News Archive

I Never Underestimated the LTTE -“ President

MR. PRESIDENT, when you were elected in 2005 what was your expectation of this conflict? This is what you said in your 2005 Presidential Election manifesto, Mahinda Chintana: “The freedom of our country is supreme. I will not permit any separatism. I will also not permit anyone to destroy democracy in our country...I will respect all ethnic and religious identities, refrain from using force against anyone, and build a new society that protects individuals and social freedoms.”.....
A 'Talking' Scare-Crow

CORPORAL Nanda Ravi (38) of the Sri Lanka Army 3rd Gemunu Regiment, a resident of Talalla Kekanadura in Matara has produced a 'talking' scare-crow which can drive away birds that threaten ripe paddy fields. The life-size contraption which resembles a man has a voice tape which can be activated and switched off through the mobile phone in the form of a 'missed call'. Once activated it raises a loud taped voice, sho sho, sho, sho which can be heard to a distance of over a half a mile and its hands move up and down resembling that of a man in the paddy field. Corporal Nanda Ravi who successfully tested his creation in a field to the bewilderment of a large congregation of farmer families in the area, said it cost him only Rs, 7,000 to assemble. The scare-crow operates on a rechargeable 12 volt motor cycle battery.
From Child Combatants to Symbols of Hope

“KINDNESS will help you make friends,” the bold print hung on a lime green wall is the first thing that grips your attention as one enters the administration building at the Ambepussa rehabilitation centre for ex-child combatants. Tucked away in a lush green alcove, in Wahawita Ambepussa, about two and a half hours away from the capital Colombo the centre houses 76 children.
Combing Operation on in TN Against LTTE

A MASSIVE combing operation was launched by Tamil Nadu police, on Tuesday, aided by intelligence and Coast Guard personnel in the nearby islands and all the coastal districts of the state to verify whether any LTTE militants had infiltrated into the areas in the aftermath of the terrorists defeat in Sri Lanka. The operations, ordered by the Union Home Ministry, were being carried out jointly by the state police including the Coastal Security Group and “Q" Branch, various intelligence wing personnel and Coast Guard, official sources said.
More Warlike Items Abandoned by LTTE Recovered

WANNI: WEDNESDAY’S search and clear operations in many areas of WANNI helped Army troops find some more weapons and other warlike items kept hidden or abandoned by the LTTE. Troops in the general areas of VISUAMADU, PULIYANPOKKANAI, IRANAMADU and KULAMURIPPU on Wednesday (8) recovered one T-56 magazine, one pouch, one T-56 weapon, one Light Machine Gun (LMG) tripod, one shotgun, one hand grenade, two 12.7 mm ammunition drums, one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), one GPMG tripod, one 130 mm artillery projectile.....
How Prabhakaran Went Down in Nanthe Kadal - The Last Battleground - Part I

RIGHT opposite the rusting and cannibalized hull of Farah 3, the Egyptian ship pirated by the Tamil Tigers, a monument is rising now from the sandy beach in Vellamullivaikkal to mark the historic event of May 16, 2009 – the day when the two divisions, 58 and 59, that advanced from the south and the north met, clearing the entire northern and eastern coastline of the last vestiges of Tiger threats to the territorial integrity and national sovereignty.
Teenage Girl Became Mother of 7 to Escape Tiger Conscription

PRESIDENT Mahinda Rajapaksa has told ‘The Hindu’ that the Police found a 19-year-old girl who had borne seven children to escape conscription by the LTTE. In an interview with N. Ram, editor of the newspaper, the President said that the victim’s parents had encouraged this to avoid her being taken away by the LTTE to be thrown into the battle. Emphasising his respect for family values, the President accused the LTTE of ruining what he called family culture of the Tamils.
Docs from NFZ Spill the Beans; Admit Giving False Civilian Casualty Figures

FIVE DOCTORS who were serving in the No Fire Zone during the last few days of the final battle in Mullaivaikkal, yesterday (8) admitted that the figures they were dispatching to certain media about civilian casualties were false and exaggerated, due to pressure exerted by the LTTE and regretted their errors. Dr. Sivapalan attached to the Ponnambalam Memorial hospital, Dr. Shanmugaraja, Medical Superintendent...
Colombo-Jaffna Bus Service Soon

A COLOMBO – JAFFNA luxury bus service will be launched along the A9 road soon, Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma told parliament yesterday that. The Minister made this point in response to a statement made by UNP MP Edward Gunasekera that 200 buses were to be leased by the Sri Lanka Central Transport Board to operate in Jaffna. Minister Alhaperuma said the decision to lease buses was taken in a bid to reduce the burden on the Treasury. The Minister also said it would take at least one year for the Yaldevi train to resume normal operations.
The Ultimate Truth as Told by Tamil Doctors

THE AUDITORIUM of the Media Centre for National Security was teeming with media personnel as more than 70 odd members of the fourth estate, the highest number of them ever to attend a press briefing in recent times, gathered there at the auditorium on Wednesday afternoon. All media personnel had arrived well before the scheduled time, 3 p.m. despite the short notice issued to them in the morning to see the five Tamil doctors namely Dr. Sathyamoorthy, Dr. Ilancheliyan, Dr. Sivapalan, Dr. Shanmugaraja and Dr. Vartharaja.