.
At the suggestion of Pakistan, the Afghan side agreed to re-engage on all bilateral and multilateral forums.
Nobel Prize-winning author Alexander Solzhenitsyn is no more
Alexander Solzhenitsyn is no more
Mr.Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the Nobel Prize-winning authorAlexander Solzhenitsyn, the Nobel Prize-winning author who shot to fame when he chronicled the horrors of the Soviet gulag system earning him 20 years of bitter exile, died late
Sunday night (August 3) at the age of 89.
Beginning with the 1962 short novel "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich", Solzhenitsyn devoted himself to describing what he called the human "meat grinder" that had caught him along with millions of other Soviet citizens: arrests for the most trivial or reasons followed by sentences to labor camps where cold, starvation and punishing work crushed inmates physically and psychologically.
His "Gulag Archipelago" trilogy of the 1970s left readers shocked by the savagery of the Soviet state under Josef Stalin and cultivated disenchantment regarding the Soviet Union among many leftist intellectuals, especially in Europe.
Although the West offered him shelter and showered him with accolades, Solzhenitsyn remained critical of Western culture for what he considered its weakness and decadence.
He returned to his native land After to undertake a 56-day train trip across Russia to become reacquainted with his native land but late expressed disappointment that most Russians hadn't read his book.
During the 1990s, his nationalist views, his Orthodoxy, his disdain for capitalism and disgust with the tycoons who bought Russian industries and resources for a song following the Soviet collapse, made him rapidly lose popular appeal among the emerging elite and he faded from public view.
Solzhenitsyn's vision of Russia as a bastion of Orthodox Christianity, as a place with a unique culture and destiny, saw resurgence however during the tenure of Vladimir Putin from 2002-2008.
Born Dec. 11, 1918, in Kislovodsk, Solzhenitsyn served as a front-line artillery captain in World War II. As the way drew to a close, he was arrested for writing what he called "certain disrespectful remarks" about Stalin in a letter to a friend, referring to him as "the man with the mustache." He served seven years in a labor camp in the barren steppe of Kazakhstan and three more years in internal exile in Central Asia.
That's where he began to write about the suffering and injustice of life in Stalin's gulag — a Soviet abbreviation for the slave labor camp system, which Solzhenitsyn made part of the lexicon.
He continued writing while working as a mathematics teacher in the provincial Russian city of Ryazan.
His "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich", the story of a carpenter struggling to survive in a Soviet labor camp, where he had been sent, like Solzhenitsyn, after service in the war was published by order of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, who was eager to discredit the abuses of Stalin, his predecessor.
Outside the Soviet Union the book was acclaimed for its bravery and its unpretentious language.
After Khrushchev was ousted in 1964, Solzhenitsyn began facing KGB harassment, publication of his works was blocked and he was expelled from the Soviet Writers Union.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1970. The academy cited "the ethical force with which he has pursued the indispensable traditions of Russian literature."
Soviet authorities barred the author from traveling to Stockholm to receive the award and official attacks were intensified in 1973 when the first book in the Gulag trilogy appeared in Paris.
Solzhenitsyn spent his last years in the USA in Cavendish, Vermont, with his wife and sons where he worked on what he considered to be his life's work, a multi-volume saga of Russian history titled "The Red Wheel".
Solzhenitsyn was never enchanted by Western democracy, with its emphasis on individual freedom and dismayed many when hi his Harvard speech he decried "Western pluralistic democracy" as the model for all other nations. It was a mistake, he warned, for Western societies to regard the failure of the rest of the world to adopt the democratic model as a product of "wicked governments or by heavy crises or by their own barbarity or incomprehension."
Mr.Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the Nobel Prize-winning authorAlexander Solzhenitsyn, the Nobel Prize-winning author who shot to fame when he chronicled the horrors of the Soviet gulag system earning him 20 years of bitter exile, died late
Sunday night (August 3) at the age of 89.Beginning with the 1962 short novel "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich", Solzhenitsyn devoted himself to describing what he called the human "meat grinder" that had caught him along with millions of other Soviet citizens: arrests for the most trivial or reasons followed by sentences to labor camps where cold, starvation and punishing work crushed inmates physically and psychologically.
His "Gulag Archipelago" trilogy of the 1970s left readers shocked by the savagery of the Soviet state under Josef Stalin and cultivated disenchantment regarding the Soviet Union among many leftist intellectuals, especially in Europe.
Although the West offered him shelter and showered him with accolades, Solzhenitsyn remained critical of Western culture for what he considered its weakness and decadence.
He returned to his native land After to undertake a 56-day train trip across Russia to become reacquainted with his native land but late expressed disappointment that most Russians hadn't read his book.
During the 1990s, his nationalist views, his Orthodoxy, his disdain for capitalism and disgust with the tycoons who bought Russian industries and resources for a song following the Soviet collapse, made him rapidly lose popular appeal among the emerging elite and he faded from public view.
Solzhenitsyn's vision of Russia as a bastion of Orthodox Christianity, as a place with a unique culture and destiny, saw resurgence however during the tenure of Vladimir Putin from 2002-2008.
Born Dec. 11, 1918, in Kislovodsk, Solzhenitsyn served as a front-line artillery captain in World War II. As the way drew to a close, he was arrested for writing what he called "certain disrespectful remarks" about Stalin in a letter to a friend, referring to him as "the man with the mustache." He served seven years in a labor camp in the barren steppe of Kazakhstan and three more years in internal exile in Central Asia.
That's where he began to write about the suffering and injustice of life in Stalin's gulag — a Soviet abbreviation for the slave labor camp system, which Solzhenitsyn made part of the lexicon.
He continued writing while working as a mathematics teacher in the provincial Russian city of Ryazan.
His "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich", the story of a carpenter struggling to survive in a Soviet labor camp, where he had been sent, like Solzhenitsyn, after service in the war was published by order of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, who was eager to discredit the abuses of Stalin, his predecessor.
Outside the Soviet Union the book was acclaimed for its bravery and its unpretentious language.
After Khrushchev was ousted in 1964, Solzhenitsyn began facing KGB harassment, publication of his works was blocked and he was expelled from the Soviet Writers Union.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1970. The academy cited "the ethical force with which he has pursued the indispensable traditions of Russian literature."
Soviet authorities barred the author from traveling to Stockholm to receive the award and official attacks were intensified in 1973 when the first book in the Gulag trilogy appeared in Paris.
Solzhenitsyn spent his last years in the USA in Cavendish, Vermont, with his wife and sons where he worked on what he considered to be his life's work, a multi-volume saga of Russian history titled "The Red Wheel".
Solzhenitsyn was never enchanted by Western democracy, with its emphasis on individual freedom and dismayed many when hi his Harvard speech he decried "Western pluralistic democracy" as the model for all other nations. It was a mistake, he warned, for Western societies to regard the failure of the rest of the world to adopt the democratic model as a product of "wicked governments or by heavy crises or by their own barbarity or incomprehension."
Life Expectancy of Sri Lankans improves -- WHO
Life Expectancy of Sri Lankans improves -- WHO
According to a recent study by the World Health Organization (WHO) the life expectancy of both Sri Lankan males and females has increased by 10%.
The life expectancy of a female has gone up to 79 years compared with 69 years in 2004 and that of a male has gone up to 69 years as compared to 60 years in 2004.
According to Health Ministry sources the percentage of people who smoke is down to 7.1% when compared with 16.5 % smokers both male and female in 2005.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Control Act of 2007 and the 'Mathata-Thitha 'programme is largely responsible for this significant drop, according to ministry sources while the improvement in life expectancy numbers is attributed to the Government's public health policy which has seen a general improvement in health standards.
According to a recent study by the World Health Organization (WHO) the life expectancy of both Sri Lankan males and females has increased by 10%.
The life expectancy of a female has gone up to 79 years compared with 69 years in 2004 and that of a male has gone up to 69 years as compared to 60 years in 2004.
According to Health Ministry sources the percentage of people who smoke is down to 7.1% when compared with 16.5 % smokers both male and female in 2005.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Control Act of 2007 and the 'Mathata-Thitha 'programme is largely responsible for this significant drop, according to ministry sources while the improvement in life expectancy numbers is attributed to the Government's public health policy which has seen a general improvement in health standards.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
15th SAARC DECLARATION
15th SAARC DECLARATION
SAARC calls for 'strongest cooperation' to wage war on terror
The 15th SAARC summit ended in Colombo on Sunday with calls by its eight member states to step up “strongest possible cooperation” against terrorism as well as to urgently develop regional hydro potential, grid connectivity and gas pipelines for energy security.
A declaration adopted by the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) at the end of a two-day summit also warned that rising oil prices were threatening the hugely populous region's energy security as well as economic growth.
“They (SAARC leaders) stressed the urgent need to develop the regional hydro potential, grid connectivity and gas pipelines,” it said. “They noted that the possibility of evolving an appropriate regional inter-governmental framework may be explored to facilitate such endeavour.”
The declaration was unanimously approved by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other South Asian leaders at the closing event at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Convention Hall.
The two-day event, which virtually shut down Colombo for three days, brought together Presidents Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka and Maumoon Abdul Gayoom of the Maldives, Prime Ministers GP Koirala of Nepal, Jigmey Thinley of Bhutan and Yousaf Raza Gilani of Pakistan as well as Fakruddin Ahmed, chief advisor of the caretaker Bangladesh government.
As reflected in the speeches by SAARC leaders Saturday, the declaration placed great emphasis on the need to fight terrorism. It condemned “all forms of terrorist violence” and expressed deep concern over the “serious threat posed by terrorism to the region”.
The SAARC leaders reiterated their commitment to strengthening the legal regime against terrorism, including by undertaking to implement all international conventions relating to combating terrorism.
“They emphasized the need for strongest possible cooperation in the fight against terrorism and transnational organized crime.”
The declaration observed that an effective and economic regional tele-communication regime “is an essential factor of connectivity, encouraging the growth of people-centric partnerships”.
It also called for a uniformly applicable low tariff for international direct dial calls within South Asia.
The next meeting of the SAARC summit is scheduled to be held in the Maldives. The Maldives was to have hosted the 15th summit but backed off at the eleventh hour, enabling Sri Lanka to play the host.
A declaration adopted by the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) at the end of a two-day summit also warned that rising oil prices were threatening the hugely populous region's energy security as well as economic growth.
“They (SAARC leaders) stressed the urgent need to develop the regional hydro potential, grid connectivity and gas pipelines,” it said. “They noted that the possibility of evolving an appropriate regional inter-governmental framework may be explored to facilitate such endeavour.”
The declaration was unanimously approved by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other South Asian leaders at the closing event at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Convention Hall.
The two-day event, which virtually shut down Colombo for three days, brought together Presidents Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka and Maumoon Abdul Gayoom of the Maldives, Prime Ministers GP Koirala of Nepal, Jigmey Thinley of Bhutan and Yousaf Raza Gilani of Pakistan as well as Fakruddin Ahmed, chief advisor of the caretaker Bangladesh government.
As reflected in the speeches by SAARC leaders Saturday, the declaration placed great emphasis on the need to fight terrorism. It condemned “all forms of terrorist violence” and expressed deep concern over the “serious threat posed by terrorism to the region”.
The SAARC leaders reiterated their commitment to strengthening the legal regime against terrorism, including by undertaking to implement all international conventions relating to combating terrorism.
“They emphasized the need for strongest possible cooperation in the fight against terrorism and transnational organized crime.”
The declaration observed that an effective and economic regional tele-communication regime “is an essential factor of connectivity, encouraging the growth of people-centric partnerships”.
It also called for a uniformly applicable low tariff for international direct dial calls within South Asia.
The next meeting of the SAARC summit is scheduled to be held in the Maldives. The Maldives was to have hosted the 15th summit but backed off at the eleventh hour, enabling Sri Lanka to play the host.
Read 15th SAARC DECLARATION http://www.news.lk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6621&Itemid=44
Terrorism biggest threat to South Asia's stability: Indian PM
Terrorism biggest threat to South Asia's stability
Terrorism is the biggest threat to South Asia's stability, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the South Asian Association for R
egional Cooperation summit (SARRC) on Saturday(02) in Colombo Sri Lanka."Terrorists and extremists don't know borders. We must act with determination to fight terrorism. We cannot lose the battle against ideologies of hatred," said Dr Singh.Dr Singh urged the SAARC countries to jointly act and battle the scourge with determination. "Terrorism continues to rear its ugly head," Singh said.
egional Cooperation summit (SARRC) on Saturday(02) in Colombo Sri Lanka."Terrorists and extremists don't know borders. We must act with determination to fight terrorism. We cannot lose the battle against ideologies of hatred," said Dr Singh.Dr Singh urged the SAARC countries to jointly act and battle the scourge with determination. "Terrorism continues to rear its ugly head," Singh said.Terrorism was high on the agenda of the two-day summit being attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and leaders from Sri Lanka , Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan.
Dr Singh is scheduled to meet Gilani to convey India's concerns over the Inter Services Intelligence links in the suicide bomb attack on Indian embassy in Kabul as also the recent ceasefire violations by the Pakistani forces along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
Dr Singh is scheduled to meet Gilani to convey India's concerns over the Inter Services Intelligence links in the suicide bomb attack on Indian embassy in Kabul as also the recent ceasefire violations by the Pakistani forces along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
Indian prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh full speach readhttp://www.news.lk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6610&Itemid=44
Pakistan, India PMs discuss composite dialogue, bilateral relations
Pakistan, India PMs discuss composite dialogue, bilateral relationsA closed-door meeting between Pakisthan Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Indian premier Manmohan Sindh ended on Saturday with an agreement to continue the peace process, diplomats said.
India Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said that during their meeting, “both prime ministers [Singh and Gilani] said we need to overcome (problems) and move forward”. He told reporters that Gilani had agreed to probe charges that Pakistani intelligence was behind the embassy suicide attack, AFP reported.Exchange: During their meeting, Gilani and Singh exchanged views on various issues, including the Indo-Pak composite dialogue, bilateral relations, trade and security.Following the meeting, which focused mostly on the Indian embassy bombing in Kabul, representatives of both countries provided their views.Gilani agreed to conduct an independent inquiry about Pakistani intelligence aiding the embassy attack, Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee told media. This contradicted Gilani’s statement that the Indian premier had said that Pakistan had not been blamed for the attack.Meeting: Gilani also told reporters he would discuss the Indian embassy attack with Karzai on Sunday. “If they give me evidence, then we will look into the matter,” he added. The premier said he was meeting with both Singh and Karzai because Pakistan wants cordial relations with neighbors.
India Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said that during their meeting, “both prime ministers [Singh and Gilani] said we need to overcome (problems) and move forward”. He told reporters that Gilani had agreed to probe charges that Pakistani intelligence was behind the embassy suicide attack, AFP reported.Exchange: During their meeting, Gilani and Singh exchanged views on various issues, including the Indo-Pak composite dialogue, bilateral relations, trade and security.Following the meeting, which focused mostly on the Indian embassy bombing in Kabul, representatives of both countries provided their views.Gilani agreed to conduct an independent inquiry about Pakistani intelligence aiding the embassy attack, Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee told media. This contradicted Gilani’s statement that the Indian premier had said that Pakistan had not been blamed for the attack.Meeting: Gilani also told reporters he would discuss the Indian embassy attack with Karzai on Sunday. “If they give me evidence, then we will look into the matter,” he added. The premier said he was meeting with both Singh and Karzai because Pakistan wants cordial relations with neighbors.
Sharing the leadership
Sharing the ledership
President Mahinda Rajapaksa in animated conversation with Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh after taking over the mantle of Chairmanship from the Indian leader during yesterday’s 15th SAARC Summit in Colombo. (Pic by Srilal Gomes)
Redouble collective efforts to combat terrorism – President to SAARC
President Mahinda Percival Rajapakse delivers the opening speech at the 15th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) at the BMICH in Colombo Saturday. Pic by Gemunu Wellage
President Mahinda Rajapaksa, addressing the opening session of the 15th SAARC Summit this morning (August 2) at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, called on the South Asian leaders attending the summit to commit themselves and their countries to a more determined and concerted effort to collectively combat the scourge of terrorism in all its forms and manifestation. He emphasized that it is the very interdependence which gave
birth to SAARC that has emerged as the crucial factor for durable peace and the protection of democratic values in the region.
In this regard, President Rajapaksa expressed the need to ensure strengthening regional legal mechanisms and intensifying intelligence sharing, in order to secure the region’s collective prosperity, peace and stability, in combating terrorism. He said it is also necessary that South Asia as a region, endeavour to set right the many wrong impressions that exist, or are promoted elsewhere, about the actions that are imperative to protect our people and societies from the brutalities of terrorism. Terrorism anywhere is terrorism and there are no good terrorists or bad terrorists, he emphasized.
15th SAARC Summit
Calls for vicious cycles of economic growth, food security and regional cooperation on combating terrorism, dominated the 15th SAARC Summit, held amidst pomp, pageantry and unprecedented local and international security at the BMICH yesterday.
Calls for vicious cycles of economic growth, food security and regional cooperation on combating terrorism, dominated the 15th SAARC Summit, held amidst pomp, pageantry and unprecedented local and international security at the BMICH yesterday.
The Summit got underway with President Mahinda Rajapaksa who assumed the chairmanship of the eight nation grouping, exhorting the need for greater economic cooperation, which would help empower the vast majority of the regions 1.5 billion people who live in poverty.
Describing terrorism as "terrorism", where ever it may be, Rajapaksa thanked SAARC member countries for helping Sri Lanka combat the scourge of terror.
Describing terrorism as "terrorism", where ever it may be, Rajapaksa thanked SAARC member countries for helping Sri Lanka combat the scourge of terror.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Nepal and Sri Lanka discuss development of Lumbini
Nepal and Sri Lanka discuss development of Lumbini
Sri Lanka and Nepal agreed today (August 1) to develop Lumbini as the most attractive and sacred tourist destination in the South Asia region during talks between the leaders of the two countries.
This was decided when Nepal's Prime Minister, Girija Prasad Koirala who arrived in the island to take part the in 15th SAARC Summit to be held on August 2 and 3, met President Mahinda Rajapaksa today
at the Preside
ntial Secretariat in Colombo.
at the Preside
ntial Secretariat in Colombo.This was the first bilateral between South Asian leaders on the sidelines of the Summit. President Mahinda Rajapaksa pointed out that he had made this proposal many years ago when he was only a Member of Parliament.
The Nepali leader briefed President Rajapaksa about the development of the Lumbini Airport and its importance in developing tourism in the area.
Lumbini, the birthplace of Prince Siddhartha Gauthama,is held sacred by Buddhists all over the world.
President meets India Prime Minister
president meets India Prime Minister
President Mahinda Rajapaksa Meeting with Dr.Manmohan Singh Prime Minister of India at Presidential Secretariat Colombo on 1st.
(Pix by: Sudath Silva)
President Mahinda Rajapaksa Meeting with Dr.Manmohan Singh Prime Minister of India at Presidential Secretariat Colombo on 1st.
(Pix by: Sudath Silva)
Dr.Manmohan Singh in Colombo
Manmohan Singh arrivesIndian Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh arrived in Sri Lanka
in this afternoon to take part in the 15th SAARC summit. warmly welcomed by the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ratnasiri Wickramanayake at the air port.
President meets Bhutan Prime Minister
President meets Bhutan Prime Minister President Mahinda Rajapaksa Bilateral Meeting with Prime Minister of Bhutan Lyonpo Jigmi Y.Thinley at Presidential Secretariat in Colombo
Rajapaksha meets Koirala
President meets PM of Nepal
President Mahinda Rajapaksa had a bilateral meeting with Girija Prasad Koirala Prime Minister of Nepal at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo short while ago.
SAARC LEADERS ARRIVE
SAARC leaders arrive
SAARC Leaders have begun arriving in Colombo following preliminary meetings of the respective Foreign Secretaries and Foreign Minister.
The Prime Minister of Nepal, Girija Prasad Koirala and the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Lyonpo Jigmi Thinley arrived at Colombo International Airport last night (July 31), while Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, the Chief Advisor to the Government of Bangladesh arrived this morning.
The President of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is due to arrive around 11.00 am. Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, Mr. Makhdoom Syed Raza Gilani, Prime Minister of Pakistan and Mr. Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, are due to arrive in the afternoon.
SAARC Leaders have begun arriving in Colombo following preliminary meetings of the respective Foreign Secretaries and Foreign Minister.
The Prime Minister of Nepal, Girija Prasad Koirala and the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Lyonpo Jigmi Thinley arrived at Colombo International Airport last night (July 31), while Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, the Chief Advisor to the Government of Bangladesh arrived this morning.The President of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is due to arrive around 11.00 am. Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, Mr. Makhdoom Syed Raza Gilani, Prime Minister of Pakistan and Mr. Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, are due to arrive in the afternoon.
Jayalalithaa fires salvo on Katchchathivu
Jayalalithaa fires salvo on Katchchathivu
Warns of court action if indian Government does not take back island
Warns of court action if indian Government does not take back island
Tamil Nadu Opposition AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa Jeyaram yesterday threatened to challenge in the Indian Supreme Court the validity of the 1974 Indo-Sri Lanka pact handing over Katchchathivu Island to Sri Lanka if the UPA government failed to take action over the secession.
Quoting an Apex Court judgement in the Berubary union case on exchange of enclaves in Kutch with Pakistan, Ms. Jayalalithaa said according to the court ruling the ceding of Indian Territory to another country resulted in the “diminution of the territory of the union” and therefore should be endorsed by parliament through a constitutional amendment.
"Since no such step was taken by the Indira Gandhi government or any subsequent governments, the Dr Manmohan Singh government should seriously consider moving the Supreme Court to test the validity of conceding Katchchathiu to Sri Lanka. If the Prime Minister is not willing to do this, I will move the Supreme Court for a direction to the government of India to do
so or pray that the Apex Court set aside the ceding of Kachchathivu to Sri Lanka by the Indira Gandhi Government', she said.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said her party had always held that the ceding of Katchchathivu, an uninhabited island, was a monumental blunder and had insisted that the attacks on Indian fishermen would cease only if the country got the islet back.
"But the Central Government has repeatedly turned a deaf ear to our many protests. It appears to care less about the problems of Tamil Nadu and the Tamil people," she lamented.
Meanwhile about 80 fishermen from Tamil Nadu were allegedly assaulted by Sri Lankan Navy personnel in the Palk Strait, near Katchchathivu island, early last morning, the Indian media reported, quoting officials in Rameshwaram.
However Sri Lanka Navy spokesman, Commander D.K.P. Dassanayake, denied allegations of Navy involvement in the incident, adding that they had not received reports of any such incident up to last evening.
“We did not receive any reports of incidents involving Indian fishermen within Sri Lankan territorial waters today. We don’t know if such an incident occurred outside Sri Lankan waters. If so, it could have been the work of the LTTE to tarnish the image of Sri Lanka during the SAARC Summit. The LTTE has done things like this before as well,” Commander Dassanayake said.
According to the Indian media, the incident occurred in the midst of protests staged by political parties in the Indian state – which have been going on for the past few weeks -- demanding that the Centre take up the issue of recurring incidents with the island nation and provide adequate security to Indian fishermen.
Quoting the fishermen, the officials said about 80 of them, sailing in 20 boats, were assaulted with clubs while they were fishing around Katchchathivu island, which was ceded to Sri Lanka by India in 1974.
Many fishermen had to abandon their boats and jump into the sea to escape the assault. They remained in the water for more than one hour, then got back into their boats and returned to shore.
The ruling DMK and many other political parties, including AIADMK, CPI and MDMK have held protests over similar incidents in the past.
Quoting an Apex Court judgement in the Berubary union case on exchange of enclaves in Kutch with Pakistan, Ms. Jayalalithaa said according to the court ruling the ceding of Indian Territory to another country resulted in the “diminution of the territory of the union” and therefore should be endorsed by parliament through a constitutional amendment.
"Since no such step was taken by the Indira Gandhi government or any subsequent governments, the Dr Manmohan Singh government should seriously consider moving the Supreme Court to test the validity of conceding Katchchathiu to Sri Lanka. If the Prime Minister is not willing to do this, I will move the Supreme Court for a direction to the government of India to do
so or pray that the Apex Court set aside the ceding of Kachchathivu to Sri Lanka by the Indira Gandhi Government', she said.Ms. Jayalalithaa said her party had always held that the ceding of Katchchathivu, an uninhabited island, was a monumental blunder and had insisted that the attacks on Indian fishermen would cease only if the country got the islet back.
"But the Central Government has repeatedly turned a deaf ear to our many protests. It appears to care less about the problems of Tamil Nadu and the Tamil people," she lamented.
Meanwhile about 80 fishermen from Tamil Nadu were allegedly assaulted by Sri Lankan Navy personnel in the Palk Strait, near Katchchathivu island, early last morning, the Indian media reported, quoting officials in Rameshwaram.
However Sri Lanka Navy spokesman, Commander D.K.P. Dassanayake, denied allegations of Navy involvement in the incident, adding that they had not received reports of any such incident up to last evening.
“We did not receive any reports of incidents involving Indian fishermen within Sri Lankan territorial waters today. We don’t know if such an incident occurred outside Sri Lankan waters. If so, it could have been the work of the LTTE to tarnish the image of Sri Lanka during the SAARC Summit. The LTTE has done things like this before as well,” Commander Dassanayake said.
According to the Indian media, the incident occurred in the midst of protests staged by political parties in the Indian state – which have been going on for the past few weeks -- demanding that the Centre take up the issue of recurring incidents with the island nation and provide adequate security to Indian fishermen.
Quoting the fishermen, the officials said about 80 of them, sailing in 20 boats, were assaulted with clubs while they were fishing around Katchchathivu island, which was ceded to Sri Lanka by India in 1974.
Many fishermen had to abandon their boats and jump into the sea to escape the assault. They remained in the water for more than one hour, then got back into their boats and returned to shore.
The ruling DMK and many other political parties, including AIADMK, CPI and MDMK have held protests over similar incidents in the past.
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