ENB 171107
SLAF Kfirs bomb tsunami settlement in Mu'rika'ndi
[TamilNet, Friday, 16 November 2007, 10:42 GMT]
[TamilNet, Friday, 16 November 2007, 10:42 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Air Force kfir fighter jets dropped eight bombs in two sorties Friday between 6:15 a.m. and 6:25 a.m. targeting a civilian settlement in Mu’rika'ndi located close to Ki’linochchi, seriously injuring a mother of three children and another civilian besides completely destroying a private boat building yard which makes boats for tsunami affected fishermen, sources in Ki'linochchi said. Five huts of tsunami victims and the house of Mu'rika'ndi Hindu Viththiyaalayam principal were damaged in the bombing. The seriously injured mother S. Roobi, 32, had to have her leg amputated as it had been shattered.
She and the other civilian injured are being treated at Ki'linochchi general hospital.
Roobi was in her hut located next to the boat building yard when the bombers struck.
SLAF jets bombed the civilian settlements of tsunami affected families living in the area close to Mu'rika'ndi Pi'llaiyaar Koayil junction on A9 road around 350 m towards K’linochch
The boat building yard belongs to Mahenthiram, a private boat builder catering to tsunami affected fishermen. The workers employed in the yard are the tsunami affected civilians living in the settlement.
The workers in the boat yard narrowly escaped death as they had sought shelter in bunkers on hearing the kfir jets.
The window glasses in Mu'rika'ndi Hindu Viththiyaalayam and other shops in Mu’rukandi were smashed in the bombing.
Students of Mu'rika'ndi Viththiyaalayam are sitting for examinations now and only 32 of 126 students sitting for the examination had come to school because of the bombing, G. Soosainathan, principal of the school said.
She and the other civilian injured are being treated at Ki'linochchi general hospital.
Roobi was in her hut located next to the boat building yard when the bombers struck.
SLAF jets bombed the civilian settlements of tsunami affected families living in the area close to Mu'rika'ndi Pi'llaiyaar Koayil junction on A9 road around 350 m towards K’linochch
The boat building yard belongs to Mahenthiram, a private boat builder catering to tsunami affected fishermen. The workers employed in the yard are the tsunami affected civilians living in the settlement.
The workers in the boat yard narrowly escaped death as they had sought shelter in bunkers on hearing the kfir jets.
The window glasses in Mu'rika'ndi Hindu Viththiyaalayam and other shops in Mu’rukandi were smashed in the bombing.
Students of Mu'rika'ndi Viththiyaalayam are sitting for examinations now and only 32 of 126 students sitting for the examination had come to school because of the bombing, G. Soosainathan, principal of the school said.
US urges Tamil Tigers to renounce violence, negotiate permanent peace
By KRISHAN FRANCIS,APPosted: 2007-11-16 08:22:06COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP)
A senior U.S. official urged the Tamil Tigers to renounce terrorism and negotiate a permanent peace with the Sri Lankan government after Washington launched another crackdown on funding for the rebels.
U.S. Ambassador Robert Blake said growing international efforts to cut off money flowing to the rebels would make it increasingly difficult for the Tigers "to import arms and other things to carry on their armed struggle."
The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday accused the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization of being a charity that acts "as a front to facilitate fundraising" and other support for the Tamil Tigers.
The department said that any bank accounts or other financial assets found in the United States that belong to the charity - which has headquarters in Sri Lanka and offices in 17 countries worldwide - must be frozen.
"The larger purpose of all our activities is to send a message to the LTTE that now is the time to negotiate," Blake said referring to Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam by its acronym.
"Now is the time for the LTTE to renounce violence and to renounce terrorism," he said.
The Tigers, which have been banned in the United States as a terrorist group since 1997, have been fighting since 1983 to create an independent homeland for the island's ethnic minority Tamils.
"The lesson for the LTTE is that they are never going to get a better deal and now is the time to try to negotiate," Blake said.
Blake also asked the government to share political power with Tamil-majority provinces, a long-standing demand of moderate leaders who oppose secession.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama praised the U.S. for cracking down on funding sources for the rebels.
"I wish to place on record the deep appreciation of the government of Sri Lanka ... for the speedy investigation carried out and for the action taken yesterday against the TRO," he told Parliament.
U.S. Ambassador Robert Blake said growing international efforts to cut off money flowing to the rebels would make it increasingly difficult for the Tigers "to import arms and other things to carry on their armed struggle."
The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday accused the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization of being a charity that acts "as a front to facilitate fundraising" and other support for the Tamil Tigers.
The department said that any bank accounts or other financial assets found in the United States that belong to the charity - which has headquarters in Sri Lanka and offices in 17 countries worldwide - must be frozen.
"The larger purpose of all our activities is to send a message to the LTTE that now is the time to negotiate," Blake said referring to Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam by its acronym.
"Now is the time for the LTTE to renounce violence and to renounce terrorism," he said.
The Tigers, which have been banned in the United States as a terrorist group since 1997, have been fighting since 1983 to create an independent homeland for the island's ethnic minority Tamils.
"The lesson for the LTTE is that they are never going to get a better deal and now is the time to try to negotiate," Blake said.
Blake also asked the government to share political power with Tamil-majority provinces, a long-standing demand of moderate leaders who oppose secession.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama praised the U.S. for cracking down on funding sources for the rebels.
"I wish to place on record the deep appreciation of the government of Sri Lanka ... for the speedy investigation carried out and for the action taken yesterday against the TRO," he told Parliament.
Britain to support reconstruction of bridges
The British Government through its Export Credit Guarantee Department (ECGD) has provided a credit package of Sterling Pound 50 million (Rs. 11.5 billion) for the reconstruction of bridges in Sri Lanka.
The loan facility is provided by the HSBC Bank Plc, UK together with the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, Sri Lanka, states the Finance Ministry.
Loan proceeds will be utilised to finance the reconstruction of 222 priority bridges throughout the country. In addition two flyovers, one at the Kelaniya Railway crossing and the other at Hendala on the Colombo Katunayake Road will also be constructed under this project.
The construction of bridges will be undertaken using modular bridge components which are cost effective and can be erected in shorter period.
Most of the bridges on national highways which are of dilapidated conditions will be replaced under this project.
The project is scheduled to be completed in four years. It will be implemented by the Road Development Authority and has been contracted to the Mabey & Johnson Limited of the United Kingdom.
This project followed the successful completion of the bridge rehabilitation programme implemented in the Northern and Eastern Provinces where 80 bridges were supplied and installed under a similar credit facility of Sterling Pound 20 million extended by the British Government in 2003.
The two Loan Agreements with HSBC Bank Plc, United Kingdom and Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, Sri Lanka were signed yesterday at the Temple Trees in the presence of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Minister of Highways and Road Development.
The Acting Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and Planning Sumith Abeysinghe signed the Agreements on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka and David Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, Sri Lanka signed on behalf of the HSBC Bank.
Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the Ministry of Highways and Road Development S. Amerasekara, Tom Owen Edmunds, First Secretary of the British High Commission and Managing Director of the HSBC United Kingdom Jaff Bailey were also present at this occasion.
The loan facility is provided by the HSBC Bank Plc, UK together with the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, Sri Lanka, states the Finance Ministry.
Loan proceeds will be utilised to finance the reconstruction of 222 priority bridges throughout the country. In addition two flyovers, one at the Kelaniya Railway crossing and the other at Hendala on the Colombo Katunayake Road will also be constructed under this project.
The construction of bridges will be undertaken using modular bridge components which are cost effective and can be erected in shorter period.
Most of the bridges on national highways which are of dilapidated conditions will be replaced under this project.
The project is scheduled to be completed in four years. It will be implemented by the Road Development Authority and has been contracted to the Mabey & Johnson Limited of the United Kingdom.
This project followed the successful completion of the bridge rehabilitation programme implemented in the Northern and Eastern Provinces where 80 bridges were supplied and installed under a similar credit facility of Sterling Pound 20 million extended by the British Government in 2003.
The two Loan Agreements with HSBC Bank Plc, United Kingdom and Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, Sri Lanka were signed yesterday at the Temple Trees in the presence of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Minister of Highways and Road Development.
The Acting Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and Planning Sumith Abeysinghe signed the Agreements on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka and David Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, Sri Lanka signed on behalf of the HSBC Bank.
Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the Ministry of Highways and Road Development S. Amerasekara, Tom Owen Edmunds, First Secretary of the British High Commission and Managing Director of the HSBC United Kingdom Jaff Bailey were also present at this occasion.
TRO funds freeze not against Tamil people
US Envoy Dharmasiri ABEYRATNE
Addressing the press in Colombo, Blake pointed out that TRO acts as a front facilitating fund raising as well arms procurement for the LTTE.
Those arrested by the FBI in 2006 and 2007 disclosed operational and financial links between the TRO and the LTTE.
“The US Government has concluded that in the United States the TRO has raised funds on behalf of the LTTE through a network of individual representatives. According to sources within the TRO, it is the preferred conduit of funds from the United States to the LTTE. The TRO has also facilitated LTTE procurement operations in the United States,” he said.
“Those operations included the purchase of munitions, equipment, communication devices and other technology for the LTTE,” the Ambassador said.
Directives issued by the LTTE suggest that LTTE affiliated branch representatives are expected to coordinate their effort with the respective TRO representatives in their locations and report all activity to the LTTE.
“On the basis of these links, the US Department of the Treasury designated the TRO under Executive Order 13/224 which is aimed at financially isolating terrorist groups and their support networks,” Blake he said
This designation not only blocks illicit assets, but also shuts down channels used by terrorists and other dangerous groups to raise, move and store money.
The Ambassador said the US continuous to support a just, negotiated political settlement to the conflict that meets the aspirations of all communities including Tamils since the US believes that a solution to the conflict in the country and respect for the rights of the Tamil people can only be found through peaceful negotiations.
Sri Lanka to import 75,000 tons rice from India
16 Nov, 2007, 1300 hrs IST, PTI COLOMBO:
Sri Lanka has contracted to import 75,000 metric tons of non-basmati rice from India to meet its immediate requirement.
"We have contracted import of 75,000 tons of superfine non-basmati Pooni rice and we have been told to complete the shipment by December by exporters in India," Essential Food Importers Association President S P Swamy said.
Though Rice is Sri Lanka's staple food and paddy farming is the livelihood of an estimated 1.8 million families, rising temperature and heavy rains have damaged rice crop in recent months.
The Indian Government lifted the ban on export of superior quality non-basmati rice priced over 425 dollars a tonne on October 26 after exporters protest.
"We will be contracting rice imports from India at around 425 dollars a tonne," Swamy said.
The ban imposed on October 9 had halted shipments and jeopardised their commitments. Cargoes worth about Rs 500 crore were stuck at port warehouses due to the change in rules, Indian rice exporter Lal Mahal Basmati had said in a statement.
"We have contracted import of 75,000 tons of superfine non-basmati Pooni rice and we have been told to complete the shipment by December by exporters in India," Essential Food Importers Association President S P Swamy said.
Though Rice is Sri Lanka's staple food and paddy farming is the livelihood of an estimated 1.8 million families, rising temperature and heavy rains have damaged rice crop in recent months.
The Indian Government lifted the ban on export of superior quality non-basmati rice priced over 425 dollars a tonne on October 26 after exporters protest.
"We will be contracting rice imports from India at around 425 dollars a tonne," Swamy said.
The ban imposed on October 9 had halted shipments and jeopardised their commitments. Cargoes worth about Rs 500 crore were stuck at port warehouses due to the change in rules, Indian rice exporter Lal Mahal Basmati had said in a statement.
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