LTTE holding 5,000 children in combat camps

Credible evidence has emerged that the LTTE are holding about 5,000 children in combat camps.
In 2004 alone, the LTTE recruited 1,000 children.
According to the latest human rights reports, children abducted from schools and homes are held in LTTE camps where they undergo training in guerilla combat and prepare for deadly missions such as suicide bombings.
The escalation of tension between the LTTE and security forces in recent months has led to an intensified drive by the Tigers to recruit children, which in turn is forcing hundreds of families to flee their homes, the reports say.
In response to the LTTE's continued conscription of children, Buddhist monks, saree-clad women and men carrying children's coffins will be among the hundreds of demonstrators expected to rally on August 5 from 10 a.m. to noon outside the Federal Building in Westwood, CA to demand that UNICEF take action to bring the leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to face charges for war crimes against children.
Rallying under the banner of the local expatriate activist group 'Sri Lankan Patriots,' protesters will launch a worldwide petition calling on UNICEF Director Ann M. Veneman to follow the United Nations' own resolutions and to invoke international laws such as the Rome Statute to bring the Tiger leaders before the International Criminal Court for conscripting children as combatants.
An online petition has already been launched.
Spokesperson for the group Hassina Leelarathna said that as the world's leading children's organisation UNICEF has failed in its attempts for over a decade to stop the recruitment of children in the island's North and East from the LTTE.
The UN agency is also accused of compromising the welfare of the children by cooperating with the LTTE - a view shared by the leading rights group Human Rights Watch.
"Every year UNICEF officials make a trip to Sri Lanka and extract a promise from the rebels that they will free the children. A token few are released, only to be re-abducted. A few weeks ago, even as UNICEF was making its annual plea, the Tigers stepped up their recruitment drive, taking dozens of children away from their parents."
Leelarathna, who is the editor of the bi-weekly newspaper 'Sri Lanka Express', said the arrest by the ICC in March of this year of Congolese rebel leader Thomas Lubanga Dyilo for war crimes, including the conscription and enlisting of children under 15, is a turning point.
This is the first such arrest by the ICC and it opens the door for the arrest and prosecution of leaders of all militant groups who use children to fight wars.
"There is overwhelming evidence that the LTTE has conscripted children, some as young as ten, including tsunami victims, and we are demanding that UNICEF take the steps needed to bring the LTTE before the International Court, so similar punitive action may be taken against this group that has openly flouted international norms for the past twenty years," she said.
The Rome Statute, under which the ICC was established, requires that a state government or the United Nations Security Council refer the 'situation' to the ICC prosecutor for a criminal investigation to commence.
Ven. Apareke Punyasiri of the Maithri Buddhist Meditation Center in Sun Valley, California said the August 5 rally is being organised in the face of the LTTE's intensified recruitment drive in recent weeks. "We cannot ignore the plight of hundreds of Sri Lankan children. It is urgent that we act now," he said.
He said copies of the petition will also be circulated among US leaders to create awareness of the problem.
"The petition drive and protests will continue for as long as we have children being used as combatants and suicide bombers," he added.
Courtesy- Daily News (31st July)

TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL AUTHORITY BILL PASSED UNANIMOUSLY

The JHU wishers to thank everybody who contributed to the successful enactment of the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act which was passed unanimously in Parliament yesterday (05.07.2006). The Bill was originally presented as a private members bill by JHU’s General Secretary Ven.Dr. Omalpe Sobitha Thero M.P. which was challenged in the Supreme Court by 16 petitions. The Supreme Court upheld that this bill was in accordance with the Constitution and that it did not requir to be passed at a national Referendum.

Subsequently the Government presented another Bill through Health Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva and requested the JHU to withdraw it’s Bill. In considering the difficult path which needed to be taken as a private members Bill JHU agreed in principal that if it’s Bill was presented without any dilutions in the Government Bill the JHU would withdraw as requested. However after the Government Bill was presented there was a major deviation as to the definition of the percentage of Alcohol as the Government Bill wanted it increased to 4.5% as against 1%. After deliberations in the Supreme Court it was finally agreed to accept the JHU’s argument.

Many local & multinational companies spend millions of rupees to either throw this Bill to the dustbin or to dilute the contents of the Bill. Top legal experts were hired to challenge this Bill. This is a major victory for the people who voted the JHU and in general to all peace loving people of mother Lanka as this could be considered as the most important Act passed in the recent past. Many voluntary organizations including Catholic, Christian, Anglican, Methodist Churches ,the Sri Lanka Temperance Council, ADIC, Sri Lanka Medical Council, many Women’s Organizations, Lawyers & Human Rights Organizations, Swarna Hansa Foundation and Dharmavijaya Foundation extended their fullest support on this Bill.

It was reveled by Ven. Sobitha Thero that in the year 2004 the total liquor production was 86,800 Million Liters!!! And there are 4,300 liquor bars in the Country. There are around 14,000 places of shops & restaurants who sell liquor and only 10,000 temples in the country!!!

Minister De Silva thanked the JHU for introducing this Bill and many other MP’s appreciated the work done by the JHU in this regard. UNP’s Dr. Rajitha Senaratne commenting on this Bill told that this is the first meritorious act the JHU committed after entering politics. UNP MP P. Dayaratne also thanked the Government and the JHU monks for not bending to the pressure inserted by various interested parties who opposed these regulation. The TNA, JVP also expressed satisfaction with regard to this Bill.

Let’s appreciate the good work done by the JHU and hope that the menace of Tobacco and Alcohol would be minimize and our younger generation could be guided and protected.

Narendra Gunatillake

Secretary – International Affairs JHU

Claymore mines recovered in Kandy

The Police recovered two claymore mines on PUSHPADANA MAWATHA, KANDY yesterday (Thursday the 13th of July) at 10.25 p.m. targeting government Defence Spokesman Hon. Minister Keheliya Rambukwella who was scheduled to go to Kandy.
The Army bomb disposal squad rushed to the scene and later defused it, and the same time Police recovered two detonators and wires in the vicinity.
The KANDY Police are conducting investigations.

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Terrorism....

Tributes were paid to the victims of the London Bus bomb(07th July 2005), in its 1st anniversary commemoration held recently. Yet, many remain puzzled "why an international effort has not been taken to crucify the responsible?"
London bus bomb's, 1st anniversary depicted the cruelty of terrorism especially in a Western theater. Though many forums argue against terrorism, has such argumentations being productive enough to curtail the fund flowing into the terrorist organizations?


Will their lament be heard??? (SAY NO TO TERRORISM!!!)

al-Qaeda, led by Osama Bin- Laden, has been accused for this treacherous act in the British soil, which claimed 52 lives leaving 800 more casualties. Intelligence sources in Britian, argue that al- Qaeda's, leadership did not have the capability to plan or direct such operations after "war against terrorism" in the Arab world left many Islamic terrorists perished. Hence, it is more likely to read the trails of assistance from the terror high flyers, the LTTE to co-ordinate such a menace.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE), are no doubt the pioneers of suicide bombing and fearsome attacks targeting civilians.

Aftermath, of the 1st anniversary of the London bus bomb, sets a perfect stage to recall the Kebitigollewa, massacre (15th June, 2006), by the LTTE terrorists killing 64 civilians including 08 children and wounding more than 90 others.
The odds and the similarities of these bus attacks have surprised many in the South Asian Region, whether the "West", has a different definition for terrorism?
The following images reveal the truth, which the world has forgotten to realize...

LTTE- guardians of Human rights

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has taken on the role of guardians of Human rights. The LTTE must bear in mind that thirty (30) countries have listed them as a terrorist organization thereby placing them among the world’s most ruthless terrorists as the Al-Qaeda.et.al. It was the LTTE which very recently boasted that it was they who introduced and popularized the use of the suicide ‘ bomber’ and not Al-Qaeda.The countries that hav listed the LTTE as a terrorist organization include USA, India, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, and the twenty five (25) countries of the European Union (EU). They comprise more than half the world’s population including USA the most powerful country in the world. It also includes India with a population of over I billion people. Many factors have brought the LTTE to notoriety as a terrorist organization. Among them are the brutal massacre of innocent civilians, extortion, drugs and weapons smuggling, assassination of all opponents, torture, and worst of all the forcible conscription of children as child soldiers. These child soldiers are not only used for intelligence work but are used as front line troops in armed assault exposing them to certain death. The LTTE deftly denies they recruit child soldiers even to UN organizations as UNICEF, UNHCR, Al and the Human Rights Watch based in New York. The world also detests and condemns the use of ‘suicide bombers’ – a pregnant woman was used as a suicide bomber in April 2006 in the attempt to assassinate the Commander of the Army LT Gen Sarath Fonseka. A pro- LTTE website has quoted the Sri Lankan Human Rights Commission (SLHRC) in Jaffna regarding the disappearance of 160 persons since December and the ‘number has steadily has steadily increased after the stepping up of search operations by the Sri Lanka Army. The LTTE has also taken on issues as the displacement of Tamil people from the Jaffna peninsula. Over 60% of the Tamil people live amongst the Sinhalese and the Muslim communities seeking safety and to protect their teenage children from forcible conscription. It was also a few days ago that the chief LTTE negotiator and theoretician Anton Balasingham accepted that it was the LTTE which assassinated the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The LTTE and its sympathizers had until now repeatedly denied their complicity in the assassination and even tried to implicate a third party. However The Commander of Jaffna Major General Chandrasiri has given an assurance to the SLHRC for the Jaffna District that a Committee will be established to investigate these disappearances. This will determine the truth of these allegations. Meanwhile it is evident that the LTTE raises these issues of ‘disappearances’ and ‘displacement’ to regain whatever sympathy and prestige they once have had among the international community. Their effort will be vain until they renounce violence, lay down their arms, renounce child conscription, stop killing innocent civilians opponents and get back to negotiations and democracy.

India ensures assist Sri Lanka peace process

Although the LTTE has increased terrorist attacks in the country, the government will not change its commitment to the peace process. While taking whatever the steps needed to ensure public security, the government will continue its attempts to find a peaceful negotiated settlement with the LTTE. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has stated this when he held talks with the Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, who arrived here yesterday. The discussions were held at the President's office in Colombo.
A spokesperson for the Indian High Commission in Colombo said that as New Delhi is concerned with the recent violence in Sri Lanka and sent a special representative for discussions.
Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera. Government Peace Secretariat head Dr. Palitha Kohona and several others attended the meeting.
Related source: Government Information Department

Violence continues: The LTTE carries out two hand grenade attacks in the East

A Muslim civilian and two police officers sustained injuries as the LTTE terrorists carried out a hand grenade attack at a boutique owned by a Muslim civilian around 7.45p.m today (3rd of July) in Samanthurai. Media center for national security says that the two police officers were having a tea in the boutique at the time of the attack. Police personnel have restrained form any retaliation in order to avoid civilian casualties.

Meanwhile the LTTE terrorists have lobbed another hand grenade at a post manned by home guards at MAHAMAYA PURA in Trincomaleee around 8.15p.m today (3rd of July). No casualties or damages for the security forces have been reported.

LTTE suicide bombers!!!

These are some of the image of LTTE suicide bombers. UN and other international peace organisations should help Sri Lankan government to combat with LTTE terrorrism. LTTE has direct connections with Osama bin Larden-The world's most dangerous terrorist. Visit www.defence.lk for more information.

Foreign and local firms jostle to take up fifth mobile phone license

June 30, 2006 (LBO) – More than ten foreign and local telecom operators shown interest in bidding for Sri Lanka's fifth mobile operator's licence, the island's the telecom regulator said Friday.

Bidders, which included those from Singapore, India and Malaysia, are keen to get a slot in the mobile phone market which grew over 50 percent to 3.34 million users by the end of 2005. "The response has been good, with over ten companies showing interest in the license when the deadline closed today," Telecommunications Regulatory Commission Director General, Kanchana Ratwatte told LBO. Though Ratwatte declined to confirm, Malaysia's cellular operator Maxis Communications, Singapore Telecommunications and India's Reliance Infocom are believed to among the suitors. "New licenses will be issued subject to clearance from the Defence Ministry with regards to issues like ownership, equipment and so forth," he said. Newcomers will have to pay four million dollars for the GSM1800 license, says Ratwatte, adding the TRC will shortly announce the winning bid. Telecommunications is one of the fastest growth sectors in this South Asian island of 19.5 million people and the Central Bank said Thursday that mobile connections per 100 people had risen to 19 percent from 13 percent reported a year ago. Dialog Telekom, a unit of Telekom Malaysia, dominates the landscape with over 2-million subscribers on its network. Other operators include Celltel Lanka Ltd, Hutchinson and Mobitel, a unit of fixed line giant Sri Lanka Telecom. In May, Sri Lanka invited mobile operators to set up a next generation or third generation mobile phone network, with the aim of offering high speed wireless services. Third generation or 3G licenses will be available on the 2GHz (2 GigaHertz band) and the initial spectrum allocation will be limited to existing mobile operators.

Cellular services have been growing at a blistering 50 percent each quarter in the absence of landline capacity.