Sri Lanka news columns

Rafik JALALDEEN WANNI: Fifty World Food Programme lorries carrying essential food items, medicine and other dry rations for Wanni civilians were forced to return to Vavuniya due to LTTE artillery fire and claymore mine attacks. Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said the convoy loaded with essential food items had crossed the Omanthai entry/exit point. He said the food convoy had come under a barrage of LTTE artillery fire and a claymore mine attack and turned back to Vavuniya. “The Tiger cadres fired indiscriminately at the food convoy for the IDPs,” Brigadier Nanayakkara told the Daily News. The lorries were carrying a large stock of medicine and essential items such as rice, sugar and dhal, Brigadier Nanayakkara said. He said 18 other food lorries will be sent to civilians living in IDP centres in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts. “Five of the 18 vehicles will be distributing essential food items coordinating with relevant authorities in the Mullaitivu district while...

Asia Report N°159 15 October 2008 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS Sri Lanka’s government must address the security needs and land-related grievances of all ethnic communities in its Eastern Province or risk losing a unique opportunity for development and peace. Muslims, Tamils and Sinhalese all feel weak and under threat, and recent ethnic violence could easily worsen. The government must devolve real power to the newly elected provincial council, end impunity for ongoing human rights violations and work to develop a consensus on issues of land, security and power sharing with independent representatives of all communities, including those from opposition parties. The province is Sri Lanka’s most ethnically complex region and has been at the heart of post-independence conflicts. It features a Tamil-speaking majority split equally between ethnic Tamils and Muslims, as well as a sizeable Sinhala minority who mostly moved there from the south under state irrigation and resettlement ...

Rafik Jalaldeen COLOMBO: Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said yesterday that the LTTE is a terrorist outfit which has a long history of looting from civilians and aid agencies and make use of the ill gotten resources to strengthen its cadres and terror activities against Security Forces. Speaking to the Daily News, Brigadier Nanayakkara said the UN office had lodged a complaint that its premises had been looted by suspected LTTE cadres. “There is no doubt about the LTTE looting the UN office in the uncleared areas. We are certain that it is only the LTTE who are in a position to loot the UN office and steal its property”, he added. He said the Security Forces have no access to the uncleared areas where the looting of the UN office took place, adding that according to the UN officials suspected LTTE cadres had looted the UN office after it was vacated by UN staff following a Government order. “The Security Forces can take their decision only after the UN informs the Government with...

Humanitarian assistance to be continued from Vavuniya: Rasika SOMARATHNA COLOMBO: Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said yesterday that the United Nations and other aid groups re-commenced their pull- out from Kilinochchi and were expected to complete the re-location process in Vavuniya by September 29. However the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) would continue its presence in the area to help the needy, the Minister added. He said these groups would continue their humanitarian assistance and development programmes in the region directing operations from Vavuniya. While re-iterating the Government’s commitment in assuring safety and wellbeing of the civilians living in non-liberated areas, the Minister said all measures were afoot to make Vavuniya a humanitarian assistance hub to help an exodus of IDPs due to military operations in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu. Following a brief halt to the mo...