'Prabhakaran not keen on peaceful solution to Lanka strife'

LTTE breakaway faction Tamil Makkal Vidhuthalai Pullikal has accused Tamil Tiger chief Velupillai Prabhakaran of not being keen on a peaceful solution to the 25-year-old ethnic strife in Sri Lanka.

"Prabhakaran only believes in an armed solution to the Tamil problem in Sri Lanka and is not interested in any peaceful means to resolve the crisis," said Pillayan, the TMVP leader and a leading contender for the Chief Ministers post in Eastern Provincial council where elections are to be held next month.

The TMVP split from LTTE towards the end of 2004 following differences between Prabhakaran and his senior colleague Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, better known as Colonel Karuna.

Pillayan alleged in an interview on Thursday that Prabhakaran would rather rule a small portion of Sri Lanka on his own terms rather than coming forward for ending the clashes, which had left about 70,000 people dead in the island nation.

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Two Sri Lankan youths held

Two Sri Lankan youths and an Indian national were arrested for attempting to smuggle '14-tractor front-wheel tyres' to Sri Lanka, police said on Friday.

These tyres are generally used for army jeeps,they said.

A car used for smuggling the tyres at the Check-post near Ramanathapuram was also seized, police said.

Police said Nandharuban and Shivakumar (both from Sri Lanka) and driver Alagar were remanded to judicial custody today.

Extracted from,
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200804181441.htm

'Rangoon Kakulu' rice to enter to Sri Lanka's local market from May

Sri Lanka Trade Ministry said that 10,000 metric tons of rice imported from Myanmar will be issued to the local market from the first week of May.

According to the sources the one-kilo of rice named 'Rangoon Kakulu' will be sold at a price between 50 to 55 rupees.

Sri Lanka government decided to import 100,000 metric tons of rice from Myanmar as the sky rocketing rice prices started to become a political football. Government complained that the trade mafia engineered the high prices while traders highlighted the adverse weather conditions as the reason for the lack of rice supply. According to the Ministry 10,000 MT of rice are to arrive in Colombo at the end of this month.

The imported rice stocks from Myanmar will be sold through cooperative societies, the Ministry further added.

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India Oil wants to market aviation fuel in Sri Lanka

Having stabilised operations to retail transport fuels in Sri Lanka, the Lanka Indian Oil Corp, a subsidiary of India's state-run oil company, will ask for Colombo's permission to market aviation fuel.

"We are applying to the government to participate in the aviation fuel marketing and we are ready to develop infrastructure facilities for it," the managing director of Lanka Indian Oil Corp, K Ramakrishnan, said.

He said that Lanka IOC had offered to build its storage facilities and supply aviation fuel at the Katunayake international airport near here or the new airport at Weerawila, some 300 km away.

At the moment, the state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corp (CPC) has a monopoly in marketing aviation fuel in this island nation.

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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News_by_Industry/

UNOCHA & several INGOs to recue LTTE from impending defeat

Several UNOCHA (United Nations Office for Coordinating Humanitarian Affairs) representatives have been asked to team up with a few INGOs infiltrated by LTTE agents to carry out a smear campaign against Sri Lanka and its Security Forces.

According to information received by ‘Lankatruth’ LTTE terrorists in two recent meetings with UNOCHA representatives in Kilinochchi and Batticaloa have asked the UN Body to undertake false propaganda against Sri Lanka and its Security Forces stating several INGOs would support such a project.

The LTTE leaders had a meeting with UN officials on 7th April in Kilinochchi and another such meeting in Batticaloa assuring the support of Care (UK), Oxfam (UK), Norwegian Peoples Aid, Norwegian Refugee Council, Forut (EU), MSF (EU), Save the Children (USA & Canada) and World Vision (USA & Canada) for the UNOHA to carry out the ‘project.’

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http://www.lankatruth.com/index.php?

Iranian President's first Asian tour begins in Sri Lanka

The Islamic Republic of Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is scheduled to make a two day State visit to Sri Lanka on April 28 on a special invitation from President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

This is a first Asian tour of the Iranian President. National and international political analysts say Ahmadinejad's selection of Sri Lanka for his first Asian tour is a victory gained by President Rajapaksa as a political leader in Asia.

Proposed grants of financial support had also been appreciated by the political critics. Arrangements have been made for the laying of the foundation stones by President Ahamedinejad and President Rajapaksa for the Uma Oya hydro power project at Wellawaya.

Iran has come forward to grant the total financial support of US $ 450 million for a mega multi-purpose hydro power project. The Uma Oya project has been estimated to produce 100 MW of electricity and supply water to irrigate agricultural and industrial sectors.

Extracted from,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/04/18/news14.asp

'Our Lady of Madu' spirited away to bring govt into disrepute internationally – Defence Spokesman

Defence Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said that shifting the holy shrine of 'Our Lady Madhu' to an LTTE controlled area at a time when the Security Forces are engaged in a humanitarian mission to liberate the area from the clutches of terrorism, poses a great threat.

Minister Rambukwella added that the LTTE's decision to move the holy shrine might have been prompted by factors such as diverting the attention of the international community from the ongoing military operations against the LTTE terrorists and deliberately creating a negative image of the Government and the good work done by the security personnel.

The Minister made these comments at a media briefing held in Colombo today (17). While categorically denying the fact that security forces attacked the Madhu Church, Minister Rambukwella said 'Madhu Church never attacked by and was never a target of the security forces,'

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Sri Lanka ready to talk with rebels but no contact with facilitators

The Sri Lankan government said Thursday that it will be ready for talks with the Tamil Tigers if they eschewed terrorism but has not made any formal contact with the Norwegian peace facilitators on resuming the process of stalled negotiations.

"Our doors are always open to start talks provided they give up terrorism," Keheliya Rambukwella, the government's defense spokesman and the minister of Foreign Employment told reporters.

Rambukwella was responding to media speculation that his ministerial colleague Rajitha Senaratne had talks with Norwegian Minister of International Development Erik Solheim in Oslo.

"His talks may have been private discussions but the government has not made any official contact (with the Norwegian government)," Rambukwella said.

Senaratne, the minister of Engineering Services recently met Solheim, who was previously the Norwegian special peace envoy on the process of negotiations between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

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http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/18/content_7999063.htm

China to fund five projects in Sri Lanka, says Minister

Minister of Export Development and International Trade of Sri Lanka, Prof GL Peiris today revealed that the Chinese government has confirmed its earlier agreement to fund five projects in the country.

Speaking at a media briefing in Colombo, the Minister told that the Chinese government has given its confirmation to provide 455 million US dollars for the construction of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant during the recent official visit of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to China.

According to the Minister, China has agreed to provide 20 million US dollars to build a drama and cultural centre, and another 307 million for the Hambanthota harbour project. Also, he said China has agreed to provide 100 railway carriages for the improvement of local railway service.

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