U.S Department Of State: Report to Congress on Sri Lanka

Read The Report

அமெரிக்க ஏகாதிபத்தியம் ஒழிக

ஒபாமாவின் முள்வேலி முகாம்

Pakistan fighting sparks exodus

The country's Jalozai refugee camp, 35km southwest of Peshawar , houses nearly 4,000 people

Aslam Din, a Pakistani tribesman, right, stands beside his daughter Sameeda Gul, who was allegedly injured in a suspected U.S. missile strike in Spalaga village, at a local hospital in Miran Shah, the main town of the Pakistani tribal region of North Waziristan, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009.
(MORE)

India was ready to grant US$ 2.6 bn to SL

In case of IMF’s refusal
India was ready to grant US$ 2.6 bn to SL
by Saman Indrajith
Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama yesterday (20) told parliament that India was ready to provide US$ 2.6 billion to Sri Lanka in case the IMF had not granted its loan facility.
He said that Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had even told the IMF on one occasion that India would supply that amount of funds it did not approve the standby credit facility for Sri Lanka.
"Such was the kind of friendship this government has developed with neighbouring countries," he said.
The government would never forget the assistance and backing of regional governments, such as India and Pakistan, Sri Lanka received during desperate times.
"Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had telephoned the Indian representatives of the IMF and instructed them to support Sri Lanka’s case.
Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh himself had said that if the IMF would not approve the loan facility to Sri Lanka, India would give it," Dr. Amunugama said.

மே17 இற்குப் பிந்திய புதிய புலப்பெயர்வு -2

76 ஈழ அகதிகளுடன் கனடாவுக்குள் நுழைந்த '' ஓசன் லேடி '' என்ற கப்பல்

76 ஈழத் தமிழர்களுடன் '' ஓசன் லேடி'' கப்பல் ஒன்று கனடாவைச் சென்றடைந்துள்ளது. கடந்த சனிக்கிழமை கனடிய பொலிஸார் பிரிட்டிஷ் கொலம்பியா கடலின் கனடா கடற்பரப்பிற்குள் வைத்து குறித்த சந்தேகத்துக்கு இடமான கப்பலை கனேடிய கடற்படையினர் கைப்பற்றியுள்ளார்கள்.கப்பலானது இலங்கையிலிருந்து அகதிகளுடன் வந்தாகக் கருத்தப்பட்ட போதும், எங்கிருந்து கப்பல் புறப்பட்டது என விசாரணைகளில் இருந்து தெரியவரவில்லை. கப்பலில் வந்தர்வர்கள் கனடாவில் குடியேற அனுமதிக்குமாறு அவர்கள் கோரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளனர். இவர்கள் அனைவரும் பிரிட்டிஷ் கொல்பியாவில் உள்ள ஒரு சிறையில் வைத்து கனடா காவல்துறையினர் விசாரணை நடத்தி வருகின்றனர்.

தகவல்: பதிவு இணையம்

'US fund manager cleared of funding terrorism'

'US fund manager cleared of funding terrorism'

COLOMBO (AFP) – Sri Lankan-born hedge fund billionaire Raj Rajaratnam was investigated for allegedly funding Tamil Tiger rebels, but there was no evidence against him, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka said Monday.
US authorities on Friday charged Rajaratnam, 52, with fraud after saying they had uncovered the biggest ever case of insider-trading by a hedge fund.
He was among several wealthy overseas Sri Lankans whose donations to a Maryland-based charity, the Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), are suspected of making their way to the separatist Tamil Tigers.
"At the time Mr. Rajaratnam made the donations, the TRO was not banned by the Sri Lankan government, nor the US. It was a donation made in good faith," the central bank's investigations unit chief, D.K. Wijesuriya, told AFP.
The central bank is the leading investigating authority in Sri Lanka for all financial transactions that are suspected of breaching money-laundering laws.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are considered a terrorist organisation by Sri Lanka, the United States and the European Union. After decades of civil war, the government declared victory over the LTTE in May.
Wijesuriya said their investigations did not uncover any wrongdoing by Rajaratnam, who he said had given the money to the TRO for reconstruction work following the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
The TRO was outlawed in Sri Lanka in November 2007 and its assets were frozen a year later.
Sri Lanka's securities regulator said there were no probes on Rajaratnam's dealings in the island's tiny 10-billion-dollar bourse.
"None of his trades ever aroused our suspicion. This (the US charges) came as a surprise," the Securities and Exchange Commission director general, Channa de Silva, told AFP.
Federal prosecutors in New York charged Rajaratnam, founder of the Galleon Management hedge fund, with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
Sri Lankan shares tumbled 3.1 percent in morning trade Monday on fears of economic fallout from the US case against Rajaratnam, who has substantial business interests on the island.
Rajaratnam, who had his primary education in Sri Lanka, is the world's 559th richest person according to Forbes magazine with a net worth of 1.3 billion dollars.
Sri Lanka's justice ministry thanked Rajaratnam last month for donating millions of dollars to rehabilitate child soldiers conscripted by the Tamil Tigers.(MORE)

We will decide fearlessly- President

Armed forces' sacrificed not in vain :

(By : Rasika Somarathna in Matale)

Even though terrorism had been defeated certain forces which preached separatism and who tried to divide the country were still at large. "We are closely monitoring the situation and to defeat this and in the struggles ahead to build a new country we shall not fear to take necessary decisions in the face of any dangers that we may face," said President Mahinda Rajapaksa. (MORE)

India assures Lanka of safeguarding democracy

India assures Lanka of safeguarding democracy

By Our Diplomatic Editor The Sunday Times
Sri Lanka informally sounded India on Thursday over reports of a possibility of a destabilization of the democratic system, the Sunday Times learns. Such fears have arisen due to prevailing tensions within the defence establishment.
The subject had come up for discussion during a conversation between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and outgoing Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Alok Prasad. Following apprehensions expressed by President Rajapaksa, Mr. Prasad is learnt to have briefed Govt.leaders in New Delhi. Diplomatic sources in Colombo said the Indian Government’s position was that it would offer all help under such circumstances to a democratically-elected Government. This is on the same basis India sent troops to the Maldives in the wake of an attack in Male by armed members of PLOTE, then a separatist group, on the invitation of the Maldivian President. Indian troops landed in Male and helped the National Security Service there to restore order.

பக்சபாசிஸ்டுக்களின் பாதுகாப்புக் கிராமங்கள் ஐ.நா துணையில் தொடரும் இனப்படுகொலையே!

ஊட்டச்சத்தின்றி!

A malnourished child at the paediatric ward of the General Hospital, Vavuniya.

Photo: The Sunday Times lk

Rights council adopts Gaza report

Rights council adopts Gaza report

At least 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed during Israel's three-week war on Gaza [AFP]
The UN human rights council has endorsed the Goldstone report on Israel's war on Gaza, which accused both Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas of war crimes, but was overall more critical of Israel than Hamas.
The council's resolution adopting the report was passed by 25 votes for to six votes against with 11 countries abstaining.
The Goldstone report calls on Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, to monitor whether Israel and Hamas conduct credible investigations into the conflict which took place last winter.
Should the two sides fail to do so, it calls on the UN Security Council to refer the allegations to the International Criminal Court.
The Palestinian Authority had initially agreed to defer a vote on the UN-sanctioned report but later backtracked under heavy criticism.( More )