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London police starts a manhunt for Michelle Samaraweera's killer By Walter Jayawardhana
At the end of May Samaraweera was found strangled and raped in a small children’s park in Walthamstow, a very run down area of the city of London.  Visiting the Vavuniya IDP camps: an uplifting experience The last phase of Sri Lanka’s low-intensity military conflict saw the elimination of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as a military force. It simultaneously witnessed a poignant human drama in which some 300,000 Tamil civilians were rescued by force of arms from a terrorist organisation that, claiming to fight for their freedom, had no compunction in using them as a human shield. (The Hindu) LTTE posters in IDP camps Mysterious LTTE posters have appeared inside several IDP camps threatening the inhabitants and the Sri Lanka government. A careful investigation of the source and origin of these poster messages indicates a huge blunder in the administration of the IDP camps. In some cases, inmates under observation as LTTE suspects have even escaped the camps. (Srilanka Watch) Britain relaxes travel restrictions for its citizens to Sri Lanka The British government has relaxed travel restrictions on its citizens visiting Sri Lanka nearly five weeks after Tamil separatist rebels were defeated to end a more then 30-year war in the South Asian country, the British High Commission in Colombo said Friday. Britain , which had imposed restrictions for its citizens to some of the popular tourist destinations on the southern and eastern coasts of the country, said in a statement that it would no longer discourage British people from visiting those areas. (Straits Times) Sri Lanka tea exports slide One of the world's biggest tea growers, saw export volumes slide by 17 per cent in the five months to May due to a drought-damaged crop, the state-run Sri Lanka Tea Board said on Friday. Tea is the South Asian island nation's biggest foreign exchange earner after garments and is a vital source of revenue as it recovers from nearly four decades of war with ethnic Tamil Tiger rebels. (Straits Times) China pledges to enhance relations with Sri Lanka One of China would work with Sri Lanka to promote the comprehensive and cooperative partnership to a new height, said Vice Premier Li Keqiang here on Friday. "We attach great importance to the traditional friendship with Sri Lanka," Li told visiting Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama. (Straits Times) Hatton Bank targets Sri Lanka north, infrastructure as war ends Hatton National Bank Ltd., Sri Lanka’s second-biggest non-state lender by assets, plans to add branches and finance rebuilding in the island’s north and east following an end to three decades of civil war. Hatton aims to open three new branches next year in the northern Wanni region, where the military fought its final battles against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Chief Executive Officer Rajendra Theagarajah said in a phone interview from Colombo yesterday. The bank is also in talks to lend funds for rebuilding roads and ports in areas where the LTTE was routed, Theagarajah said. (Bloomberg) Look not for differences but for similarities, President tells all parties By Walter Jayawardhana PPresident Rajapaksa addressing an all party committee representing all political parties of the governing coalition and the opposition said this is not a time to look for differences among them but to look for similarities. The President said , “To bring solace to the broken hearts of the people of Sri Lanka is a responsibility not left for one party or a government but for all.” Aid ship for war-displaced allowed to dock in Chennai MV Captain Ali, the ship carrying relief material for the war-displaced in Lanka and anchored off Chennai port for more than 20 days, has finally been permitted to berth at the port. The permission granted to the vessel, also known as Vananga Mann', follows clearance from the Union government after the ship's agent submitted the papers. Chennai port trust acting chairman Subash Kumar said the ship would berth on Thursday evening and the material would be offloaded in the presence of Customs, Coast Guard and the police. The consignment would then be loaded into a container and sent to Colombo by another ship in 3-4 days to be distributed through the International Committee of the Red Cross. (Times of India) IMF loan delay drives Sri Lanka shares down; rupee flat Sri Lanka's stock market edged down for a fourth straight session on Thursday on worries over an IMF loan delay amid lack of foreign interest in the post-war bourse with retail profit-taking. The bourse fell 0.41 percent or 9.82 points to 2408.91, its lowest since June 18. The bourse hit a one-year high on June 22. (Forbes) Sri Lankan FM says China always friend The visiting Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said on Thursday that China has always been a friend to Sri Lanka and he is seeking closer bilateral ties during his five-day official visit. "China has remained a friend of Sri Lanka at times of difficulty. A friend in need is a friend indeed," said Bogollagama in an exclusive interview with Xinhua. (Xinhuanet) Sri Lankan govt thanks Maldives The government of Sri Lanka expressed gratitude to Maldives government for the support extended by the Maldives at the UN Human Rights Council Special session on Sri Lanka held on 6 – 27 May 2009. During a meeting held at foreign ministry the Acting High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the Maldives H M T Wijewickrama, thanked Maldives foreign minister Dr. Ahmed Shaheed for the Maldivian support and requested the minister to convey the appreciation of the President and the people of Sri Lanka to the President and the people of the Maldives. (Miadhu News) Aceh inspires Sri Lankan peace mission The 2005 Aceh peace pact has provided inspiration for Sri Lanka in its handling of social reintegration issues after its 26-year war with the Tamil Tigers. The pact had encouraged the Sri Lankan government to "learn from and share experiences *with Indonesia*," on how to overcome problems in keeping peace. (Jakarta Post) Sri Lanka raises fuel prices by 11 percent Sri Lanka has raised retail fuel prices by up to 11 percent in a bid to offset higher crude oil import costs, according to the government. Higher grade gasoline was increased by 15 rupees to 148 rupees (1.3 dollars) a litre while diesel, which is widely used by public transport, was raised 4.11 percent to 73 rupees. (AFP) Sri Lanka wants 50,000 more soldiers in areas freed from rebels Sri Lanka will recruit 50,000 personnel to increase security forces in areas captured when Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels were defeated last month, the military said. The Tamil Tigers held more than 600 square kilometers (232 square miles) of territory as well as two-thirds of the coast in the north before their last forces were routed in May, Keheliya Rambukwella, the defense spokesman, said on the Defense Ministry Web site. (Bloomberg) Sri Lankan's body to be sent home The body of a man found washed up on Asry beach almost two weeks ago is due to be repatriated tomorrow. Sri Lankan Gunawardana Mudalige Lionel, 64, had been missing from work since June 3. His body was found by a Coastguard patrol on June 17 and taken to the SMC mortuary. (Gulf Daily News) Attempted Charges over Sri Lankan student acid attack murder charges have been laid against a man accused of an acid attack on two Sri Lankan students during a home invasion in Western Sydney. Detectives arrested Amalathepan Srikantharajah, 25, of Girraween, about 10am (AEST) on Wednesday and charged him with attempted murder over the May 17 attack in western Sydney's Westmead. (Daily Telegraph) Sri Lanka establishes first solar power enabled village at Monaragala Sri Lanka’s first solar power enabled village has been established at Galgamuwa in Madulla of Monaragala district. Under the project solar power facilities have been provided for 300 houses in Galgamuwa village. (Energy Business) Tamil Tiger leader KP refuses to enter elections to achieve its goals By Walter Jayawardhana The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam new leader K. Pathmanathan alias KP said that his outfit would fight for his past separatist goals “through political means” but refused to enter any elections in Sri Lanka to do so. In an interview with India Today’s Rajesh Sundaram the LTTE’s past arms procurer and new leader KP said the terrorist outfit would refuse to take part in Sri Lankan elections and did not elaborate in what other political means it would take to achieve its goals. AIADMK members evicted en masse from TN Assembly Opposition AIADMK members were on Tuesday evicted en masse from the Tamil Nadu Assembly as they disrupted the proceedings by raising slogans to demand passage of a resolution on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue. Speaker R. Avudaiyappan ordered the eviction following a request from Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi who said raising slogans inside the House was "uncultured". (PTI/The Hindu) Sri Lanka to take action against former rebels Sri Lanka plans to take legal action against a small group of hardcore rebel fighters, and rehabilitate the majority of former Tamil Tiger insurgents, a government minister said on Tuesday. The government is currently holding about 10,000 former rebel fighters, after declaring victory in the nation's quarter century civil war in May. (AP/The Hindu) Beating back a mosquito-borne epidemic Workers in Colombo, Sri Lanka, fumigate city streets as part of a campaign to curb the breeding of mosquitoes that spread dengue fever. Dengue, an acute febrile disease caused by a virus that affects tens of millions of people a year worldwide, is a particular threat in tropical areas such as Sri Lanka. (Washington Post) Sri Lanka-China pact on power project Sri Lanka and China on Monday signed an agreement on the second and third stages of the $891-million Norochcholai Coal Power 600 MW Project. The Information Department said phase two and three of the Norochcholai project would be completed by 2013. (The Hindu) 'Tamil unit' for Sri Lanka's army Sri Lanka's army is to establish an ethnic Tamil regiment for the first time, the minister for national reconciliation has told the BBC. Vinyagamoorthi Muralitharan, who defected from Tamil rebels to ally with the government, said the army chief told him of the plan a few days ago. (BBC) Dengue cases rise to 12,000 in Lanka The number of people infected with dengue has risen to over 12,000 in Sri Lanka this year, with at least 152 deaths reported to the health authorities, officials said today. The government was battling to clean up the city and suburbs in a bid to rid mosquito breeding grounds and prevent the spread of dengue fever, officials said. (Times of India) Sri Lanka's expanding peacetime army It is just over a month since Asia's longest civil war in modern times came to an end, with the Sri Lankan government's declaration that it had finally defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels (LTTE) on the battlefield and killed nearly all their leaders. Yet the army chief says he wants the army, already 200,000, to increase in size by 50%. (BBC) No room for Tamil Tiger militancy ever again in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels defeated by the government troops would never be able to regroup, a local radio station quoted defense officials as saying on Sunday. Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, the military spokesman was quoted by the radio station Sri FM that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) would not be left any room by the authorities to regroup in order to revert to their campaign for a separate state. (Xinhuanet) US warns travelers of Sri Lanka terror attack risk The US on Sunday warned its nationals traveling to or living in Sri Lanka about the risk of possible terror attacks despite recent routing of the LTTE. "The Sri Lankan government announced on May 19, 2009, that it had achieved victory over the LTTE after more than 25 years of civil conflict. Despite the conclusion of hostilities, remnants of the insurgency group remain," the State Department said in the latest travel advisory on its website. (Zeenews) Sri Lanka accuses IMF of playing politics Sri Lanka has accused the International Monetary Fund of politicizing financial aid following the fund's delay in considering a 1.9-billion-dollar bailout for the war-ravaged economy. "Never ever has the IMF taken political factors into account. Now, it seems for the first time they are doing that -- indirectly," Sri Lankan Trade Minister G.L. Peiris told AFP in Washington ahead of talks with fund officials. (Sunday Morning Herald) Paper: Sri Lanka to pardon lower level rebels Guidelines for a structured amnesty to former Tamil Tiger rebels and their sympathizers are being drawn up by the government's legal departments, but only lower level rebels will be included in the scheme, a local English newspaper reported on Sunday. The reprieve would apply to only lower level Tamil Tigers because the leadership and middle rung cadres have died in the war, the Sunday Times quoted government officials close to the process as saying. (Xinhuanet) LTTE to invest some millions in human rights organizations in coming months By Walter Jayawardhana Toronto’s Star newspaper said that the new Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam leader Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP, a most wanted man by the Interpol and wanted for the Rajiv Gandhi assassination in India is a man believed to be in control between US $ 1 billion to 5 billion of LTTE’s ill gotten money. The newspaper quoting terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratne said in the coming months the LTTE is expected to spend part of that money in international lobbying against Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan musical group in a Beijing Musical show By Walter Jayawardhana
The Embassies of India and Sri Lanka in Beijing will jointly present a two-hour extravaganza of breathtaking melodies, titled Perfect Harmony: A Musical Journey on Saturday night at the Forbidden City Concert Hall. India promises to help in IDP resettlement and "Uthuru Wasanthaya" By Walter Jayawardhana A high powered visiting Sri Lankan government delegation reiterated to India Colombo’s determination to resettle the internally displaced persons now living in the Welfare Centers run by the government within six months. The Sri Lanka government statements contradicted some Western press reports, which said that the displaced Tamils would not be resettled until another year . Police arrest Sri Lanka astrologer for prediction Sri Lankan police say they have arrested a popular astrologer for publicly predicting President Mahinda Rajapaksa's imminent ouster from office. Police spokesman Ranjith Gunasekera confirmed Friday that Chandrasiri Bandara has been arrested so police could investigate the source of his prediction. (AP/Google News) End of war has helped Sri Lanka economy, says Wall Street Journal By Walter Jayawardhana The Wall Street Journal newspaper said since the Sri Lankan Army killed the top leadership of the Tamil Tigers i the stock market has soared and foreign funds have flocked to government securities and about $100 million in Sri Lankan government bonds were purchased , quoting Sri Lanka’s Central Bank sources. The report published in the world’s leading financial journal said the change happening “is clear from foreign-capital inflows in the wake of the Tamil Tigers defeat.” Sangaree, Hakeem rejected in northern polls The nomination lists of two main parties, Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) headed by V. Anandasangaree and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) for Northern polls have been rejected. According to the Additional District Elections Commissioner in Vavuniya, S. Karunanidhi, the nomination list for TULF in Vavuniya District was rejected due to a discrepancy in a signature of a nominee (LankaTruth) 
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