Incidents and Statments involving LTTE: 2013

Date

Nature of incident

January 2

Jaffna District, Northern Province

Jaffna District, Northern Province

Higher Education Minister of Sri Lanka S.B. Dissanayake said that the Jaffna University would be closed if academic activities are not resumed this week.

Colombo, Western Province

The Ministry of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms has made arrangement to release another 313 rehabilitated LTTE cadres in Vavuniya District on January 13 to coincide with the upcoming Hindu harvest festival of Thai Pongal.

Vavuniya District, Northern Province

Sri Lanka Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Chandrasiri Gajadeera revealed the Government has increased the allocations for rehabilitating the former of LTTE cadres from SLR 300 million to SLR 500 million while releasing a batch of 313 former cadres of LTTE.

Colombo, Western Province

Construction, Engineering Services Housing and Common Amenities Minister and NFF Leader Wimal Weerawansa said "Though the LTTE was defeated, we still have external and internal enemies. All Sri Lankans should recognize these enemies and support the government to defeat these enemies."

Colombo, Western Province

Defence and Urban Development Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said no LTTE cadre that surrendered to the Security Forces during the final stage of the humanitarian mission went missing. The Defence Secretary said all allegations are baseless and ever since, LTTE cadres who have surrendered were rehabilitated and reintegrated to society.

Trincomalee District, Eastern Province

Sri Lanka Army facilitated a group of IDP of Sampur town in the Trincomalee District of the Eastern Province to revisit their village. The 224 brigade of Sri Lanka Army provided facilities to the villagers to revisit their homes in the High Security Zone and 138 families of the Navarathnapuram village visited their old houses which were in dilapidated conditions. Sampur town, located in close vicinity to the Trincomalee harbor was under the control of the LTTE until the Army recaptured the area in September 2006.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said "Though nearly four years had passed since the LTTE were routed, Sri Lanka had to face continued challenges to protect the freedom and independence of our motherland. For this very reason we have now come to a very strong situation. Similarly, facing up to these challenges have increased our desire to be committed to our freedom."

As a response to the threat from the LTTE, which is still active overseas, Sri Lanka Parliament moved a draft revision bill to revise legislation on terrorist financing as the country needs a complete legal framework in order to suppress the financing of terrorism.

Colombo, Western Province

Secretary of Defence and Urban Development Gotabhaya Rajapaksa while delivering a keynote address in Colombo said "The international pressure brought to bear on Sri Lanka especially by the Western nations misled by LTTE sympathizers can cause international investors and even tourists to stay away from the country."

Colombo, Western Province

Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda said TNA leaders are following in the footsteps of the LTTE in spreading falsehoods about the country. He said LTTE leaders were also in the habit of traveling in many countries and cities including Oslo and propagating falsehoods.

Colombo, Western Province

The Court of Inquiry appointed by Sri Lanka Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya investigating into the controversial instances of shelling referred to the LLRC Report said that instances of shelling mentioned in the LLRC report were not caused by the Sri Lanka Army and the civilian casualties might have occurred due to unlawful acts by the LTTE.

Colombo, Western Province

A TNA spokesman said that they had received complaints from the family members of three rehabilitated cadres of the former rebel group LTTE in Batticaloa District of Eastern Province that they have been arrested by the Police again.

February 18

Colombo, Western Province

International terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna said that all three pro-LTTE factions - Tamil Eelam People's Assembly led by Perinpanayagam Sivaparan alias Nediyawan in Norway, the Global Tamil Forum led by Father S J Emmanuel in London and the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam led by V Rudrakumaran in New York have started lobbying ahead of the UNHCR sessions in Geneva in March.

Statement

February 19

Colombo, Western Province

Fresh questions have been raised over Sri Lanka's armed forces conduct during the final stages of the operation against the LTTE rebels after new photographs emerged claiming that the 12-year-old Balachandran Prabhakaran son of the LTTE's leader Villupillai Prabhakaran was summarily executed.

Non-violent

February 19

Colombo, Western Province

Sri Lanka flatly rejected the latest documentary by a British channel that is featuring a new set of images of LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran's 12-year-old son in the final battle.

Non-violent

Colombo, Western Province

Military spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya dismissed the HRW report that alleged the country's SFs continued to use sexual violence on suspected LTTEs in detention. Wanigasooriya said that the Army is ready to investigate if there are proper complaints filed.

Colombo, Western Province

Voice Against Corruption called on the Government to reveal details of the wealth and assets that were seized from the LTTE during the war. Co-convener of Voice Against Corruption Wasantha Samarasinghe said that the Government had taken into custody large stocks of gold, vast amounts of money and ships belonging to the LTTE during the war.

Colombo, Western Province

President Mahinda Rajapaksa denied that the Army killed LTTE chief Prabakaran's 12-year-old son Balachandran. He SAID "Had it happened, I would have known it. It is obvious that if somebody from the armed forces had done that, I must take responsibility. We completely deny it. It can't be."

Colombo, Western Province

A group of about 1,500 representatives of the organization called 'Dead and Missing Persons Front' representing the family members killed by the LTTE handed over a petition to the UN over their loved ones killed in LTTE attacks. The organization holds TNA, the proxy party of LTTE before the end of the war, as equally responsible as the LTTE for the deaths of their family members and injustices claimed to have been committed to them.

The Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration in Colombo said that Sri Lanka will conduct a census on people died and injured during the civil war with the LTTE and the Marxist insurrection in the 80's. The census will cover the period of the terrorist war since 1983 including the unrest prevailed in the country in 1983 and the insurrection of the Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna in the years of 1988 and 89.

Minister of Investment Promotion Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena addressing a public meeting in Colombo said the groups supporting LTTE who could not defeat Sri Lanka through war are now trying to attack the country by creating conflicts using international forces.

Addressing a media briefing in Colombo, the convener of the 'Dead and Missing Persons Front' Ananda Perera questioned why the UNHRC is silent about the atrocities committed by the LTTE during the three decades of terror. He further said the UNHRC should also focus its attention on TNA, which was the proxy party of the LTTE during the war and assisted the terrorist organization.

Vavuniya prison authorities said that no LTTE suspects were located in the Vavuniya prison due to security reasons. The Vavuniya prison was opened on March 12 after being refurbished and the relocating of prisoners would be carried out gradually.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, at the presentation of Presidential Colours to the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment in Boyagane town of Kurunegala District in the North Western Province said that the Government has made the LTTE aspiration of an Eelam state a dream.

Galle District, Southern Province

Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa while delivering a talk in Galle District said "Certain politicians who are slavishly devoted to the service of LTTE terrorists are engaged in a dirty game of creating problems among the Tamil population to cling to power."

Colombo, Western Province

S.B. Divaratne, who heads the Presidential Task Force overseeing resettlement, said that the LTTE is known to have taken over more than 2,000 acres of residential properties belonging to Muslims in the North and given them to its supporters during the war. He said this has resulted in the Government having to find alternative land to resettle the displaced Muslims.

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said "Had the then Indian Government acted with responsibility, Sri Lanka wouldn't have experienced a 30-year protracted war with LTTE. He said former Indian Permanent Representative to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri had been directly involved in the Indian operation against the then J. R. Jayawardene Government in the run-up to the July 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord.

The first part of the Army's CoI report which was handed over to Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa by Army Commander Jagath Jayasuriya stated "The instances of shellings referred to in the LLRC report were not caused by the Sri Lanka Army and civilian casualties might have occurred due to unlawful acts by LTTE."

TNA dismissed the report by the Army's Col that absolved the Army troops of any civilian deaths during the final phase of the three-decade long war with the LTTE rebels. TNA parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran rejecting the report said that it is a "joke" for the Army Court to conclude that Army had not killed a single civilian during the war.

Ampara District, Eastern Province

A LTTE cadre who was arrested by the CID in November 2011 and imprisoned after being found guilty of killing 10 persons escaped from Pottuvil Court premises at Pottuvil town of Ampara District in Eastern Province. The escapee is identified as Mahendra Rajah Shashidharan alias Cristy.

Batticaloa District, Eastern Province

Secretary Defence and Urban Development Gotabhaya Rajapaksa opened Toppigala Heritage Park Complex, the former hideout of the LTTE in the Batticaloa District of Eastern Province. The Complex comprises an exhibition center, hiking trails, obstacle course to the rock, souvenir shop, cafeteria and other common amenities for the visitors.

Colombo, Western Province

Former spokesman of LTTE, Velayutham Dayanithi alias Daya Master said that he would announce his decision to contest the NPC election within the next two weeks. Daya Master is slated to contest under the ruling party United People's Freedom Alliance.

Colombo, Western Province

President Mahinda Rajapaksa stated that "the only way to eliminate the scourge of terrorism from the world is to understand its true nature and fight it for what it is, instead of giving terrorism various definitions and tags." However, he lamented that when fighting against the LTTE, Sri Lanka had to seek foreign help largely to get weapons.

Colombo, Western Province

Sri Lankan Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Major General Shavendra Silva speaking to the national radio said bombs used in the Boston attack of US are similar to the bombs used by the LTTE in Sri Lanka. Highlighting that still arms and ammunitions are being recovered from the former battle fields in the North and East, the UN envoy said placing SFs in those areas is not a matter to be considered in a different perspective.

Police arrested three Police officers for allegedly killing three civilians in Gomarankadawala village in Trincomalee District in 2008. The Police officers included an Inspector, a Sergeant and a Constable. They were arrested from Thambalagamuwa, Serunuwara and Udamaluwa Police Stations of Trincomalee District. Earlier, the Police believed the killings were committed by LTTE militants who were active in the area at the time.

In response to a question by opposition UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne told Parliament that though the LTTE was militarily defeated, there were attempts to revamp the organisation in different parts of the world. The Prime Minister said the provisions of the PTA were required to deal with the discovery of weapon hauls hidden by the LTTE. He said the PTA was needed to take action with regard to LTTE suspects who did not surrender after the war ended in 2009.

Rehabilitation and Prisons Reforms Minister Chandrasiri Gajadeera said that several rehabilitated former LTTE cadres have expressed interest to enter politics. He noted that measures would be taken for them to contest in future local Government elections in a democratic manner.

Gunasundaram Jeyasundaram, a childhood friend and close mate of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, while making a statement before the Colombo Supreme Court deplored the acts of his one time leader and expressed his desire to undergo a rehabilitation programme conducted by the Sri Lanka Army. Jeyasundaram said he was profoundly disturbed by the role of the LTTE and condemned its aggressive and violent methods, urging his onetime fellow sympathisers of the outfit to follow suit. Gunasundaram also asserts that factions of the LTTE scattered across the globe should immediately cease their actions as they continue to inflict more harm on the Tamil community in Sri Lanka.

Former LTTE arms procurer Kumaran Pathmanathan also known as KP said that reducing the army presence in the war-hit areas in the country and introducing civil administration would help improve the living conditions of the people there. He also said that in the 1970s, Tamil politicians brainwashed youngsters like him into joining the Tamil cause.

Commenting on an article in Udayan newspaper, Dharmapuram Citizen Committee Chairman Wanni Murugesu claimed that the newspaper never spoke of conditions during the LTTE.

Anuradhapura District, North Central Province

Two ex-cadres of LTTE were indicted before the Anuradhapura Provincial High Court over charges of shooting down a military aircraft on March 30, 2000. The two LTTE cadres are accused of shooting down an Antanov-32 plane firing missiles from Wilpattu Wildlife Park killing 32 military personnel.

Ampara District, Eastern Province

Hundreds of Buddhist monks in Colombo commemorated the massacre of 33 Buddhist monks in Aranthalawa area of Ampara District of Eastern Province by the LTTE on June 2, 1987. LTTE brutally hacked to death and shot 33 Buddhist monks, most of them novice monks as young as 8 years old when they were in a bus heading to Kandy city of Central Province.

Badulla District, Uva Province

President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Badulla District of Uva Province said that recalling atrocities perpetrated by LTTE terrorists in the past was not intended to sow seeds of hatred in society, but to ensure that such a gruesome period will not be repeated in the future. He said "We should tell the younger generation that the country faced such a gruesome period in the past in order to avert such situations in the future through forging closer and amicable ties between communities."

Colombo High Court sentenced three LTTE cadres suspected of blowing up a train 17 years ago killing 66 people. Colombo High Court Judge Kumudini Wickremasinghe sentenced two of the suspects - Saverimuttu Loganathan and Robert Maxillan to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment while the female suspect, Siththirasenam Thirumagal to five years of rigorous imprisonment. The suspects were accused of placing two bombs in two carriages of a highly crowded train and detonating it while stopped at the Dehiwala station in Colombo on July 24, 1996. The attack killed 66 people and injured over 400 people.

Colombo, Western Province

Former spokesman of LTTE Velayutham Dayanithi alias Daya Master received the membership of the SLFP, the main coalition party of ruling UPFA alliance. Daya Master received the SLFP membership following an extensive interview with a ministerial panel consisting of Ministers Susil Premajayantha, Mahindananda Aluthgamage and C.B. Ratnayake at the SLFP Headquarters in Colombo. Daya Master expressed interest in contesting the upcoming NPC polls in September.

Colombo, Western Province

Former leading arms procurer and international wing leader of the LTTE Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP told that he has no ambition to contest for the Northern Provincial Council. Pathmanathan rejected the rumors that he would contest the election as the Chief Minister candidate of the ruling UPFA.

Colombo, Western Province

Former spokesman of LTTE Velayutham Dayanithi alias Daya Master said that he was invited to contest the election for the Northern Provincial Council by higher authorities of the Government. He said that the Tamil people are concerned of the efforts to curtail the powers of the Provincial Councils and urged the "Sinhala extremist parties" to join hands with the Tamil people.

Colombo, Western Province

Prisons and Prison reforms Minister Chandrasiri Gajadeera said that there are 810 former LTTE cadres in remand custody and they are not political prisoners but hardcore LTTE cadres who ordered the killings and other heinous terrorist activities. He further said most of the arrested LTTE cadres have been rehabilitated and released to the society but these hardcore LTTE cadres remain detained because there is evidence against them.

Vavuniya District

Sri Lankan authorities released the former female political wing leader of the LTTE Subramaniam Sivathai alias Thamalini after undergoing a one-year rehabilitation program. The Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Brigadier Dharshana Hettiarachchi said that Thamalini was handed over to her parents at the Poonthottam Rehabilitation Centre in Vavuniya District.

Colombo, Western Province

Former LTTE Spokesperson Velayutham Dayanithi alias Daya Master will prepare governing party UPFA's manifesto for the NPC election. He told that candidates who are to contest under the UPFA including him have identified the issues faced by the Tamil people and the solutions to these issues would be included in the party's election manifesto.

Colombo, Western Province

Former Women's Political Wing leader of LTTE Subramaniam Shivathavi alias Thamalini is to get the membership in the SLFP. Thamalini will contest as a candidate of the SLFP to the upcoming NPC election.

Colombo, Western Province

JHU General Secretary, Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said that the Indo-Lanka Accord and the 13th Amendment to the Constitution are invalid. The Minister noted that India had failed to disarm the LTTE as agreed in the Indo-Lanka Accord. He explained that India had pledged to disarm the LTTE in 72 hours after entering into the agreement but had failed to do.

Colombo, Western Province

Former leading arms procurer and international wing leader of the LTTE Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP criticized the TNA for deciding not to participate in the PSC to discuss constitutional amendments. He said "If the TNA believes there should not be any changes to the 13th Amendment, it could very well articulate such concerns at the PSC, instead of shouting from the sidelines."

Vavuniya District

The Vavuniya High Court indicted two cadres of the intelligence unit of the LTTE at Vavuniya District for the killing of 26 personnel of state military, burning and burying their bodies. The two LTTE cadres identified as Madaarayan Sulakshan and Ganeshan Darshan are accused of executing the 26 military personnel who were captured and detained at the LTTE torture camp in the LTTE's Victor 1 camp in Puthukudiyiruppu town of Mullaitivu District.

Colombo, Western Province

Minister of External Affairs Professor G.L. Peiris told a visiting EU delegation that LTTE front organizations continue to raise funds in foreign countries and therefore, sustained vigilance over such activities is necessary. He reiterated this when he met the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with South Asia at the Ministry in Colombo.

The General Secretary of the ruling party UPFA Susil Premajayantha said that there are no former leaders of the LTTE in the party's nomination list to the Northern Provincial Council polls. Around 40 individuals from the Northern Province, including the former LTTE spokesman, Velayutham Dayanithi alias Daya Master and former LTTE women's political wing leader Subramanium Shivathavi alias Thamilinihas, have sought candidature of the main constituent party of ruling alliance, SLFP.

Attorney General of Sri Lanka filed charges against six former LTTE cadres at Colombo High Court over the attack on a Navy vessel, SLNS Sayura, in 2006. The SLNS Sayura was attacked in the seas near Negombo city of Western Province. The ship was instrumental for Sri Lanka military in their battle against the LTTE.

TNA spokesperson parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran alleged that the Army had intimidated two of its candidates soon after they had filed their nominations on July 29. The military personnel had gone to the residences of S. Sayanthan, a TNA candidate from Chavakachcheri town of Jaffna District and Ananthi Sasitharan, the wife of the LTTE's former Trincomalee political wing leader, Elilan, and had questioned them on their political activities.

Colombo, Western Province

A former LTTE cadre revealed information on 'detention and execution' of over 80 captives, including a Tamil inspector of the TID of Police and an Army Captain. The former cadre disclosed to the Police how the LTTE held the captives in illegal prisons named 'Alpha-05' and 'Alpha-02' in Pudukuduirippu town at Mullaitivu District and also revealed the location where the victims were burnt after they were killed.

Chief of Defense Staff General Jagath Jayasuriya revealed that four professors of Jaffna, Peradeniya and Uva-Wellassa universities had left for the UK after obtaining government leave from their work claiming to participate in a special training from August 12 to 20 in London. However, the four academics had attended a conference on establishing a Tamil interim government and participated in LTTE activities.

The Government began an investigation on four university faculty members who reportedly attended an 'Eelam' seminar and participated in the LTTE activities in London while on academic leave.

Army Commander Daya Ratnayake said that the SFs invented their own methods to fight against the LTTE. He said "We were required to adapt and remain ahead of our enemy. We did adapt. We did think out of the box. We invented our own methods and we succeeded."

TNA candidate of the Jaffna District Anandi Elilan said that she would meet the UN Commissioner for Human Rights Navanetham Pillay to brief her experiences of last stage of war against the LTTE. Anandi is the wife of LTTE political wing leader of Trincomalee District Elilan. She claimed that Elilan surrendered to the military following the end of the war and he was taken in a bus before he disappeared.

Colombo, Western Province

Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that Sri Lanka did not encounter a single incident of terror after the defeat of the LTTE in May 2009. He further said during a short period of four years after the war ended, 300,000 displaced persons have been resettled while another 12,000 have successfully been rehabilitated and integrated into society and a large number of Tamils have been given the opportunity to enlist with the SFs.

Colombo, Western Province

Defence Intelligence Units said that nearly 5,000 SFs and Police personnel who are believed to be abducted and disappeared during the 30 years war perished at the hands of LTTE terrorists, having being subjected to torture. The total breakdown is 3,484 SFs personnel, 1,189 Police personnel and 1,175 civilians that disappeared at the hands of LTTE terrorists. This is in addition to the abduction and forced conscription of 609 Tamils into terrorist ranks.

Colombo, Western Province

Representatives of the Dead and Missing Persons' Parents' Front said that the UNHRC has to study the atrocities perpetrated by the LTTE on the Tamil people during the entire three decades that they operated with impunity and not just the last few months of conflict when efforts were made to eradicate terrorism from the country to guarantee human rights of all Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim people.

Colombo, Western Province

President Mahinda Rajapaksa in an exclusive interview in his Colombo office accused pro-LTTE networks of using money to bribe politicians in key Western nations, in order to get them to agitate against the Sri Lankan Government on Human Rights issues. He described the leader of the LTTE, Prabrakaran, who died in the final conflict of 2009, as "a psychopath who took a delight in killing."

Colombo, Western Province

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa delivering the Keynote Address as Guest of Honour at the third annual Defence Seminar 2013 in Colombo said that the speedy national reconciliation is not easy since for a very long period of time, most of the people in the North and parts of the East of the country lived under the total dominance of the LTTE.

Colombo, Western Province

The Commissioner General of Rehabilitation, Major General Jagath Wijethilake in Colombo said that 107 former LTTE cadres who have successfully completed the rehabilitation program at the Maradamadu and Poonthottam rehabilitation centers in Vavuniya District will be released on September 9.

Colombo, Western Province

110 rehabilitated former LTTE cadres were released from their respective rehabilitation centres at a ceremony in Colombo. 75 former carders who were rehabilitated at the Welikanda rehabilitation camp and 35 former carders rehabilitated at the Puththotam camp in Vavuniya District were among those who were released after completion of their programmes.

Colombo, Western Province

The Government said that it cannot accept the election manifesto of the TNA for the NPC. In its election manifesto, the TNA, once considered as a proxy for the terrorist group LTTE during the war, has called for establishing power sharing arrangements in a unit of a merged Northern and Eastern Provinces based on a Federal structure.

Colombo, Western Province

Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that the United States had given its fullest support to destroy LTTE's floating armouries in the deep sea between 2006 and 2008. Rajapaksa said "Between 2006 and 2008 we destroyed 12 of these floating armouries. The Americans were very, very helpful. Most of the locations of these ships were given to us by the American."

Jaffna District, Northern Province

Eight persons were arrested at Kodikarmam area in Jaffna District on charges of having in their possession posters containing the picture of former LTTE leader Vellupillai Parabhakaran while they were campaigning for the TNA at the elections to the NPC.

Vavuniya District, Northern Province

The train service on the Northern Line up to the former LTTE stronghold resumed after 23 years with the opening of the Northern line from Omanthai to Kilinochchi. President Mahinda Rajapaksa inaugurated the train service at Omanthai town in Vavuniya District.

Jaffna District, Northern Province

Commander of the Army in the Jaffna peninsula, Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe said there was a possibility of about 4,000 former LTTE combatants, who are still at large regrouping, with the TNA glorifying the slain LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in its campaign for the NPC.

Trincomalee District, Eastern Province

Trincomalee High Court Judge Amal Ranarajah ordered to release the former Eastern area LTTE leader Sivasubramaniam Varadanathan alias Paduman due to poor evidence. The suspect, a resident of Trincomalee was accused of carrying out attacks on army camps in the East and killing soldiers between July and December, 2001.

Kilinochchi District, Northern Province

Former LTTE arms procurer Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP in Kilinochchi District accused the TNA of obstructing the immediate release of most of the LTTE suspects in custody. He said "They (TNA) demand of the authorities not to release those senior ex-LTTE members in government custody fearing they would not be able to engage in politics openly."

Colombo, Western Province

Chief Ministerial candidate of TNA former Supreme Court judge C. V. Wigneswaran compared a national hero to the slain LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. He said "Prabhakaran was a freedom fighter. He may have been brutal, but so is the government."

Mullaittivu District, Northern Province

Military demolished an underground bunker of slain LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in Pudukuduirippu town of Mullaittivu District. The camouflaged bunker was discovered after the Army ended the offensive in 2009. The well-fortified bunker had four stories under the ground. It was built to keep the LTTE leader and other senior LTTE leaders protected from Government forces.

Anuradhapura District, North Central Provinc

Extremist Buddhist monk Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero, the leader of the BBS addressing a meeting of the movement held in Anuradhapura District blamed the Government for allowing the TNA to engage in politics. Introducing TNA as the political front of the militarily defeated rebel LTTE, Gnanasara Thero said the Government should be responsible for the consequences of TNA coming to power in the NPC.

Anuradhapura District, North Central Province

Anuradhapura High Court sentenced the LTTE suspect, Mahilingam Muthulingam, also known as Indran, to five years of rigorous imprisonment for his role in the 2006 bomb attack on a bus in Kebithgollewa in North Central Province.

Colombo / Western Province

The Government dismissed the Channel 4 video which shows the killing of a Tamil woman who was said to be a television presenter for the LTTE, as "fake" and said the Channel 4 as usual is making another attempt to discredit Sri Lanka as the Commonwealth Summit approaches.

Colombo / Western Province

Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa invited the world leaders who attend the CHOGM this week to travel to the Northern Province to see firsthand the work carried out by the Government following the end of the war. According to Rajapaksa, it would be good for the Government if the CHOGM leaders visit the North and see the former war torn areas and would be interesting to see the rehabilitation work carried out by the government with the former LTTE carders and child soldiers.

Colombo / Western Province

Police said an individual arrested on November 14 near the UNP headquarters under suspicion of being a LTTE cadre was released. The person identified as Sudarshan of Mullaitivu District was released after questioning.

Colombo / Western Province

The military banned attempts to commemorate the LTTE rebels, saying "Promoting and propagating separatist ideology within Sri Lanka directly or indirectly even by using media freedom and attempting to commemorate or glorify terrorists that belonged to a proscribed organization would be illegal."

Colombo / Western Province

Parliamentarian from TNA S. Sritharan praised former LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran in Parliament amidst protests by governing party members. Justifying the LTTE's cause as a freedom struggle, the TNA MP said it was the reason for a majority of the Tamil people to vote for the TNA at the recently concluded elections for the Northern Provincial Council.

Colombo / Western Province

The Department of Census and Statistics started a nationwide exercise to assess the loss of human lives and damage to property in the final stages of its civil war against LTTE rebels, which ended in May 2009. The census would cover the period from 1982 to 2009 would involve 16,000 officials.

Colombo / Western Province

The Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics, D.C.A.Gunawardena said that the household of Velupillai Prabhakaran, leader of the LTTE, will not be included in the on-going nation-wide census on human and material losses inflicted by the civil wars in the country since 1982.

Colombo / Western Province

TNA Leader R. Sampanthan said in Parliament that it is the Government and not the party that has connections with the LTTE. He told that Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP, who was LTTE's arm procurer and the international wing leader, is now with the Government and does not have any connection with the TNA.

Colombo, Western Province

Reverend Cardinal Dr. Malcolm Ranjith in Colombo said the Government to implement the LLRC's recommendations promptly to avert a possible foreign intervention in the country's sovereign affairs. He said unless the Government worked towards reconciliation and addressed allegations of war crimes during the war against the LTTE, a foreign intervention is inevitable.

Colombo, Western Province

Military Spokesperson Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya in Colombo said that the Government is launching a diplomatic operation aiming to counter the international pressure that is being exerted on the country ahead of the UNHRC session in Geneva where the country is facing a possible third resolution in March next year. He said some eight videos have been handed over to the Ministry of External Affairs to be sent to overseas diplomatic missions which will show the world the truth about many crimes committed by the LTTE.

Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran claims that there is an attempt to form a new LTTE which will operate with the backing of the Government. He also said "We see it taking place. Our lands are being grabbed. Our businesses are being grabbed. Our employment opportunities are being grabbed and to say it most mildly our war widows and women are definitely not safe. Why does the Government not enhance its Police presence in the North and reduce progressively its Army presence if it does not have a hidden agenda? These are questions which must be posed by reasonable ordinary humane Sinhalese in the South."

TNA parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran said that it will push for an independent international probe into alleged war crimes committed by the Government during the final phase of the civil war against the terrorist LTTE.

Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said authorities are investigating a new mass grave found in Mannar District which was once LTTE control. The grave site had at least 10 human skeletal remains buried inside. The Police suspects the grave was used by the LTTE rebels during the war to bury civilians and soldiers killed by the rebels.