Tense eased in Kattankudy

For a week in Kattankudy, a religious riot erupted between the two archrivals it has solved by the All Ceylon Jameathul Ulama on Saturday. The minority hypothetic group suddenly made a counter attack to the majority of the believers of holiness on 31.09.2006. Consequently, the quarrel started between the both sides. Tens of thousands youths, elder and clergy were gathered at the grand jummah mosque for demanding the theoreticians ought to be converted to holy islam or given up theirs faithless against to the Islamic fundamentals. All commercial traders had given a great support to save the Islamic ground rules. The All Ceylon Jameathul Ulama called the minority group for discussion on Saturday. Theirs theoretical leader of the minority group refused to participate on discussion, the police officers warned to the leader and said, if you refused to join the discussion we would have to take a severe action against to you. Finally, the leader joined the discussion.

We have no news from the reliable source what had happen in the discussion, however someone says, minority leader made his apologies at the meeting.

Now the tense is eased and the commercial traders have been enjoying by the festival rush hour business.

Civilians flee after Sri Lanka police fire heavy arms into Tamil Tiger area: rebels

Associated Press, Sun October 8, 2006 08:50 EDT . COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) Police commandos directed heavy arms fire into Tamil Tiger areas in eastern Sri Lanka - on Sunday, forcing civilians to flee, as separate attacks by the guerrillas left one policeman and a soldier dead, rebel and military officials said. Meanwhile, suspected rebels opened fire on three policemen at a checkpoint outside Eravur town in Sri Lanka - 's east on Sunday, triggering a gunbattle that left one officer dead, said a defense ministry official on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to the media.

He said the attackers fled the scene after the police started firing.

District senior police officer Maxi Procter said he believed the attackers suffered some wounds because blood stains were found in the area where they launched the assault. One civilian was also wounded, he said.

On the northern Jaffna Peninsula, one soldier was killed Sunday when rebels fired artillery and mortars into a military defense line in Muhamalai, said an officer at the Media Center for National Security, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with policy.

He said the army retaliated with artillery fire, causing damage to the rebels.

There was no immediate comment from the rebels on the attacks.

Fighting across eastern and northeastern Sri Lanka - has left dozens of army personnel and rebels dead in recent days, with each side blaming the other for initiating the attacks. The continuing violence comes despite a planned resumption of peace talks between the government and the Tamil Tigers in Switzerland at the end of the month.

About 1,500 people have died in increasingly heavy fighting since the last round of talks in February.

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross brought the bodies of 11 soldiers from a Tamil Tiger-held area in the east and handed them over them to army on Sunday, Samarasinghe said.

The military earlier said that 12 soldiers went missing last week when the Tigers attacked an army camp in Mankerni. The rebels accused the army of starting the offensive in a bid to grab rebel-held territory.

The rebels earlier said they had also captured another soldier alive.

Monitors condemn Sri Lanka army raid

Friday 06 October 2006, 13:15 Makka Time, 10:15 GMT

Sri Lanka says that Tamil Tigers attacked army positions Truce monitors in Sri Lanka have condemned a push by the army into territory held by the Tamil Tigers.

Sri Lanka's army described its actions in the island's east as "defensive" and said they were intented to "neutralise artillery and mortar fire", military sources said on Friday.

Thorfinnur Omarsson, spokesman of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, said: "It is totally unacceptable if the military penetrate Tiger territory. That is an offensive right after agreeing to talks."

The military said the Tigers had attacked its frontline positions in the eastern district of Batticaloa and in the besieged army-held northern Jaffna peninsula, which is cut off from the rest of the island by Tiger-held territory.

The armed separatist group has threatened to withdraw from the truce completely if attacks by the military continue, but the government says it reserves the right to retaliate if the Tigers attack security forces.

"The Tigers fired artillery and mortars at our forward defence lines, and the military wants to neutralise them and push them back [to the east]," a military source said on condition of anonymity.

The operation comes only weeks after a military offensive to capture rebel territory on the southern lip of the strategic northeastern harbour of Trincomalee.

Sri Lankan forces also described this action as "defensive".

SP Thamilselvan, leader of the Tigers' political wing, said separatists expected little to come out of talks planned for the end of the month, and said violence would spread across the island if attacks by the military continued.

"Although we do not hold high hopes, we are ready to respect the call [for talks] and give it a chance," Thamilselvan said on Friday.

He said: "As far as we are concerned, when our homeland is crushed, and our people's habitats are destroyed, this war will definitely spread throughout the island."

Peace talks

The government says the talks will take place in Geneva on October 28 and 30.

The Tigers wanted the venue to be Oslo, and have not yet agreed on the current chosen location.

Each side accuses the other of trying to rekindle a conflict that has killed more than 65,000 people since 1983, and Nordic truce monitors see little will from either side to halt the violence.

Reuters

22 LTTE men killed in fierce battle

Friday October 6, 2006 - 09:25 EDT. Colombo, Oct 6. A day after the announcement on dates of fresh talks between the Sri Lanka Government and the LTTE, the Sri Lanka military has claimed that at least 22 cadres of the Tamil Tigers were killed in the east in heavy fighting.

A statement by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) said the fighting ensued after LTTE cadres fired mortars and artillery from areas of Panichchankeri and Vakerai areas with ground-based attacks at troops based in Mankerni.

Political and diplomatic observers here are concerned about the continued fighting despite the commitment on both sides to commence fresh round of talks and cease hostilities. As per the announcement made on Thursday, talks would be held on October 28 and 29.

The agreement for talks is outcome of coaxing virtually from the whole world and mounting worries about plight of close to a million displaced in the island nation. According to a western diplomatic if the hostilities do not stop immediately, the proposed talks in Switzerland could be jeopardised.

"The Tigers initiated these offensive attacks at troops at Mankerni area

Heavy clashes in Sri Lanka 's northeast jeopardize new plans for peace talks

Associated Press, Fri October 6, 2006 08:44 EDT COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) Heavy clashes broke out between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels in three parts of Sri Lanka's volatile north and east, killing a large number of insurgents and wounding eight soldiers, the military said Friday. ``Sri Lanka's troops launched an operation backed by artillery and air support to gain our territory,'' said rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan. Samarasinghe denied the accusation.

A spokesman for the Nordic cease-fire mission said both sides had filed complaints, accusing the other of starting the fighting.

``It's difficult to say who started first'' because monitors are unable to assess the ground situation given the ongoing fighting, said Thorfinnur Omarsson.

``This is very disappointing as it happened at a time when they had agreed for talks,'' Omarsson said.

In the northern Jaffna Peninsula, six soldiers were wounded Friday when Tamil Tigers fired artillery toward the northern defense line, the military spokesman said.

The air force later launched airstrikes on rebel artillery and mortar positions, Samarasinghe added.

Separately, soldiers destroyed six Tamil Tiger boats off the country's northern coast suspected of transporting fuel, he said.

The boats were destroyed overnight near the sea of Pallaithivu, an islet off the northern Jaffna Peninsula, by the soldiers' artillery fire, he said.

A suspected oil storage facility on the islet also caught fire and was destroyed, he said.

A round of peace talks is planned for Oct. 28 and 29 in Switzerland. The last round of peace talks, aimed at ending two decades of civil war, was held in February.

The rebels agreed to unconditional talks with the government, but warned they would pull out of a 2002 cease-fire accord if the government persists with its military campaign.

The government cautioned it would counter any offensives by the insurgents ahead of the talks.

The Norway-brokered 2002 cease-fire temporarily ended Sri Lanka - 's civil war between the government and the Tamil Tigers, who want to carve out a separate homeland in the north and east for the country's ethnic Tamil minority, citing decades of discrimination by the majority Sinhalese.

About 65,000 people died in the conflict before the truce.

Renewed fighting since late July has left at least another 1,000 combatants and civilians dead, even though both sides say they are still honoring the truce.

Turmoil in Kattankudy - Day-04

The police at Kattankudy have imposed the curfew for the fourth days. The situation reports says the damages of both parties since the last Sunday are, 35 houses were destroyed, 13 people were severely injured and who have been hospitalized and 3 vehicle were burned. No solution is so far considered. The population of Kattankudy is suffering without a proper leadership of guidelines. Since the four days, the commercial traders did not open the shops and the daily wage earners have been impaired by this catastrophe. All mosques are closed before at 9 o’clock at night due to the curfew. Many worshipers are terribly scolding the inciters of both parties. The holy month of Ramzan is brought the huge benefits for the believers however, the unrest blockades the prayers.

The Jameeyathul Ulama and the Federation of Kattankudy do still not consider the situation. There is no unique group or leadership for taking the prompt action in an appropriate time in Kattankudy. The Kattankudy Muslims communities are believed, the crisis will over today or tomorrow but all the organizations are keep closed their eyes and sprawling in an armchair. The real loses only to the commercial traders and the daily earners. We urge the government to show mercy in the situation of Kattankudy people and take immediate action please.

sky-cor.

Government-condoned militia abducting hundreds on Sri Lanka 's east coast

Associated Press, Wed October 4, 2006 08:08 EDT . BATTICALOA, Sri Lanka - (AP) A feared militia along Sri Lanka's volatile eastern coast has abducted hundreds of men and boys some as young as 12 and is training them for combat in camps operated with the government's consent, witnesses and officials said. Named for its commander, who goes by the nom de guerre ``Karuna,'' the paramilitaries a breakaway faction of Sri Lanka's main Tamil Tiger rebel movement have added a new factor to Sri Lanka - 's civil war, which began in 1983 and has savaged the nation. Their existence also complicates efforts by foreign mediators to revive peace negotiations.

Renewed fighting this year has killed more than 1,000 people on this island off southern India, rendering a 2002 cease-fire essentially void.

By allowing Karuna's forces to operate, the government has gained an ally against a common enemy, said Robert Karniol, Asia Pacific bureau chief for Jane's Defense Weekly.

``The Tamil Tigers are a serious threat to the government and anything that weakens or distracts from that is advantageous to Colombo,'' Karniol said.

The Karuna faction split from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2004, with Karuna saying the larger group didn't defend the interests of the country's eastern Tamils. The faction has since built up a strong military presence in the island's east.

It is demanding a role in peace talks with the government and says there can be no solution without them.

Hundreds of Karuna fighters are terrorizing the district of Batticaloa, the scene of a rash of abductions that began in March, residents said.

The total number of disappearances is unclear because so many go unreported, but officials from several aid organizations estimate at least 300 people have been taken by Karuna's men this year.

``It has definitely been hundreds and it might not be all of them,'' said Bjorn Kjelsaas of the Sri Lanka - Monitoring Mission, established to oversee the 2002 cease-fire.

The government, for its part, denies helping the Karuna faction.

``We don't know about his (Karuna's) whereabouts. We have been right throughout denying that we are involved with them,'' the government's national security spokesman, Keheliya Rambukwella, said.

But the two forces clearly work together, many people say. Karuna faction troops, mostly dressed in civilian clothing, work alongside police and army officials at roadblocks, according to a high-ranking local official and aid workers. Because of the violence in the area unexplained killings happen nearly every day, as various factions battle for supremacy only a handful of people were willing to use their names.

A leader of the faction's political wing, E. Prethip, told The Associated Press that the group's members are ``volunteers.''

He blamed the Tamil Tigers for committing atrocities in Karuna's name, and said members were armed only in self defense.

``They carry out ambushes, loot houses, kill civilians. They kidnap the children and they say it was done by Karuna,'' Prethip said in his office, where children served visitors drinks.

``Our military does not cooperate with the Sri Lankan army, but we're not enemies either,'' he said, sitting in front of a bookcase filled with children's books and a recent copy of ``Eye Spy'' intelligence magazine.

The disappearances have become so common that almost every family around Batticaloa has lost a son, or knows someone who has, residents said. A teacher said his 10th grade high school class had almost no boys left.

Scores of underage boys sometimes dozens at once have been rounded up at their homes, Hindu temples, schools or by the side of the road and spirited away in white vans, according to witnesses and confidential case files presented to Sri Lankan prosecutors and the Ministry for Human Rights and obtained by The Associated Press.

In the most recent known case, two dozen youngsters were taken from a single village on Sept. 24, said a human rights activist who spoke on condition of anonymity because she feared for her life.

In a desperate attempt to protect their children, many families have sent their sons to safe houses, a local resident said.

Some K-faction recruits receive wages, normally around 6,000 rupees (around US$60; euro47.11) a month, with two thirds generally going to the family. Relatives are sometimes allowed to visit the camps, often in exchange for not going to authorities, aid workers said.

``The communities seem to know who is taking their children and they live in fear and are in need of protection,'' said Marcel Smits, head of the aid group Nonviolent Peaceforce Sri Lanka - .

Parents who had visited said their children were receiving military training to fight the Tigers, Smits said.

One couple, whose names were withheld to protect them, told The Associated Press their 16-year-old son was taken by a neighbor eight months ago and has not been seen again.

The parents are too scared to go to the police, choosing to suffer silently while protecting the three boys they still have.

``We didn't try to go after him and don't know where he is,'' said the father, as his wife huddled in a corner, staring blankly into the glow of an oil lamp. ``We just want to have an ordinary life.''

Sri Lankan air force pound rebel positions in north; bomb recovered in capital

Associated Press, Wed October 4, 2006 06:27 EDT . COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) _ Sri Lanka's air force bombed Tamil Tiger rebels' mortar positions in the embattled north on Wednesday, a day after the insurgents agreed to peace talks with the government but warned that further military action would see them pull out of a shaky four-year-old cease-fire.

Separately, police in the capital, Colombo, discovered a powerful bomb in a garbage dump that was apparently being stored for future use, the military said.

``We took three airstrikes, this morning, to destroy their (Tamil rebel) mortar positions,'' said military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe.

He said insurgents were firing mortars toward government troops in the Pallai and Pooneryn areas of the northern Jaffna peninsula and that airstrikes were required to neutralize those attacks.

Although the damage is exactly not known, ``the pilots have seen mortar positions caught in fire,'' Samarasinghe said.

Also on Wednesday, Tamil Tigers attacked an army camp in Vavunathivu in the eastern Batticaloa district and troops repulsed the attack with mortars and artillery, said Samarasinghe. No casualties were reported.

The violence came just hours after the rebels told a Norwegian peace-broker that they would meet with the government, unconditionally. The last round of peace talks aiming to end two decades of civil war were held in February.

However, the rebels warned that further government military action would see them withdraw altogether from a 2002 cease-fire accord.

It wasn't immediately clear how the military's airstrikes would affect the rebels' offer for talks. Tiger officials were not immediately available for comment.

The Norway-brokered cease-fire temporarily ended Sri Lanka's 19-year civil war between the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam who want to carve out a separate homeland for the country's ethnic Tamil minority, citing decades of discrimination by the majority Sinhalese. About 65,000 people were killed in the conflict before the truce.

Renewed fighting since late July, however, has left at least 1,000 combatants and civilians dead, even though both sides say they are still honoring the truce.

The homemade bomb, weighing about 15 kilograms (33 pounds), found in Colombo, was not set to explode, Samarasinghe said.

He said a resident had spotted the device and informed police at a nearby checkpoint.

It was not clear who hid the bomb, but separatist Tamil Tiger rebels have been accused of a series of roadside explosions that have killed scores of government troops and civilians since December.

On Wednesday nearly 5,000 protesters marched along the main roads in Colombo protesting against what they called ``foreign intervention'' in solving the country's ethnic conflict.

The protest was led by trade union and student wings of the Marxist People's Liberation Front which opposes power sharing as a solution to Sri Lanka's long-drawn conflict. The party holds 39 seats in the 225-member Parliament.

Shouting slogans against the Norway-led efforts to solve Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict, protesters carried placards which read ``Say no to Norway, Hands off Sri Lanka.''

``We are against the devolution efforts by the so-called international forces. Today, Tamil Tigers have been weakened and these forces want to strengthen them,'' said Anura Dissanayake a party lawmaker.

THE CURFEW CONTINUOUSLY IMPOSED IN KATTANKUDY

THE RELIGIOUS FACTION CLASHES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUP ARE BEING FORMULATED IN KATTANKUDY SINCE THE LAST SUNDAY. THE SMALL FRY QUARREL BETWEEN THE TWO AND WHICH CLAIMS SO FAR 20 HOUSE WERE DAMAGED OR SET FIRED. Such behaviour is totally unacceptable in a civilized society. The police have imposed the curfew for 3^rd day. All commercial activities are crippled and people are facing untold hardships. The All Ceylon Jameathul Ulema has decided to talk with the theoretical leader of the faction minority group.

THE CURFEW CONTINUOUSLY IMPOSED IN KATTANKUDY

THE RELIGIOUS FACTION CLASHES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUP ARE BEING FORMULATED IN KATTANKUDY SINCE THE LAST SUNDAY. THE SMALL FRY QUARREL BETWEEN THE TWO AND WHICH CLAIMS SO FAR 20 HOUSE WERE DAMAGED OR SET FIRED. Such behaviour is totally unacceptable in a civilized society. The police have imposed the curfew for 3^rd day. All commercial activities are crippled and people are facing untold hardships. The All Ceylon Jameathul Ulema has decided to talk with the theoretical leader of the faction minority group.

Tamil Tigers agree to unconditional talks with Sri Lankan government

Associated Press, Tue October 3, 2006 08:24 EDT . (AP) Sri Lanka - 's Tamil Tiger rebels on Tuesday agreed to unconditional talks with the government, but warned they will pull out of a 2002 cease-fire if the government persists with its military campaign, a spokesman said. The Norway-brokered cease-fire temporarily ended Sri Lanka - 's 19-year civil war between the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam who want to carve out a separate homeland for the country's ethnic Tamils. About 65,000 people were killed in the conflict before the truce.

Renewed fighting since late July, however, has left at least 1,000 combatants and civilians dead.

No date for the talks was announced, although the government's national security spokesman, Keheliya Rambukwella, earlier said the government has suggested Oct. 30 or Nov. 10 as possible dates.

The government was to hold a press conference later Tuesday to discuss the talks, officials said.

The government had previously said it wants a personal commitment from the rebels' reclusive leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, to end all violence before any talks.

Tuesday's meeting was part of Hanssen-Bauer's stepped up diplomatic efforts to restart peace talks.

Following the peace talks in Geneva in February, a second round slated for April was canceled after each side blamed the other for rising violence.

On Monday, Hanssen-Bauer held separate meetings with top government negotiator Nimal Siripala de Silva, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Palitha Kohona, chief of the government's peace secretariat, officials said.

Meanwhile, a rebel Web site said air force fighter jets bombed rebel-held areas 20 kilometers (32 miles) away from where the talks were taking place.

``This morning, they (rebels) were firing artillery toward our forces in the northern peninsula and the air force attacked three identified rebel artillery positions to neutralize their attack,'' military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Tamil Tigers attacked a police camp in Murunkan in northern Vavuniya district, prompting police to retaliate, Samarasinghe said , adding that the insurgents were armed with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades.

Police did not suffer any casualties, but they later recovered the body of one rebel, he said.

Associated Press writer Krishan Francis contributed to this report

Clashes with Sri Lankan navy kill 7 Tamil Tiger guerrillas, military says

Associated Press, Sun October 1, 2006 06:35

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) _ Seven Tamil Tiger rebels were killed in two separate battles with the Sri Lankan navy, the military said Sunday, as a Norwegian peace envoy arrived to try and end a seven-month deadlock in peace talks between the two sides.

Three rebels were killed Saturday evening on Kayts Island west of northern Sri Lanka's Jaffna peninsula after sailors were deployed there, an official at the Media Center for National Security said on condition of anonymity, citing policy.

The navy operation followed an attempted raid Friday by a Tiger vessel that was destroyed trying to enter a naval base near the island, he said.

Four guerrillas died in the sea battle and two bodies were recovered, the official said.

The attempted infiltration prompted the navy to search Kayts Island on Saturday.

On the Jaffna peninsula, a grenade hurled at a military checkpoint wounded a soldier and four civilians on Sunday, said military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe.

Also in Jaffna, army and Tamil Tiger rebels exchanged artillery and mortar fire across the northern defense line separating the government and rebels, Samarasinghe said. No casualties were reported.

The fighting came as Norwegian envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer arrived in the island for talks with government and Tiger leaders on the country's peace process.

``He will be meeting officials from both sides during the week,'' said Erik Ivo Nurnberg, a spokesman for Norway's embassy in Colombo. He gave no further details.

The last round of peace talks was February in Geneva, but a second round slated for April was canceled after each side blamed the other for rising violence.

Norway brokered a cease-fire in 2002.

Violence in recent months has killed more than 1,000 combatants and civilians in the country's northeast.

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Sunday that its is ``highly worried'' because of a grenade explosion in front of the agency's office in Jaffna on Saturday.

Although nobody was hurt in the explosion, the ICRC in a statement urged the government and Tamil Tiger rebels to ``refrain from acts that jeopardize the safety of humanitarian workers.''

On Saturday, elite Sri Lankan police forces killed 11 rebels in a pre-emptive attack in the east, while a bomb blast killed three policemen in the northwest.

The Tigers _ formally called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam _ have fought the government since 1983 to create a separate state for ethnic minority Tamils following decades of discrimination by the majority Sinhalese-dominated state.

More than 66,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

If LTTE is not willing, will talk to Tamils: Keheliya

If the LTTE is not willing to come for peace negotiations, the government will forget them and discuss with the Tamil people and Tamil political parties represented in the parliament on a devolution framework, Government Defence Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said yesterday. “As a viable solution for the ethnic problem the government has complete faith in the success of the All Party Conference. We want to get the participation of the LTTE in these sessions but if this will prove futile we have to come to a working arrangement with the Tamil people and the Tamil parties represented in the parliament,” he said.

As such, he said, it is the conclusion of the government that the word given by the LTTE unfortunately lacks credibility, and pointed out that this is the main reason that the government requested for a written pledge from the Tiger leader himself.

However, LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran had retorted saying that a written word given by the Political Wing leader S P Thamilselvan is as good as the word of the supremo himself. However, the government spokesman said that this is another indication of the LTTE’s lack of sincerity with regard to finding a genuine solution for the ethnic problem.

“We have serious doubt about the undertakings given by the LTTE leadership because of the past experiences where they have not adhered to their word. However, we still maintain that the doors are still open for peace talks and we expect them to be genuine in their intentions,” Rambukwella said. He added that the government has strong suspicion that the LTTE is only interested in talks because the ground situation is not favourable for them.

Regarding the Tiger leader’s refusal to meet with Eric Solheim due to his security constraints, Rambukwella said the government is not concerned about the arrangements between Kilinochchi and the Norwegians.

Troops Killed Two Terrorists

Reports from Army web:

TRINCOMALEE: Soldiers on foot patrol at ILUPPKULAM, TRINCOMALEE were fired upon by a group of LTTE terrorist Sunday (24) around 3.30 p.m..

Troops retaliated terrorist attack using small arms.

Later, troops conducted a search in the area and found two LTTE dead bodies, one 9 mm pistol and two cyanide capsules.

Two LTTE Suspects Commit Suicide

PUTTALAM: SELF-DETONATION of a hand grenade by two LTTE suspects when the Police were trying to arrest them in UDAPPUWA, PUTTALAM killed both of them before the arrest was made Friday (22) around 4.30 p.m..

According to Police, they first recovered two T-56 weapons, two magazines and fifty six ammunition during a cordon and search conducted in the general area of UDAPPUWA Friday (21). The items had been hidden in an estate.

During further search, Police observed a suspicious movement of two persons at a location nearby and attempted take them into custody.

However, the two suspects started to flee as the Police were pursuing their movement. Within seconds the two suspects having realized that they were about to be arrested self activated a hand grenade carried by them and fell dead

The MUNDALAMA Police are conducting investigations.

LTTE Pre-Dawn Attack On Kiran Army Camp Repulsed

BATTICALOA: TROOPS at the KIRAN Army detachment in BATTICALOA successfully repulsed an LTTE mortar attack today (24) early morning.

The LTTE mortar fire started around 5.20 a.m. continued to pour on the detachment until the heavy volume of artillery fire by troops neutralized them.

Exchange of fire that lasted for one and half hours caused heavy damages to LTTE bases at PULIPANCHIKAL and THARAVIKULAM.

No injuries were reported to soldiers.

Meanwhile, VAVUNITIVU Army detachment in BATTICALOA was fired upon by LTTE using Artillery and Mortars today (24) around 5.45 am..

The same detachment came under LTTE fire Saturday (23) evening around 7.30.

Troops retaliated with artillery and mortars.

No injuries were reported to troops.

Jetliner With Thousand Civilians Arrives In Trincomalee

TRINCOMALEE: THE NAVY VESSEL “JETLINER” arrived in TRINCOMALEE harbour this morning (24). The ship left KANKESANTHURAI last evening (23) with 1000 civilians stranded in JAFFNA.

This was its fourth voyage to transport stranded civilians from JAFFNA to TRINCOMALEE.

SLMC LEADER WRITES TO PRESIDENT ON POTTUVIL ISSUE

Sunday, 24 September 2006

SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem wrote an official letter to President Mahinda Rajapakse in order to clarify the position of the SLMC on the sinister campaign carried forward by some newspapers backing the sinhala extremist groups and some members of the security forces that the SLMC is anti STF and the Muslims are the dead enemies of the STF. The SLMC reiterated its position that the STF is the only security hope for the Muslim Community living in the North Eastern province and they had valiantly fought the LTTE to safeguard the Muslim villages whenever there were atrocities unleashed against the Muslim Community by the LTTE in the past. SLMC is pointing its accusing finger to those anti social and communally behaving bad elements infiltrated in the security forces which had been the main cause for the frequent communal clashes seen in Pottuvil area in the past two to three years. Some responsible Ministers are also making serious statements to set the STF against the Muslims and the SLMC without any basis and refusing to listen to all the explanations put out by the SLMC.

'LTTE' leaflet makes Muslims flee Mutur areas

Colombo, September 23, 2006
Over 2,000 Muslims have fled from Mutur in the Trincomalee district of Eastern Sri Lanka, after a leaflet, believed to have been issued by a front organization of the LTTE, announced that the Tamil militant group is going to launch a fresh military offensive.

The last military offensive and the counter offensive by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces had taken place in the first week of August, resulting in over 50,000 people, mostly Muslims, fleeing Mutur town and its surroundings.

Reports reaching Colombo on Saturday said that the Muslims were fleeing to the Sinhala majority area of Kantalai and Kinniya. But they were stopped by the Sri Lankan Army and asked to get back.

The last time the Muslims came to Kantalai and Kinniya, the local Sinhalas feared that they might settled down their permanently. The government had to pressurise the refugees to get back to Mutur.

LTTE denies issuing leaflet

Denying any responsibility for the leaflet, the LTTE's political leader for Trincomalee district, Elilan, said that the Tamil Tigers had nothing to do with the organisation in whose name the leaflets appeared.

Elilan told the pro-LTTE Tamil website www.puthinam.com that the leaflets were distributed by the Sri Lankan government to drive a wedge between the Muslims and Tamils of Mutur.

"But despite the denial, people are leaving. Fear has gripped them, given past experience," an informed source in Trincomalee town told Hindustan Times over phone.

"A few weeks before the LTTE occupation of Mutur in August, a similar leaflet was distributed and therefore a second leaflet had created legitimate fears among the Muslims in the area that this too would indicate another LTTE attack," said Rauff Hakeem, Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC).

While noting the LTTE's denial of any involvement, Hakeem said, "As the leader of the country's main Muslim party I kindly request the LTTE leadership to issue a public statement denying any LTTE involvement in the leaflets and prevent another humanitarian crisis if the LTTE did not have any hand in them."

The short but brutal war, which began with the LTTE's occupation of Mutur on August 2, claimed many lives and led to the displacement of 50,000 people, mostly Muslims.

But even as these people were resettling themselves in Mutur after the end of the hostilities, a leaflet issued by the "Tamil Eelam Redemption Force" on Friday, announced that the LTTE was to launch a strong attack on the government forces in Mutur and advised the Muslims to leave the area to avoid being used by the government forces as a "human shield".

Rice urges Sri Lanka on bid for new peace talks with Tamils

New York, Sept 24: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged her Sri Lankan counterpart to make a concerted effort in planned peace talks with rebels from the country`s Tamil minority, a senior US official said.

Meeting with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly yesterday, Rice voiced strong support for Norwegian-mediated efforts to halt a resurgence in fighting between government forces and the rebel liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

"She urged the government to engage in a focused, concerted way with the Norwegians as they try to start another round of negotiations with the LTTE," the senior official said on condition he not be identified.

The warring parties agreed last week in Brussels to hold face-to-face talks early next month in Oslo in a bid to salvage a fragile truce in place since February 2002.

A flare-up in tit-for-tat violence over the past 10 months has left more than 1,500 people dead and left the truced accord in tatters.

Rebels among the Hindu Tamil minority have waged a drawn-out insurgency for a separate ethnic homeland in the North and East of Sri Lanka, a majority Sinhalese Buddhist nation.

More than 60,000 people have died since the rebellion began in 1972.

Bureau Report

Britain extends travel warning to Sri Lanka to Muslim east

MALLAWARACHI - Associated Press Writer - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) The British Foreign Office on Friday upgraded a travel warning to cover a Muslim-dominated eastern area of Sri Lanka - , as the military reported four civilian deaths in separate incidents in two days. British authorities have been advising against traveling to the north and east of Sri Lanka - since renewed fighting between government troops and ethnic Tamil Tiger rebels broke out in August. More than 1,000 combatants and civilians have been killed in the resurgent violence.

Separately, suspected Tamil rebels fatally shot a Tamil civilian in the northwest overnight and troops found the bullet-riddled bodies of three civilians in the northern Jaffna Peninsula, the military said Friday.

There was no immediate comment from the Tamil rebels, who began fighting in 1983 for a separate homeland in the north and east for Sri Lanka - 's largest ethnic minority. The conflict was nominally halted by a Norway-brokered cease-fire in 2002 although the recent wave of violence has threatened to drag the country back into full-scale civil war.

Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar on Friday met the Tamil Tigers' political leader, Suppiah Thamilselvan, in the northern rebel stronghold Kilinochchi. The two discussed a recent rash of abductions, the rebels said on their official Web site. No additional details were available.

Hundreds of civilians have been killed or have disappeared in shadowy circumstances since December, when the latest surge of fighting began in earnest.

Police on Friday detained a suspected separatist who was transporting explosive belts, a Claymore mine, remote controls and detonators to the capital in a hidden fuel tank, military officials said.

A high-ranking military official said he believed the suspect was plotting to target top government or military officials. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of military regulations.

The arrest came five months after suspected rebels plotted a failed suicide attack against the country's top-ranking military official, Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka.

Renounce terrorism for the benefit of country

Wednesday, 13 September 2006

President urges LTTE

President Mahinda Rajapaksa urged the LTTE to renounce terrorism and enter into negotiations to promote peace and development for the benefit of all segments of citizens in the country. President Mahinda Rajapaksa was addressing the opening of the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo yesterday.

President in his inaugural speech said: Sri Lanka as a nation has enjoyed independence for more than 50 years. Many have been the challenges that we have faced successfully. For example, the tsunami of December 2004 put our country through a massive test of resilience and commitment. We came out of it, stronger than we were before.

Our vision now is to re-engineer our economy to create economic opportunities for the people to move out of poverty. We do so through a policy framework that aims to build a new economy with social justice.

There is no one single answer to the problems of economic growth and development. At the same time, sound macro economic policies, sectoral reforms, institutional strengthening, infrastructure development, better access to information, and investment in research and development, are the essential pre-requisites of growth and sustainable livelihood.

The Annual Commonwealth Finance Ministers' Meeting is a platform for pushing forward the development policies conceived by the Commonwealth. I thank all Heads of Government and Finance Ministers of the Commonwealth countries for selecting Sri Lanka for this year's meeting.

The theme of our meeting this year, - "An Agenda for Growth and Livelihood" - is of special significance for us all.

This meeting is preceded, as you know, by a meeting of senior officials on an equally important theme - "The Reform of the Aid Architecture".

Let us recall the Commonwealth Principles set out in the 1971 Summit in Singapore. They emphasised "the need to foster international peace and security, democracy, liberty of the individual and equal rights for all; the significance of eradicating poverty, ignorance and disease; and the need to oppose all forms of racial discrimination".

We are proud to be members of an organisation that upholds these principles and tries to promote democracy and good governance, human rights, the rule of law, gender equality, and sustainable economic and social development.

We, the commonwealth countries account for a large share of the world's output and trade. As such, the group of commonwealth countries plays a significant role in shaping the process of economic and social development in the world. The Secretary General of the Commonwealth and his staff in the Commonwealth Secretariat, have worked hard to contribute effectively to this process.

Our Commonwealth is a community of 53 sovereign, independent states which range from the wealthy industrialised countries to some of the 'least developed' countries of the world.

We represent about 30 per cent of the world's population.

Our membership is rich in its diversity.

It is composed of many cultures, races and traditions. It also shares certain common features, such as the widespread use of English as a common language. Our countries have similar administrative and legal systems, and we share a common interest in certain sports activities. These all flow out of our sharing of a common historical experience. Our meetings in Colombo this year are held against a back-drop of several major risks and challenges which affect us all in common.

The first of these is the escalation of oil prices. This has resulted in severe adjustment burdens in oil importing countries such as Sri Lanka. Added to this is the uncertainty about the future of oil prices in general.

The second is the difficulty of economic planning in the environment of large economic imbalances among the major players in the world, and developments in the world financial markets especially in regard to interest rates and rates of exchange.

The third of these is the fact that the failure to stabilise the increasing interest rates will have an adverse impact on growth prospects, while adding to the cost of servicing commercial debts.

The fourth is the need to ensure adequate and reliable resource flows to developing countries to ensure sustainable economic growth and help achieve the Millennium Development Goals. We note that the delivery of aid has unfortunately been below expectation.

And the fifth is that in addition to these economic issues, the world is also faced with increased threats of terrorism. Apart from their adverse humanitarian, social and economic consequences, they undermine the prospects of a meaningful globalisation and regional economic cooperation.

In this regard, peace and security is of paramount importance, and as the world is united on the need to combating terrorism, I reiterate my call to LTTE to renounce terrorism and enter into negotiations to promote peace and development for the benefit of all segments of our citizens.

We need to guard ourselves against the adverse fall-out of these clusters of challenges and risks. And in order to do so, there is an urgent need to further consolidate the on-going efforts of the international community with effective policies and activities, within a framework of medium and long term strategies.

It is precisely against this background that the theme of this year's meeting, ' "Agenda for Growth and Livelihoods" assumes significance. And, as developing countries represent a large constituency of the Commonwealth, it is appropriate to comment on the theme of the meeting from the perspective of these countries.

Growth, sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction are closely linked, one to the other. Our development strategies, whether developed in consultation with external development partners of otherwise, must therefore give considerable weight to a pro-poor growth approach, covering all segments of the poor.

Agriculture is the backbone of many developing countries and the main source of income generation in the rural economy. Any agenda for development and growth should focus on the improvement of the agricultural sector, and aggressively pursue measures and methods to optimise its productivity. Poor farmers need help, as they have to encounter difficult challenges.

Farming is a dignified profession, and its dignity needs to be protected. In this regard let me quote from Robert Knox the 17th century British traveller. Referring to the Sri Lankan paddy farmer of his time, this is what he says in his book "Historical Relations of the Island of Ceylon". "Take a Plough-man from the Plough and wash off his mud and he is fit to rule a Kingdom". We say in our own Sinhala langauge - "Mada Soda Gath Kala, Goviya Rajakamatada Sahe".

Public investment is a vital factor for rural development. For, it is the lack of infrastructure facilities such as better roads, transport, irrigation, communication and electrification that have stood in the way of growth in the rural economy. Though the many issues affecting the development of remote areas have been identified and discussed, such areas have continued to remain poor.

In Sri Lanka's current development strategy, therefore, we have launched a programme of action to speed up the process of rural economic growth in our country.

Urbanisation is also a challenge faced by many countries. It has impacted on urban rural disparities, and resulted in problems relating to the living conditions of the urban poor. In the set of recommendations we will be making at the end of our deliberations, I will propose the establishment of a Commonwealth Fund to address the human settlement issues of the urban poor.

I re-iterate once more that the timely delivery of aid in support of home-grown policies and strategies is essential, for countries to make progress towards reaching the millennium development goals. We also need to promote a partnership between the public and private sectors where necessary and appropriate, as a driving factor for economic growth. An effective and positive role for civil society, also adds significant value to the development effort.

As I said before, we are living today in a world that is gripped by many serious challenges.

To respond to these, we need to take effective action at all levels. And in doing so, the presence of the Commonwealth and other regional organisations provide us with strength, as they can act as the catalysts of change and provide support to our efforts to promote sustainable economic development.

I wish the Commonwealth Finance Ministers' meeting and the Senior Officials' Meeting all success. And in a context in which we are also preparing for the Annual Meetings of the World Bank/IMF in Singapore, I know that the discussions in Colombo will also contribute to more constructive cooperation between North and South.

Doors open for talks

Wednesday, 13 September 2006

Govt says will not accept LTTE pre-conditions

Minister and the Defence Affairs Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said the doors are opened for talks, however, the Government would not accept any pre-conditions for talks from the LTTE.

Responding to communique from the Co-Chairs meeting on the resumption of talks between the Government and the LTTE, Minister Rambukwella told that it was the LTTE that betrayed the Ceasefire Agreement and kept itself away from the peace talks, since the first round of talks held in Geneva, early this year. "The Government is always ready for talks.

We have not shut down the doors to have talks. It was the LTTE betrayed the CFA, since the first meeting was held in Geneva early this year. The Government is always ready to have talks. On the other hand the Government has all liberty to react to any issue, when the national security is under threat", Minister Rambukwella added.

Meanwhile the Norwegian Special Envoy Erik Solheim told the AFP yesterday that the Government and the LTTE have agreed to "unconditional peace talks" in the first week of October, top Norwegian peace broker Erik Solheim said yesterday.

The decision by the Government and the LTTE was discussed at a meeting of the main foreign aid donors in Brussels yesterday, Solheim said.

"The Government said it was ready for talks without any pre-conditions and the LTTE has said the same," Solheim said. "We will have the talks in the first week of October in Oslo."

The European Commission said it has received signals from both the Government and the LTTE that they are ready for talks on the settlement of their conflict "without any preconditions."

The EU executive said it would like both parties to meet in Oslo, Norway, in early October, and to review the progress of the talks later that month.

"We got the expression of willingness, we got signals from the Government and the LTTE, to come to talks unconditionally," EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said, yesterday. Provided both sides agree, she said, "the meeting should take place urgently, at the beginning of October in Oslo."

Ferrero-Waldner called on both sides to immediately end the violence, which she said was damaging prospects for lasting peace. "There is a huge challenge, we want both sides back to the table," she said.

President calls on LTTE to give up terrorism

Wednesday, 13 September 2006
At the grand opening ceremony of this year Commonwealth Finance Ministers’ Annual Meeting yesterday (12), President Mahinda Rajapaksa reiterated his call to LTTE to renounce terrorism and entre in to negotiations in order to promote peace and development for the benefit of all segments of Sri Lankans. He emphasized the significance of peace and security and added that it is of paramount importance and the world is united on the need to combat terrorism.

“Apart from their (terrorism) adverse humanitarian, social and economic consequences, they undermine the prospects of a meaningful globalization and regional economic cooperation,” Mr. Rajapaksa said. “We need to guard ourselves against the adverse fall-out of these clusters of challenges and risks. And in order to do so, there is an urgent need to further consolidate the on-going efforts of the international community with effective policies and activities, within a framework of medium and long-term strategies,” he further stated.

Commenting on the theme of this year meeting – Agenda for Growth and Livelihoods, President Rajapaksa explained that growth, sustainable livelihoods and poverty reductions are closely linked and stand on one another. Hence, a considerable weight to pro-poor growth approach covering all segments of poor is essential.

“We are living in a world that gripped by many serious challenges. To respond to these, we need to take effective action at all levels. And in doing so, the presence of the Commonwealth and other regional organizations provides us with strength, as they can act as the catalysts of change and provide support to our efforts to promote sustainable economic development,” said the President conveying his best wishes for the success of deliberations in the coming two days.

Highlighting the significance of the discussion themes the Secretary General Mr. Don McKinnon of the Commonwealth Secretariat stated, “ …… The first is representing the interest of small states. We now have the final version of the review of the conclusion of the 2000 task force. The second is in promoting changes to increase the voice and representation of developing countries at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. …..”

He stressed the regional countries will be more and more strong if we have Commonwealth consensus around such matters as these two.

Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of St. Kitts and Nevis Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas and Minister of Finance and Development Planning of Botswana Hon. Mr. Baledzi Goalathe delivered very delighting speeches at this ceremony.

The delegates will discuss the need to give their countries the opportunity to develop their own policies for economic progress rather than having prescriptive solutions imposed upon them.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa officially declare the opening of the meeting sessions yesterday evening at the exclusive ceremony held at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo.

The full speeches of H.E. the President and Hon. Secretary General of Commonwealth Secretariat are below.

Speech of His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka At the Opening of the 2006 Commonwealth Finance Ministers’ Meeting on 12th September 2006 in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Distinguished Heads of Delegation and delegates, Your Excellencies, Members of Public and Private Sector Organizations and of Civil Society, and dear School Children. I thank you for your presence here today, at the opening of the 2006 Commonwealth Finance Ministers’ Meeting. I extend a warm welcome to you all.

The Annual Commonwealth Finance Ministers’ Meeting is a platform for pushing forward the development policies conceived by the Commonwealth. I thank all Heads of Government and Finance Ministers of the Commonwealth countries for selecting Sri Lanka for this year’s meeting.

The theme of our meeting this year, - “An Agenda for Growth and Livelihood” – is of special significance for us all. This meeting is preceded, as you know, by a meeting of senior officials on an equally important theme – “The Reform of the Aid Architecture”.

Let us recall the Commonwealth Principles set out in the 1971 Summit in Singapore. They emphasized “the need to foster international peace and security, democracy, liberty of the individual and equal rights for all; the significance of eradicating poverty, ignorance and disease; and the need to oppose all forms of racial discrimination”.

We are proud to be members of an organization that upholds these principles and tries to promote democracy and good governance, human rights, the rule of law, gender equality, and sustainable economic and social development.

We the commonwealth countries account for a large share of the world’s output and trade. As such, the group of commonwealth countries plays a significant role in shaping the process of economic and social development in the world. The Secretary General of the Commonwealth and his staff in the Commonwealth Secretariat, have worked hard to contribute effectively to this process.

Our Commonwealth is a community of 53 sovereign, independent states which range from the wealthy industrialized countries to some of the ‘Least Developed’ countries of the world. We represent about 30% of the world’s population.

Our membership is rich in its diversity. It is composed of many cultures, races and traditions. It also shares certain common features, such as the widespread use of English as a common language. Our countries have similar administrative and legal systems, and we share a common interest in certain sports activities. These all flow out of our sharing of a common historical experience.

Our meetings in Colombo this year are held against a back-drop of several major risks and challenges which affect us all in common.

The first of these is the escalation of oil prices. This has resulted in severe adjustment burdens in oil importing countries such as Sri Lanka. Added to this is the uncertainty about the future of oil prices in general.

The second is the difficulty of economic planning in the environment of large economic imbalances among the major players in the world, and developments in the world financial markets especially in regard to interest rates and rates of exchange.

The third of these is the fact that the failure to stabilize the increasing interest rates will have an adverse impact on growth prospects, while adding to the cost of servicing commercial debts.

The fourth is the need to ensure adequate and reliable resource flows to developing countries to ensure sustainable economic growth and help achieve the Millennium Development Goals. We note that the delivery of aid has unfortunately been below expectation.

And the fifth is that in addition to these economic issues, the world is also faced with increased threats of terrorism. Apart from their adverse humanitarian, social and economic consequences, they undermine the prospects of a meaningful globalization and regional economic cooperation.

In this regard, peace and security is of paramount importance, and as the world is united on the need to combating terrorism, I reiterate my call to LTTE to renounce terrorism and enter into negotiations to promote peace and development for the benefit of all segments of our citizens.

We need to guard ourselves against the adverse fall-out of these clusters of challenges and risks. And in order to do so, there is an urgent need to further consolidate the on-going efforts of the international community with effective policies and activities, within a framework of medium and long term strategies.

It is precisely against this background that the theme of this year’s meeting, - “Agenda for Growth and Livelihoods” assumes significance. And, as developing countries represent a large constituency of the Commonwealth, it is appropriate to comment on the theme of the meeting from the perspective of these countries.

Growth, sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction are closely linked, one to the other. Our development strategies, whether developed in consultation with external development partners or otherwise, must therefore give considerable weight to a pro-poor growth approach, covering all segments of the poor.

Agriculture is the backbone of many developing countries and the main source of income generation in the rural economy. Any agenda for development and growth should focus on the improvement of the agricultural sector, and aggressively pursue measures and methods to optimize its productivity. Poor farmers need help, as they have to encounter difficult challenges.

Farming is a dignified profession, and its dignity needs to be protected. In this regard let me quote from Robert Knox the 17th century British traveler. Referring to the Sri Lankan paddy farmer of his time, this is what he says in his book “Historical Relations of the Island of Ceylon”: “Take a Plough-man from the Plough and wash off his mud and he is fit to rule a Kingdom”. We say in our own Sinhala language – “Mada Soda Gath Kala, Goviya Rajakamatada Sahe”.

Public investment is a vital factor for rural development. For, it is the lack of infrastructure facilities such as better roads, transport, irrigation, communication and electrification that has stood in the way of growth in the rural economy. Though the many issues affecting the development of remote areas have been identified and discussed, such areas have continued to remain poor. In Sri Lanka’s current development strategy, therefore, we have launched a programme of action to speed up the process of rural economic growth in our country.

Urbanization is also a challenge faced by many countries. It has impacted on urban – rural disparities, and resulted in problems relating to the living conditions of the urban poor. In the set of recommendations we will be making at the end of our deliberations, I will propose the establishment of a Commonwealth Fund to address the human settlement issues of the urban poor.

I re-iterate once more that the timely delivery of aid in support of home-grown policies and strategies is essential, for countries to make progress towards reaching the millennium development goals.

Sri Lanka as a nation has enjoyed independence for more than 50 years. Many have been the challenges that we have faced successfully. For example, the tsunami of December 2004 put our country through a massive test of resilience and commitment. We came out of it, stronger than we were before.

Our vision now is to re-engineer our economy to create economic opportunities for the people to move out of poverty. We do so through a policy framework that aims to build a new economy with social justice.

There is no one single answer to the problems of economic growth and development. At the same time, sound macro economic policies, sectoral reforms, institutional strengthening, infrastructure development, better access to information, and investment in research and development, are the essential pre-requisites of growth and sustainable livelihood.

We also need to promote a partnership between the public and private sectors where necessary and appropriate, as a driving factor for economic growth. An effective and positive role for civil society, also adds significant value to the development effort.

As I said before, we are living today in a world that is gripped by many serious challenges. To respond to these, we need to take effective action at all levels. And in doing so, the presence of the Commonwealth and other regional organizations provides us with strength, as they can act as the catalysts of change and provide support to our efforts to promote sustainable economic development.

I wish the Commonwealth Finance Ministers’ meeting and the Senior Officials’ Meeting all success. And in a context in which we are also preparing for the Annual Meetings of the World Bank / IMF in Singapore, I know that the discussions in Colombo will also contribute to more constructive cooperation between North and South.

I now declare the Annual Meetings open. Thank youPresident calls on LTTE to give up terrorism

At the grand opening ceremony of this year Commonwealth Finance Ministers’ Annual Meeting yesterday (12), President Mahinda Rajapaksa reiterated his call to LTTE to renounce terrorism and entre in to negotiations in order to promote peace and development for the benefit of all segments of Sri Lankans.

He emphasized the significance of peace and security and added that it is of paramount importance and the world is united on the need to combat terrorism.

“Apart from their (terrorism) adverse humanitarian, social and economic consequences, they undermine the prospects of a meaningful globalization and regional economic cooperation,” Mr. Rajapaksa said. “We need to guard ourselves against the adverse fall-out of these clusters of challenges and risks. And in order to do so, there is an urgent need to further consolidate the on-going efforts of the international community with effective policies and activities, within a framework of medium and long-term strategies,” he further stated.

Commenting on the theme of this year meeting – Agenda for Growth and Livelihoods, President Rajapaksa explained that growth, sustainable livelihoods and poverty reductions are closely linked and stand on one another. Hence, a considerable weight to pro-poor growth approach covering all segments of poor is essential.

“We are living in a world that gripped by many serious challenges. To respond to these, we need to take effective action at all levels. And in doing so, the presence of the Commonwealth and other regional organizations provides us with strength, as they can act as the catalysts of change and provide support to our efforts to promote sustainable economic development,” said the President conveying his best wishes for the success of deliberations in the coming two days.

Highlighting the significance of the discussion themes the Secretary General Mr. Don McKinnon of the Commonwealth Secretariat stated, “ …… The first is representing the interest of small states. We now have the final version of the review of the conclusion of the 2000 task force. The second is in promoting changes to increase the voice and representation of developing countries at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. …..”

He stressed the regional countries will be more and more strong if we have Commonwealth consensus around such matters as these two.

Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of St. Kitts and Nevis Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas and Minister of Finance and Development Planning of Botswana Hon. Mr. Baledzi Goalathe delivered very delighting speeches at this ceremony.

The delegates will discuss the need to give their countries the opportunity to develop their own policies for economic progress rather than having prescriptive solutions imposed upon them.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa officially declare the opening of the meeting sessions yesterday evening at the exclusive ceremony held at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo.

The full speeches of H.E. the President and Hon. Secretary General of Commonwealth Secretariat are below.

Official Opening Statement by theCommonwealth Secretary-General Rt Hon Don McKinnonat theCommonwealth Finance Ministers’MeetingColombo, Sri Lanka5.30pm,Tuesday, 12 September 2006

President Rajapaksa; Prime Minister Douglas; Commonwealth Ministers;other distinguished Heads of Delegation and guests; Ladies and Gentlemen.Let me first express my thanks for thewarm and generous welcome we havereceived from President Rajapaksa, the government and people of Sri Lanka.A little less than two years ago, through TV and Radio, I was calling on

Commonwealth governments everywhere to come to the aid of Sri Lanka andseveral others of our members in this region which had been struck by that dreadful tsunami.

The response was swift and generous.The Commonwealth has since turned its attention to improving natural disaster warning and responses. And I was very pleased to see some of this in the field not far from Colombo this morning. It reminded me – coming from the Pacific where we have more than a fair share of cyclones – that rebuilding shattered communities is extremely difficult and time-consuming andexpensive. It can also become politicised.That led me to think about my own two decades in politics including a decadeas a Minister. So often, politicians are criticised for taking decisions with an eye only to the short term.

But even if our decisions could be short-term in their scope and impact, we were always conscious of the long term. We would try to recognise the early trends and warning signs, calculate their consequences in the distant future, and think how best to act accordingly. If “long term view, short term decision-making” is a fair description of local and even national political life, it certainly does not characterise Commonwealth Ministerial meetings.

And as we know, Sri Lanka’s long-term decision-making of taking younger and new players into your national cricket eleven is leaving the rest of us shaking at the crease.So, occasions like the one on which we are embarking in the next few daysare a chance to take a long term view; to improve our vision by seeing issues through the lenses of others from all over the world; and to arrive at decisions with long term and far-reaching impact. Some of you, like me, will have arrived here on SriLankan Airlines. And some of you may also have seen the in-flight magazine in which I contributed an article. It conveys the essence of the message I want to make today. Your meeting here this week has the potential to change people’s lives fundamentally.

Commonwealth Finance Ministers have an impressive pedigree.When your predecessors met in Barbados in 1987, they were the first to consider seriously the possibility of cancelling debts that hung like millstones around the necks of low income countries. The idea seemed outlandish at the time – but the Commonwealth pushed it, far beyond its own circles. Our proposals led to the Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative in 1996. 10 years later,

about $120 billion of debt has been cancelled for 30 countries. Commonwealth Finance Ministers broke further ground in the ‘90s when they were the first to give full voice to the concerns of small states. With 32 of our 53 member countries having populations of less than 1.5 million people, our work with the World Bank on tackling the vulnerabilities and development challenges facing small states is ground-breaking. When 53 nations come together freely and equally, representing 30% of humanity, 25% of all countries, 20% of global trade, and 80% of all those on this planet living in poverty, then we have tremendous potential, and an obligation to speak up. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Finance Ministers’ meeting last year took place just a few days after the UN review of the Millennium Development Goals. It is also about one year since that landmark Gleneagles G8 Summit, with its breakthrough on debt and aid. This is a good time to take stock on what I termed at that time the need for, “delivery, delivery, delivery.” In the last few years, developing countries as a group have enjoyed a period of strong growth. This will be the fifth consecutive year. And over the period, virtually every developing region, including Africa, has performed well.

But despite per capita growth in Sub-Saharan Africa having turned positive over the past decade, most countries in the region are unlikely to meet the majority of MDGs, especially in health.

On debt, there has been progress as I said, including the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative. But there are a number of implementation challenges. I am particularly concerned to avoid what I see as, “paying once and claiming credit twice” where donors’ debt reduction payments are claimed as part of aid flows when they should be additional to them. We also need to ensure that countries never again incur excessive debt.

The picture on aid is not as favourable. Although the headline aid figures for2005 will show a sharp rise, this is due to exceptional amounts of debt relief for a few countries. The underlying trend is falling well short of what is needed to meet the Gleneagles pledge. Yet we know – and our own country studies of Tanzania, Ghana, Malawi and Bangladesh confirm this – that there are many poor countries that could absorb and make excellent use of really substantial increases.