Child recruiters & their patrons (13.08.2010 07:32 PM SLT - The Island, SL Editorial)
Former
Chairperson of the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) Dr.
Hiranthi Wijemanne, testifying before the Lessons Learnt Commission on
Thursday, said that the international community had missed an
opportunity to save child combatants. Since the end of war, she said,
there had not been a single instance of child recruitment.
That the LTTE forcibly recruited thousands of children and most parents
were compelled to stop sending their precious offspring to school in the
North and the East for fear of abductions by LTTE child recruiters on
the way is only too well known. The CFA came as a godsend for the
outfit; it enabled Prabhakaran to expand his child grabbing operations
to the areas under the government control on the flimsy pretext of doing
political work. ...............................>>
‘Vapas chalo’ Accord & Hariharan - by An Old Soldier (07.08.2010 - Asian Tribune)
Col
R Hariharan (HR) formerly of the IPKF that was amongst others cursed
and hated by the Northern Tamils appears to be fixated with a ‘until
death do us part’ wish to exculpate the performance of that force in SL
in 1987-90.
His article in the Island (30 July 10) titled ‘Looking back on the Indo
SL Accord’ should be more appropriately called ‘Vapas Chalo’ (Accord) -
Go back-retreat, withdraw. Frankly put-forget it. SL does not want to
know any more about Big brother’s ill advised coercive foray that for 23
agonizing and horrible years prevented the eventual defeat of the LTTE
that India had with criminal intent trained. ..............................>>
Asgiri-Malwatte Prelates Laud Army’s Role in Development (26.06.2010 19:38
SLT - army.lk)
LIEUTENANT GENERAL Jagath Jayasuriya, Commander of the
Army, on the eve of Poson Festival paid homage to the sacred Tooth Relic
at Kandy and called on both Maha Nayake (prelates) of Asgiriya and
Malwatte chapters with the intention of enlightening the prelates on the
Army’s role in development projects and receiving their blessings.
During the first leg of his tour in Kandy, Lieutenant General Jagath
Jayasuriya visited the Dalada Maligawa (Temple of Tooth) on Friday (25)
and offered his respect to the sacred place before he sat with the
Diyawadana Nilame (Chieftain) at his office inside the temple chambers
for a discussion. ................................>>
Samantha Power : the Genocide Chick in Sri
Lanka – Latest attempt by
U.S. - by Daya Gamage –
Asian Tribune News Analysis (20.06.2010 - Asiantribune.com)
Washington, D.C.
: This columnist / writer who has followed, observed and studied
U.S.-Sri Lanka relations and their impact on both nations the past four
decades was not particularly amused of the June 14-18 visit to Sri Lanka
by Samantha
Power and David
Pressman , both members of Obama White House National Security
Council, on a ‘fact finding mission’.
What struck and perturbed were when reading the titles behind their
names; Samantha Power, Special Assistant to the President on
Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights : David Pressman, Director of NSC
for War Crimes Atrocities Civilian Protection. The titles project a
larger picture of the intention of the Americans and the agenda they
have for Sri Lanka.
Given Ms. Power’s unusually close connections to President Obama, and
her husband, another top White House appointee, Cass Suntein who was the
president’s friends and colleagues for 12 years when they taught at the
University of Chicago Law School were even more interesting when her’s
and Mr. Pressman’s titles are put in proper perspective in the light of
anti-Sri Lanka war crime / genocide voices emanating from various
international sources. ...............................>>
Sri Lanka : The Evolution of an Elite Force - From Asif Fuard in Colombo, Sri Lanka (19.06.2010 -
Asiantribune.com)
Colombo : Following the military build up of the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which resulted to Sri Lanka
sinking into turmoil due to insurgency, the need for an elite,
highly-trained paramilitary force which specializes in counter
terrorists operations and VIP Security detail arose.
Due to the need of such an outfit the Sri Lanka Police on March 01, 1983
established the Special Task Force. Initially the services of former
British Special Air Service (SAS) officers were instrumental in training
and laying the preliminary foundation to this organization.
Within a span of 27 years since its establishment, the STF has evolved
into one of the world’s most formidable fighting forces which have
adopted its own techniques in successfully countering terrorism. It has
formed into a force which has set examples to other foreign elite forces
and intelligence agencies. ..................................>>
Sri
Lanka has lesson to world
on defeating terror – President Rajapaksa (18.06.2010 10:00
SLT - info.gov.lk)
We are aware that some countries being
battered by terrorism have taken strength from the victories won by Sri
Lanka over terrorism. It is time for the countries facing attacks from
terrorism to look back and see where they had gone wrong, whereas Sri
Lanka has succeeded, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his address to
the Nation on the Victory Day celebrations at Galle Face, Colombo
today.
It is a grave error of judgment to think that while being opposed to
terrorism targeting you, to believe that terrorism that is no threat to
you is good…The world has so far trod on this wrong path. Terrorism
remains unvanquished because of this incorrect thinking. The countries
that show sympathy towards terrorism and separatism will be the victims
of terrorism. This is the lesson of history, President Rajapaksa further
said. ..............................>>
VIDEO : Death
is penalty for treason in
any country - Sri Lanka’s Secretary of Defence Gotabhaya Rajapaksa (08.06.2010 - Ada
Derana)
When Adaderana contacted the Defence Secretary
over the much discussed news item on BBC’s Hardtalk, where Sri Lanka’s
Secretary of Defence Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had reportedly stated that Sri
Lanka could execute General Sarath Fonseka, he said what he had meant
was ‘if Fonseka was found guilty of treason, he could be sentenced to
death’.
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa confirmed that it was in the above context that he
had told BBC during the interview regarding the possible punishment of
death, which in most countries is the ultimate punishment for treason or
betrayal of its armed forces. .....................................>>
'LTTE
chief wanted to live to fight another day' - by P K Balachandran (19.05.2010 -
expressbuzz.com)
COLOMBO : The LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran
died fighting in an islet in the Nanthikadal lagoon on the morning of
May 19, 2009. But to die fighting was his last option. He wanted to
escape and live to fight another day.
Prabhakaran had a number of escape plans in his mind, says Prof. Rohan Gunaratna,
Head, International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism
Research at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. ............................>>
