Outcome of Sri Lanka’s Long War May Hang on Fate of Insurgent Leader

By SETH MYDANS, Published: March 31, 2009

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Will he kill himself? This is a practical military question now as the Sri Lankan Army closes in on Velupillai Prabhakaran and the stubborn core of his Tamil separatist insurgency.

There is always the possibility that Mr. Prabhakaran, 54, is already dead or that he has fled the military offensive, and those questions, too, are critical as the army seeks a final victory and plans ahead for the aftermath of the 25-year civil war.

Mr. Prabhakaran is the founder and driving force of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a separatist insurgency that is known for its resourcefulness, its brutality and its suicide attacks. His determination and refusal to compromise have kept the insurgency alive, rescuing it at various points over the years from what had seemed to be approaching defeat.
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Tamil civilians flee from their Tiger 'protectors' as Sri Lanka war worsens

Civilians are fleeing from the Tamil Tiger forces who claim to protect them and revealing the fears of the thousands still trapped by desperate last-ditch fighting.

By Nick Meo in Killinochi
Last Updated: 7:39PM GMT 28 Mar 2009

The haunted eyes of the grandfather who had just escaped from the Tigers at their most furious betrayed the horror he had left behind him. "I want to live, not die, and that's why I have come here with my family," he said. The exhausted businessman was safe in a Sri Lankan Army base after enduring weeks of terrible stress - trapped among 150,000 other civilians on a seven square mile strip of land on Sri Lanka's north-east coast, short of food and fresh water and incessantly pounded by shells.

The fighters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who for the last 26 years have claimed to be fighting to protect Sri Lanka's Tamil ethnic minority, have forbidden the refugees to leave - on pain of death.

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South India hunt for fleeing Tamil Tiger rebels

By D. Jose, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India, March 30 (Reuters)

Heavily armed commandos locked down a stretch of the southern Indian coast on Monday and began a house-to-house search for a group of suspected Tamil Tiger rebels from Sri Lanka, police said.

Jacob Punnoose, police chief of Kerala state, told Reuters the police had information that Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels were trying to flee impending defeat at the hands of Sri Lankan troops in their bloody 25-year civil war.

Indian police and special commandos surrounded Thykkal village, close to the teeming coastal city of Kochi, suspecting that the rebels had landed there in a small boat, he said.
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People power and the elimination of LTTE

By Shenali Waduge, The Nation on Sunday

It is true that Sri Lanka has had spells of bad governance – can one find a country which has not been guilty of bad governance? The nations that speak with virtue today are the very countries that experienced human rights violations, racial discriminations, gender discriminations and in many of these nations these issues still continue. What the world needs to be truly aware is the factual elements of factors that often tend to get ignored.

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"The speech!"

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE

I want you to be my Prime minister for next twenty years….

We found this interesting write up posted on Sri Lanka Guardian. We believe this is written with sarcasm, as a parody for the vote hungry Liberals. However it also raises an interesting situation that many of us might dread, if the political arena changed in Canada. - Sinhaya

FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2009 By Typical Canadian

Dear Hon. Prime minister S. Harper,

I want you to be the prime Minister of Canada for next twenty years (possibly more…) Let me explain. Ever since I was eligible for voting, I voted for Conservatives. From very young age I knew that Liberals didn’t have “integrity” that you (or the conservatives) have. I have to admit that for a short while I dabble with NDP politics. A very short time…. Then I found the real nature of NDP politics. This is how you could be the prime minister of our great country Canada for next twenty years of more if you like.

De-proscribe LTTE!!

You know the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam from Sri Lanka who got about 250,000 ethnic Tamil voters under their control here in Canada especially in Metro Toronto, Montreal, and other urban centers. This is the thing to remember. During all the past elections they were the swing vote that brought Liberals to power. As you can understand if you want to be the prime minister with a majority government you have to get these Tamils to vote for you.

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Why should Canadians die fighting terrorism in Afghanistan when it is encouraged in Toronto?

By Satchi Sithananthan from Frankfurt (March 21, Frankfurt, Sri Lanka Guardian)

Terrorism has developed into a global menace. Towards this the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which has no political philosophy at all but is using the Tamil issue in Sri Lanka as a convenient vehicle is determined to create a mafia international underworld network. Pakistan in the Third World and Canada in the developed world are countries to watch as the fast breeding grounds for terrorism.
READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE

LTTE Has To Free Civilians & Discuss Modalities For Weapons Surrender

Sat, 2009-03-28 02:45 United Nations , 28 March, (Asiantribune.com):

Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador HMGS Palihakkara, told members of the Security Council that there is general agreement, both nationally and internationally, that the only way to bring an end to this terminal phase of the conflict is for the LTTE to free the civilians and to discuss modalities for surrendering weapons and cadres.

But there will be no unverifiable and unenforceable ceasefires, he told delegates at an informal closed-door interactive discussion on the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka. The Co-chairs have said it. The United Nations has said it. The neighboring countries have said it. Many members of the Security Council have said it.

And so has Lakdhar Brahimi, a former special envoy of the Secretary-General, who expressed his views last week in an op ed piece in the International Herald Tribune, pointing out that the LTTE, overwhelmed by government forces, "has lost". Holding civilian hostages and showing complete disregard for the Tamil population that it claims to want to liberate will not resurrect the LTTE's ability to fight this war, Brahimi warned.

READ THE COMPLETE STORY

Language is not recognized they say... eh?

Not according to the Sinhalese and the Tamils living in harmony in the southern areas of Sri Lanka. The majority Sinhalese including some buddhist monks are learning the Tamil language. This may not happen in Toronto, but it does happen in Sri Lanka. -Sinhaya

There's no genocide in Sri Lanka, just a lot of generosity between Sinhalese and Tamils!

Think these Tamils in Colombo knows about a genocide?

Take note, Canada (that's you Liberal politicians, media outlets like Toronto Star & CP24 etc.) here's first hand proof that the 60% of Tamils in the southern area of Sri Lanka, away from the LTTE terrorist live happily, peacefully and celebrating the "maha siva rathree", an important religious festival for Tamils, just last month (February 2009). It's time you spoke to these Sri Lankan Tamils, before listening to the fake Tamil citizens of Canada, promoting hatred by supporting LTTE, the terrorist group banned by Canada! -Sinhaya

The "reliable" source!

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE

The day cricket came back to Jaffna!

Sandeshaya Exclusive, by Sinhaya

It hasn't taken long for our friends in Sri Lanka to know what we do here in Canada. Many had e-mailed us, thanking for standing up for the truth. Among them were many from the forces who were grateful to us, even though what we do doesn't require a weapon, just a "pen" a "keyboard" or a "sketch pad". Recently I got a surprise when I received a SKYPE call from a classmate of mine, who happens to be the Brigadier in charge of Jaffna Town. After the usual pleasantries about family and friends, I soon focused my attention on what was happening in Sri Lanka, mainly about the region where he was, the North. After all, how often do we get to hear about the situation, straight from a source so close to the action?

I am sure many of us have our own ideas of what Jaffna would be like these days. After years of war and being under the ruthless LTTE terrorists, it's now finally under the full command of Sri Lankan Forces. I wasn't sure what it was like, specially when the western media where we live, continues to describe a genocide and a dangerous scenario for the Tamils living in the North East. Not according to my friend, as he went on to explain how Jaffna is now revitalized with life, energy and hope. The life has come back to normalcy to this city, with children back in schools, people going about their work and no more sounds of shelling or gun fire. He asked me if our friends in the west knew what had transpired in Jaffna since the Sri Lankan Forces chased out the LTTE terrorists. Needless to say he was aware that in this part of the world, the propaganda work of the LTTE showed a different side to the public. A bleak future, bogus atrocities by the army, while in reality the same Sri Lankan Forces have been rebuilding the city. He told me in detail, some of the interesting things they had achieved in Jaffna.
Future Minds of Jaffna

One of the first events had been a major Industrial Exhibition & Trade Fair, jointly organized by the Security Forces and the Peace Secretarial, which was held in December of last year. Leading private companies from Colombo had joined local businesses in displaying the latest technology, providing information on vocational training opportunities and offering bargains in consumer goods and food ahead of the Thai Pongal festival, demonstrating their confidence in the future development of the Jaffna peninsula. Over 300,000 people had attended this EXPO during the three days it was held. That's a lot more than Toronto attracts during a Grand Prix weekend in Toronto. Don't forget this is Jaffna, where according to the pro LTTE and western media, the Sri Lankan Tamils are facing a genocide at the hand of the Sri Lankan Army.

The future minds of Jaffna had offered plenty of fun and games in addition to the Exhibition and Trade Fair. The Vembadi Girls School and Jaffna Central College grounds were full of carnival rides, the like of which the majority of Jaffna children had never seen before. Crowds were entertained by local artistes performing alongside their South Indian counterparts and the music and dancing had continued on late into the night, with the normal curfew in Jaffna town having been lifted for the occasion. One of the main attractions was the ‘North Star’ competition organized by Derana TV, aimed at finding the most talented singer in the Jaffna peninsula. This followed the nationwide success of the Derana TV ‘Dream Star’ competition.

You can read more about the complete event by downloading the 4 page PDF with images.

Cricket returns to Jaffna

That was last year. This year, he told me that they had planned to introduce cricket in Jaffna schools. Now, from my days in school I know we had teams visiting Jaffna and vice versa, but I couldn't imagine, after all the bombings and destruction of the city infrastructure, how could they even have a cricket ground in Jaffna, for kids to play. My biggest surprise was when he eluded to me that not only cricket grounds were there, but that he was also talking to former Sri Lankan vice captain and star cricketer, Aravinda De Silva. For a minute I thought he was pulling my leg. After all our cricketers had been attacked in Lahore, Pakistan not even a month ago. But it was true, he had in fact got Aravinda flown to Jaffna to train school boys, on a 3 day residential coaching camp. This news was later confirmed to me by a colleague of mine, the CEO of Ogilvy Action, the Advertising Agency responsible for conceptualizing the program with Coca Cola as the main sponsor.

According to her, Coca Cola Cricket Pathway (CCCP) program has been in operation for the last one year and 8 such camps had been held in different provinces of the country before. As their corporate commitment to unearthing hidden cricketing gems amongst Sri Lankan school boy cricketers, Coca Cola along with Aravinda de Silva had provided all the technical support and management. Although the original plan was to accommodate the Northern and the Eastern boys in a camp in Dambulla, at the request of Sri Lanka Army and the cricketing body in Jaffna, Coca Cola had taken a bold step by deciding to hold the 9th camp in that city. It had been an unbelievable experience for everyone involved, starting with the warm welcome from the schools and authorities in Jaffna, the thanks giving service by the Bishop of Jaffna and the Pooja organized at the Nallur Kovil which had been especially heartwarming. Most of all it was the kids who had experienced something they'd never expected before in their lives. When the LTTE terrorists were in town, forcing these same kids to become child soldeirs, none of them would have ever thought of holding a bat and playing cricket, let alone meeting Aravinda De Silva. But there they were, with smiles wide as ever, full of passion and love, getting the autographs from one of the greats in Sri Lankan cricket.

Click on the images to enlarge them

The residential camp was held at St John’s College where all the facilities were provided for the boys. A 20/20 game was played at the Jaffna Central College. The unexpected welcome the Southerners received had been very touching. When the President of the School Boys Association for Cricket in his speech said that they felt alienated in all these activities, Aravinda gave him a personal commitment to continue this partnership into the future, and word is that Sanath Jayasuriya may also be interested in joining him. The 7 finalist boys who were selected at this camp will be brought to Colombo for the super camp and I am sure will be treated with the same warmth and friendship they treated their southern friends.

This is not fiction, as it really happened! I didn't hear it from the GOSL, nor did I grab it from any of their web sites. This was directly related to me by 2 friends who wanted the rest of the world to know that, there is still hope in Sri Lanka for everyone, including Tamils. This is a story of how far they would reach to help their fellow citizens in trouble. The Sri Lankan Government and the Armed Forces are doing the same, trying to save the Tamil people from a ruthless terrorist. Not so long ago, many of these people were also evacuated from their homes (making them IDPs) when the SL forces came calling for the ruthless LTTE murderers. Today not only these citizens of Jaffna are back in their own homes, but their kids get to visit exhibitions, enjoy musical shows, play cricket and lead a normal life.

If only the last 70,000 or so innocent Tamil residents held in the small 20 sq km Vanni area get to leave the jungle, they would be also liberated, just like their brothers and sisters in Jaffna. If only the western world (some Canadian media & politicians) looked at it for what it really is, instead of listening to the lies of terrorist supporters, trying to buy time for their terrorist leader, the day these kids in Vanni get to play Cricket, would not be that far away!

Let this be just the beginning of many more such partnerships between the south and the north in our beautiful country!

Councillors present Tamil petition to MP

This is a news item about a Tamil politician, recently elected to the City Council in Markham area, who presented a petition to the Canadian Government with 4000 signatures of Tamils in Markham. While it raises an interesting question about the actual number of Tamil residents living in Markham, who elected a Tamil Politicians in a much larger Chinese community, our focus was to ask if this politician was wasting the city & tax payers money on an issue that doesn't concern the majority of it's residents. The reporter Ms. Tiffany Hsieh interviewed the Consul General Mr. Bandula Jayasekara and couple of us, to get the perspective of other residents, non-Tamil Sri Lankans in Markham. We appreciate Ms. Hsiesh's professionalism as a journalist, and taking her time to listen to both side of the story, unlike some larger media outlets like The Toronto Star reporters, who only listens to Terrorist sympathizer's side of the story. Below are the excerpts from the interviews given by our 3 readers, but click on the link below to read the complete story. -Sinhaya

Regional News, Markham Economist, March 21, 2009 08:41 AM

BY TIFFANY HSIEH

While Sinhalese accounts for the majority of the population in Sri Lanka, here in Markham, they are a small group. One resident describes the relationship between the local Sinhalese and Tamil communities as often "inflamed."

"Things are fine if I don't speak up to them (the Tamils)," said Shantha Perera, a 24-year-old Sinhalese from Sri Lanka who has lived in Unionville with his family for the last 10 years. "There have been times when I did (speak up) and it was intimidating."

In his final year of study at the University of Toronto, Mr. Perera calls Mr. Kanapathi's petition "pointless."

"I agree that this war needs to stop, but calling for a ceasefire at this point is not going to bring a resolution," he said. "Right now, there are a lot of civilian casualties being blamed on both sides, but the Tigers, given the historic context, will not value ceasefires. They are just buying time to rebuild."

Ranil Perera (no relation) agrees, but the 43-year-old Markham resident of eight years suspects Mr. Kanapathi of being "pressured, threatened, and bombarded" by the local Tamil community to present the petition.

"I have many Tamil friends here - I golf with them and my accountant is a Tamil," he said. "And most of them don't want this, but they can't speak up. I understand everybody has issues, but unfortunately innocent people are always going to be killed. It's not a genocide, if they (the Tigers) put their arms down, the war will end tomorrow."

Such are the views shared by Bandula Jayasekara, Consulate General of Sri Lanka. A former editor-in-chief of the Daily News, the largest newspaper in Sri Lanka, Mr. Jayasekara is on his first diplomatic assignment to Toronto.

"There are no two groups here. You have a government of Sri Lanka, which I represent, and you have a terrorist group, which we are fighting to eradicate. In Canada, you don't say you are French or English, you say Canadians. We have Sri Lankans," he said.

"If you look at the rally (on Monday), they carried the Tamil Tigers' flags, and they carried the photograph of their terrorist leader wanted by Interpol for the killing of prime minister Rajiv Gandhi of India (in 1991)."

Mr. Jayasekara figured by speaking publicly in support of the Tamils, that Mr. Kanapathi is a terrorist supporter.

"If this person (Mr. Kanapathi) has become a Canadian, he must promote Canadian values. He should try to solve the problems of the Canadians and not talk of terrorism," Mr. Jayasekara said. "Sometimes I'm really puzzled whether these MPs and local politicians are representing Canada or Sri Lanka. I really feel sorry for the Canadian taxpayers. There are problems such as unemployment and the economic crisis, but none of those seem to be handled and taken care of."
READ THE COMPLETE STORY

LTTE Sympathizers show their stripes in India

May be the Canadian authorities such as the City of Toronto and the Police, should pay a bit more attention to their Indian counterparts. It seems the Indians have found out how dangerous these so called Tamil Tiger sympathizers can be when they do not get their way, as the state of Kerala went on a high alert yesterday after a call of threatening attacks. Kerala borders Tamil Nadu, the state with the most number of Tamils out side of Sri Lanka who are sympathetic to LTTE, just like Tamils in Toronto, with the next largest population. A question could be then asked if these sympathizers can threaten their own people in India, how safe can Toronto be? Does the City Authorities know what the repercussion would be, by entertaining the recent protests that openly supported the LTTE terrorists? May be media outlets like Toronto Star could dwell into the safety of the Canadians for a change, instead of writing bogus editorials, just to please 250,000 plus Tamil readership. - Sinhaya

Three Indian airports on alert after threat

Sat Mar 21, 4:43 am ET THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India (AFP) –
India tightened security at three major airports in the southern state of Kerala after a call threatening attacks by Tamil Tiger sympathizers, police said Saturday. Extra security measures were in place at the international airports of Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode following the threat, the director general of police told AFP.

"We are keeping high alert on the airports and surrounding areas since yesterday," Jacob Punnoose said. The Central Intelligence Bureau, India's main spy agency, received an anonymous call Thursday saying that sympathisers of Sri Lankan separatist group the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were planning bomb attacks at one of the facilities.

READ THE STORY

Conflict In Paradise: An Address To The American Jewish Committee

This is an excellent speech, worth reading and passing on to many many others who are yet to understand the issue in Sri Lanka, Thanks to the alert reader who informed us about this link - Sinhaya

Fri, 2009-03-20 09:51, San Francisco, 20 March, (Asiantribune.com)
Addressing the American Jewish Committee in San Francisco, the former Chief Executive Officer and President of the Pacific Area Travel Association "Lakshman Ratnapala said the LTTE has become the world’s most ruthless terrorist organization.

They have perpetrated more suicide bombings than Hamas and Hezbollah combined, killing thousands of people, including their own Tamil dissidents and moderates alike; innocent civilians dragged out of buses; clergy and worshipers in temples, churches and mosques; innocent farmers and villagers, children and infants put to the sword as they slept at night.

They have also a trained suicide squad, the Black Tigers, a separate Women’s Corps, a navy and an air force – the only terrorist organization in the world to have these.

READ THE FULL STORY

TamilNet position for a better forger still open!

Mother of All Despicable Manipulators
Asian Tribune, Tue, 2009-03-17 12:36
Today, we expose another doctored photograph; the one that does not show the date it was taken on, because that date had been manipulated – may be by the same professional who forgot to synchronize his camera! Courtesy-Asian Tribune
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Jonathan Kay: A response to my (many, many) Tamil-Canadian critics …

Posted: March 18, 2009, 11:32 PM by Jonathan Kay

Yesterday, I put up a blog post (subsequently re-purposed into an editorial) denouncing the pro-Tamil-Tiger protestors who were part of the demonstration that paralyzed downtown Toronto on Monday.

"The rally that took place in Toronto on Monday was not just, as organizers claimed, an expression of support for Tamil civilians in war-torn Sri Lanka," I wrote. "Many of the participants carried flags of the Tamil Tigers, a terrorist group that practices suicide bombings and abducts children to use as soldiers. (In 2006, Canada’s federal government officially designated the Tamil Tigers a terrorist group, a move that criminalized the group’s fund-raising efforts in this country.) Some of the banners displayed on Monday also depicted Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, a wanted mass murderer who personally authorizes the acts of terrorism the group has committed over the last three decades … Imagine for a moment, if the protestors had instead been Arab or Muslim. Would Stephen Harper, Michael Ignatieff, Dalton McGuinty and David Miller be silent if 120,000 supporters of Hamas and Hezbollah paralyzed downtown Toronto as they chanted slogans and waved flags praising groups that slaughter Jews? … The Sinhalese Sri Lankan victims of Tamil Tiger terrorism are no less deserving of support than the Jewish residents of Ashkelon or Sderot."

Following publication of the blog post, I received upwards of 100 emails from angry readers — most of them self-identified Tamil Canadians — who found my comments ignorant, bigoted, offensive — or all three.

While I cannot comprehensively summarize all my naysayers' criticisms, let me try to give a thumbnail rundown of their three main arguments:

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LTTE stealing medical supplies for own purpose

P K BalachandranFirst Published : 19 Mar 2009 02:18:00 AM IST

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has refuted the charge made by government doctors in the north eastern war-zone, that there is a severe shortage of medicines and surgical material there, and has contended that the medicines and other materials sent were stolen by the Tamil Tiger rebels to run their own “elite hospitals”.
REARD THE STORY

Terrorism double-standard

SLYC with their 40 ft. banner warning Canadians last Monday. Message seems to be getting out there, as National Post reports below

National Post, Published: Wednesday, March 18, 2009

As members of this editorial board watched tens of thousands of Tamil Canadians throng downtown Toronto on Monday, we couldn't help but be struck by a curious double-standard that afflicts Canadian ethnopolitics. To wit: Why are Canadian Tamils permitted to express support for terrorism in a manner that would be considered outrageous if the demonstrators were Arab or Muslim?
The rally that took place in Toronto on Monday was not just, as organizers claimed, an expression of support for Tamil civilians in war-torn Sri Lanka. Many of the participants carried flags of the Tamil Tigers, a terrorist group that practices suicide bombings and abducts children to use as soldiers. (In 2006, Canada's federal government officially designated the Tamil Tigers a terrorist group, a move that criminalized the group's fundraising efforts in this country.) Some of the banners displayed on Monday also depicted Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, a wanted mass murderer who personally authorizes the acts of terrorism the group has committed over the last three decades.

READ MORE

Canadians are getting fed up of LTTE rallies...

This is a screen shot of the final results of the poll held by the CP24 station/web site, on the Rally held on Monday in Downtown Toronto. It was clearly evident that people were frustrated about the traffic congestion they made, making the commuting after work a nightmare. It seems their sheer numbers, the times and the way they got in the way of other people's lives, seem to be back firing against them, as this poll shows. We think it's about time Canada realized this!

We took this capture as we aren't sure how long the page would be up, as most posts against Tamil cause seems to disappear quite fast.

Are they finally waking up...?

Toronto police to probe whether Tamil protest flags broke law
Last Updated: Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Toronto police are looking into whether flags carried as part of a protest by members of Toronto's Tamil community this week violated Canada's anti-terrorism laws.

Thousands of Toronto Tamils formed a human chain on Monday around the downtown core to call attention to the civil war in Sri Lanka and call for Canada to pressure the Sri Lankan government to engage Tamil rebels in ceasefire talks.

During the protest, an untold number of men, women and children of all ages waved the red flags of the Tamil Tigers, the militant group that has led the fight for an independent Tamil nation in the north of the South Asian island.

The flags, which feature the image of a tiger jumping through a ring of fire under two crossed rifles, are easily available through the internet on the website Craigslist and can even be delivered by calling a local number.

READ MORE

WANTED BY TAMILNET: A Graphic Designer with good Photoshop skills and knowledge of Sinhala Language!

Cruelty of disinformation – Tamilnet exposed
Thanks to defencenet blog for first breaking the news!

It's not a secret among us who surf the net so often looking for the truth, that TAMILNET is a web site that carries completely bogus reports, and create absolute lies in order to present a different story about the LTTE and the conditions of the trapped civilians, to the world. They often repeat old photos, news items to boost the morale of the international Tamil diaspora as well as to get the sympathy of the world. Some of us exposed this not so long ago. It seems they are up to their tricks again, this time however they are caught red handed by a vigilant Sri Lankan blogger defencenet (not the GOSL site).

According to Tamilnet, these letters were issued by Regional Directors of Health Services (RDHS) for Ki'linochchi and Mullaiththeevu districts. However, simple translation errors present on the letterheads say otherwise. Click here to read the original story at defencenet blog.

Since our blog posts are for the Sri Lankans as well as the international community, we have taken it one step further and explained in detail the difference of the letters and what it should have been. Our deep concern is how ever is for the Graphic Designer in charge of this project. Since the LTTE are known to take care of their own people specially when they make mistakes, we wonder if he is still "alive", let alone have a job!

Does the 3 letterheads look the same to you? They are supposed to be from the same office, yet the fonts, the position and sizes of the two logos are different along with the content.

Original TamilNet article 1

High resolution image link (hosted on Tamilnet)

Original TamilNet article 2

High resolution image link (hosted on TamilNet)

Original TamilNet article 3

High resolution image link (hosted on TamilNet)

Here are the details of each ERROR: (Click on the image to enlarge)

Sri Lankan Consul General leads delegation to Ottawa

Consul General Bandula Jayasekera presenting a Sri Lankan tea pack & the Consulate Newsletter 'The Pen' to ruling Conservative Party MP David Sweet and Minister Peter Kent.

Consul General for Sri Lanka in Toronto, Bandula Jayasekara led a delegation to meet Hon Peter Kent, Canada's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs to brief him on the current situation in Sri Lanka and the atrocities committed by the LTTE in Sri Lanka and the harassment to democratic Tamils and other Sri Lankans in Toronto. The group met with Minister Kent at the Wellington Building of the Canadian parliament in Ottawa.

The Delegation from left to right: Minister Peter Kent, MP David Sweet, Consul General Bandula Jayasekara, Dr Asoka Weerasinghe member SLUNA, Mahinda Gunasekara- President of Sri Lanka United National Association of Canada (SLUNA), Daya Hettiarachchi- member of SLUNA and Hasaka Ratnamalala of SLUNA, M.Chandrakumaran, Lenin Benedict, A. Mariam- democratic Sri Lankan Tamil/Canadians , Noor Nizam- Representing Sri Lankan Muslims from Hamilton

"If you build it, they will come"

That was the famous quote from W.P Kinsella in his novel, "Field of Dreams", that was later popularized by Kevin Costner in the film, with the same name. In the current situation in Sri Lankan with regards to the LTTE terrorists, we believe the saying could be updated to "If you denounce it, we will welcome you". This is not just lip service, but a reality today, as highlighted by the story below about Karuna, a former hardcore LTTE commander, who entered the mainstream federal politics, and became a Minister in the GOSL last week. It seems the Dream can be achieved after all! - Sinhaya

I spent eight months in jail reading many English books: Karuna

HindustanTimes 15March 2009,

Twenty two violent years in the LTTE. Followed by a bitter parting with rebel chief V Prabhakaran. Subsequently, floating a Tamil political party. Last week, rather ironically, appointed as minister of National Integration and Rebuilding in the Sinhala-majority ruling coalition -- Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, popularly known as Colonel Karuna, has indeed had a chequered career. In between, he spent also eight months in a British jail for allegedly traveling on forged documents.

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UN accuses Sri Lankan rebels of recruiting worker

Well, the cat is out of the bag it seems... Explains why GOSL is reluctant to let the International Media & Aid Workers onto the front lines.... Sinhaya

Associated Press, COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: The United Nations on Monday accused the Tamil Tigers of seizing one of its staff members and pressing him into service, as the rebels struggle to avoid a defeat in a shrinking war zone in northern Sri Lanka.

A statement from the U.N. in Colombo said it "fears for the safety of one U.N. national staff member, and three dependent family members who were forcibly recruited over the weekend by the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam)."

The charge comes as the Sri Lankan military said more than 1,500 people had fled the war zone in the last several days. The government accuses the rebels of using civilians as human shields in a desperate attempt to avoid defeat as the military closes in to finish off a 25-year civil war.

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Sri Lankan Government Campaign against LTTE Child Recruitment

Are you Tamil? Time for some soul searching

By RPG - Posted on 19 February 2009 on Island Cricket (thanks Hilal)

This is a bit old (last month), posted on a Cricket web site of all places, and written by a Sri Lankan Tamil. So I assume not many had an opportunity to read it, hence why I decided to post it on this blog. It has some very interesting view points and an insight to LTTE work, here in Canada.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE STORY

It also has a link to a 1990 New York Times report of a LTTE attack on Muslims & Sinhalese. Since the world seems to have conveniently forgotten these acts by a ruthless organization that now pleads for world's sympathy, we thought it's our duty to post that link here to remind the world (in Canada that's the Liberals). Once again this is not biased GOSL propaganda, but an Associated Press release published in the NY Times.
Tamils Kill 110 Muslims at 2 Sri Lankan Mosques -1990 NY Times

Sri Lanka on verge of defeating terrorism – Hillary Clinton tells President Rajapaksa

Colombo, 13 March, (Asiantribune.com): The US Secretary of State Mrs. Hillary Clinton acknowledged that Sri Lanka is now on the verge of defeating terrorism, and that this presented a great opportunity to restore peace, leading to reconstruction and rehabilitation in the country.

These observations were made when Mrs. Clinton spoke to President Mahinda Rajapaksa by telephone this evening. The telephone discussion which was warm and cordial was originated by the US Secretary of State, who initially expressed her condolences for those killed in the terrorist attack at Akuressa earlier this week. She stated that terrorists should not be permitted to destroy the lives of people in such manner.

READ THE STORY

LTTE Child care!

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE

US shelves evacuation of Tamils caught in LTTE areas

Aziz Haniffa in Washington, DC | March 12, 2009 07:45 IST

The Obama [Images] administration has shelved the idea of launching a massive military evacuation of nearly 200,000 Tamil civilians trapped in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam strongholds, sources have told Rediff India Abroad.

Sources acknowledged that the plan was for US Air Force [Images] and US Navy units attached to its Pacific Command (PACOM) to go into the rebel-held hold-outs and evacuate these civilians faced with the prospect of fast-declining food and medicine stocks in these areas.

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More on LTTE misuse of food destined for children

UN denounces misuse of food destined for children

COLOMBO, 12 March 2009 (IRIN) - The UN has deplored the diversion of high-energy therapeutic food supplies intended for severely malnourished children to Liberation Tigers of Tamils Eelam (LTTE) fighters in combat zones in Sri Lanka’s north.

A statement released on 11 March by the UN country office in Sri Lanka said that BP-100 high-energy biscuits found in the possession of a dead Tamil Tiger came from supplies targeted at severely malnourished children.

“The UN deplores that such life-saving items, destined for severely malnourished children, were diverted from their intended purpose,” the statement said.

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So this is how the LTTE are looking after their own Tamil Children?

READ THE STATEMENT

SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!

Does the York University belong to Canada? -Sinhaya

That's the question many of us, including the students of the University have been wondering for the past week or so. May be all of us have been looking at this the wrong way, complaining and questioning how some student demonstrators were allowed to burn a national flag of a democratic country in a reputed National Educational Institute. Not just by any protestors, but by a group of Tamil students who dared to carry their own flag of a Terrorist group banned by the Canadian Government and it's law. We have seen the pictures, the videos and we asked these questions, albeit without any answers from the University to date. But we have realized that as bad as the burning of the Sri Lankan National flag inside a Canadian University was, the worst is what is hanging inside the corridors of that same University.

Yes Canada, you can be very proud of this Educational Institute, as it has allowed the flag of the banned LTTE Terrorist group, to be hung on their roof, along with the flags of the rest of the democratic, peace loving countries of the world. Tamil Tigers are one of the most dangerous and ruthless organization in the world, not just according to the FBI and the world, but also according to our very own CSIS and RCMP, and yet York University seems to think otherwise.

May be it's because the Toronto Police did nothing to stop this same flag being waved last Fall outside the grounds, where an International Cricket match was played. May be the Police didn't think much of it, because the City allowed it to be carried around in numerous bogus demonstrations last week, that inconvenienced the lives of many Torontonians. May be, just may be the City didn't see anything wrong with it, because the Liberal Party has the flag wrapped around their vote hungry buttocks.

Well Canada, if this trend continues it won't be long before you see this same Terrorist flag, hanging from the rafters of the Parliament Hill. Isn't it time you woke up and spoke?

Nihal on Asian Network of BBC

A popular broadcaster for the BBC's Asian network, Nihal moderates discussion between President of the Sinhala Association of London Mr. Douglas Wickramaratne and the PRO-LTTE side was represented by Mr. Ramanan Sri Pathmanadan. He also interviews Ronald Burke, BBC's former Colombo representative. Mr. Burke says genocide blamed on Sri Lanka by the LTTE is an expression exceedingly going too far.

The discussion is hosted on YouTube by a member laliths in four parts. There are no videos just picture clips, therefore I have posted the 4 links for you to listen if you like to. We think it's a very interesting discussion, where a lot of the misconceptions are answered very well.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Click here for Nihal's Bio on BBC web site.

Reading the Signs in the Diaspora

By John Thompson
President the Mackenzie Institute
ISLAND 12/03/2009

Entrenched in palm-log bunkers, with a human shield made up of tens of thousands of kidnapped Tamil civilians, the LTTE remains at bay. Worse, Prabhakaran is said to be trapped with them; it seems he didn’t run away after all.

This is not good news. Sociopathic leaders, like Hitler in the bunker or Jimmy Jones in his cult compound in Guyana, often try to take much of their world with them when faced with their own destruction.

When the objective history of the last days of the Tiger guerrilla force is written, Prabhakaran’s manipulative lack of empathy and willingness to express his willpower with the suffering and deaths of innocents will be clearly evident.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

John C Thompson is the President of The Mackenzie Institute in Toronto Canada. The Institute, cited by several major Canadian newspapers as one of Canada’s leading research organizations, prides itself on its objective and independent forays into some of the most contentious issues of the day. Its work often becomes a catalyst for informed debate and major change. He directs its research into issues relating to domestic and international political instability and organized violence (e.g. terrorism, warfare, organized crime, conflict, causes of instability, political extremism, etc.) Former Intelligence Officer of the Canadian Army, Thompson was awarded the Canadian Forces Decoration in 1989. He left the service as a Captain. John is a member of Civitas, the Queen’s York Rangers Regimental Council, the Royal Canadian Military Institute – and its pistol club, Fair Vote Canada, the International Counter-Terrorism Officers Association)

Sri Lanka: Your question for the government

An open letter to John Cannis, from Asoka Weerasinghe

Dear John:

Watching Question Period yesterday on CPAC, I heard you loud and clearly, so did the Conservatives when you wanted to know what the government is going to do about the humanitarian catastrophe that is going on in Sri Lanka’s north.

That question did not come from your heart but from the nudging of your Tamil constituents of Little Jaffna (Scarborough Centre), whom you represent. There was something eerie about that question, there was something vile and oppressive about that question, there was something infuriating about that question.

Please click on the image to read the complete letter...

Officials: Tamil group not a threat in Cambodia

www.chinaview.cn 2009-03-11 10:01:21

PHNOM PENH, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Local and U.S. officials in Phnom Penh have downplayed the threat of the non-profit Tamil Foundation, which allegedly had ties with Sri Lanka's separatist Tamil Tigers, the Phnom Penh Post reported on Wednesday.

"We got a note from the Treasury (Department of U.S.), and it's something we are required to distribute to the local government. It's just a heads-up. It's not something serious here," the English-language daily newspaper quoted U.S. Embassy spokesman John Johnson as saying.

The U.S. government had sent a generic message to all its embassies indicating that its Treasury Department had designated the Tamil Foundation, a charity based in U.S., as a terrorist group and frozen its assets, according to the spokesman.

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UN accuses Tamil Tigers of misusing food

COLOMBO (AFP) – The United Nations on Wednesday accused the Tamil Tigers of siphoning off food meant for severely malnourished children in Sri Lanka's embattled north. The UN said a high energy food supplement known as "BP-100" found on a Tamil Tiger rebel killed in ongoing fighting was sent for children in the region in June 2007.

"The United Nations deplores that such life saving items, destined for severely malnourished children, were diverted from their intended purpose," the UN said in a statement. There was no immediate comment from the Tigers. The defence ministry says troops are on the verge of defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who have been fighting for a separate homeland since 1972.

Fifteen dead, minister hurt in Sri Lanka suicide attack

International Media: So do you still think the GOSL should ceasefire and negotiate with these LTTE terrorists? - Sinhaya

COLOMBO (AFP) – At least 15 people were killed and another 60, including a government minister, wounded on Tuesday in a suicide bombing in southern Sri Lanka blamed on Tamil Tiger rebels, officials said. The attacker targeted politicians attending a function at a mosque in the town of Akuressa, and came as the ethnic rebels continue to lose ground in the face of a fierce government offensive on their shrinking northeast base.

Postal Services Minister Mahinda Wijesekera suffered a head injury in the attack and arrangements were being to airlift him to Colombo for emergency treatment. Culture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene was initially listed as wounded because he was covered in blood but was given the all-clear after the blood was found to have been from other victims.

"We were walking in procession and just passing the entrance to the mosque when there was a blast. I thought it was a big firecracker," Abeywardene told AFP by telephone from Akuressa, 160 kilometres (100 miles) south of Colombo.

READ THE COMPLETE STORY

Tale of two Gandhis...

It's is very sad to see how far these pro LTTE protestors go to tarnish great people in our history. Surfing the web we found the picture on the left, taken during a rally in Tamil Nadu, India. It's a large banner with the image of Mahathma Gandhi, apparently ashamed of India's non interference and glad that he is no more alive to see the so called "war against Tamils". Anyone who knows their history can immediately see the polar opposites of Mahathma's non violence approach to, LTTE's ruthless violence to achieve their goals. But we felt that with a little better choice of words, and a different Gandhi image, the truth can really stand out, as depicted by the photo we retouched on the right!

Both were assassinated, except for the ironic fact that the 9th Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi was killed by a LTTE suicide bomber, the same group these Tamil Nadu protestors, are shedding crocodile tears for! We ask you, who should be ashamed now?

One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter?!

Author: Rover - roversterrain.blogspot.com

Often, regrettably, the terms terrorist and freedom fighters (or rebels) are used interchangeably by many, but these two terms are very distinct and should only be used in the correct context. For instance when discussing terrorism in Sri Lanka, major human rights agencies (like Human Rights Watc), ceasefire monitors (Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission) and international media (like BBC, AFP, REUTERS ect.) use these terms randomly, confusing the public about what terrorism actually is. Furthermore, a jaded cliché of those who justify terrorism (eg. MIA – Maya Arulpragasam) is “one man’s terrorist is another man’s’ freedom fighter”, a clear indication that they do not distinguish the two terms.

Confused public is a major problem, especially in democracies; since the democratic process depends heavily on how well informed the public and the representatives of the public are, to address crucial issues in governance. In other words, rule of the people, by the people, for the people is disrupted when the people are misinformed.

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The farewell performance!

CLICK TO ENLARGE THE IMAGE

Sinhala-Tamil language issue-Revealed!

During our research on the accusation recently made by Liberal M.P. Mr. Bob Rae on the Sri Lankan issue of non recognition of Tamil language in Sri Lanka, we came across this rare footage of an interview of then Prime Minister of Ceylon, Mr. S.W.R.D. Banadaranaike. Comparing the two, it's obvious how far the truth has been manipulated, distorted by the pro LTTE propaganda machine, that has reached the public and the "greedy' politicians!

Here's the contents of the interview clip above:

Reporter: "Mr. Prime Minister, the introduction of Sinahala as the official language by your government appears to have damaged the good relations which previously existed between the Sinhalese and Tamils. How do you justify the fact?"

SWRD: "Well, when our country became independent, naturally the question arose of a national language superceding English as the official language of the country. Sinhalese, we decided upon as the official language because 70% of the people of Ceylon are Sinhalese. At the same time, we naturally realized that the Tamil minority language was also, old, very rich language in literature, so on. And therefore we decided also to give a reasonable use to the Tamil language, as a language of a national minority, in such matters as education, examinations for the public service, correspondence and so on. We feel that is the fairest way in which the problem could have been settled."

Liberal MP hit for appearance at Tamil Tigers rally

Stewart Bell, National Post; With Files From David Akin, Canwest News Service
Published: Friday, March 06, 2009

A Liberal MP was criticized yesterday for speaking at a rally on Parliament Hill surrounded by flags bearing the militaristic emblem of the Tamil Tigers, a banned terrorist organization in Canada. A video posted on YouTube shows Gurbax Singh Malhi, MP for Bramalea-Gore-Malton, telling demonstrators waving Tamil Tigers flags that, "I'd like to let you know I'm helping you guys. I'm behind you because you are fighting for a right cause."

The protesters then chanted: "Freedom fighters, Tamil Tigers."

During Question Period, Peter Kent, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said he was "sickened by the pandering of a Liberal member on the front lawn of Parliament to a flagrant display of the symbols of a listed terrorist organization."

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

A Review of Overseas Terrorism in Canada

A Mackenzie Institute Occasional Paper
by John C. Thompson & Joe Turlej

Below is a link to a 135 page PDF document published by as far back as 2003, on out side terrorism effecting Canada. It's a long read , but a worthwhile one for anyone who wants to find REAL facts about LTTE activities in Canada. It is not written by any Sri Lankan nor is it a government influenced document. It's as free and independent as they come. Further noteworthy is that at the end of the document, there s a list of Terrorists compiled, which I am sure must be doubled by now. There are many Sri Lankan Tamil names included who are supporters, fundraisers or general terrorists.

It's interesting to note that in that list, there isn't a single name of Sinhala, Malay or Burgers, the other 3 major ethnic groups from Sri Lanka. And to think the world (& Canadian politicians, who are after the Tamil votes) thinks the Genocide is done by the Sri Lankan government!

Click here for the document - Worth a right click and download!

Sri Lankan Makes Submission To Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Couple of weeks ago, nevertheless a must read!

Tue, 2009-02-24 05:57
New York, 24 February, (Asiantibune.com):

In a submission to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Anjalika Silva of the State of Maryland says her main concern is that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) is propagating false information about the country in order to benefit from Western nations with the best refugee and welfare programs.

The only method available to them to continue living in Western nations is by claiming that their lives are in danger if they return. They use the term "Genocide" to generate fear psychosis so that Western Governments will permit their asylum or refugee status to continue, she adds.

Losing refugee status for many of these people means a loss of income for the LTTE that has been extorting even funds from welfare programs for immigrants in unsuspecting western nations. If the war ends and the country returns to normalcy two things can happen:

Her detailed submission to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is holding hearing on Sri Lanka on Tuesday February 24, reads as follows:

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT ASIAN TRIBUNE