US mulls military support to Lanka

Sri Lanka can look forward to US military assistance to crack down on LTTE terrorism as the United States is now considering to lift the arms embargo following the recent release of child soldiers by the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP).

The United States which has come down hard on terrorism, suspended air and maritime surveillance assistance to Sri Lanka last year citing two reasons - recruitment of child soldiers by the TMVP and human rights violations.

US Ambassador Robert O. Blake told the Sunday Observer that there was a possibility of resuming military assistance to the government to defend the LTTE.

“US military assistance is currently suspended due to two provisions in the US law. The first being child soldiers. The TMVP has released over 50 child soldiers and this is a very good sign”, he said.

Blake said that the US had welcomed the move publicly and hope they would release more.

According to UNICEF figures over 100 child soldiers were still in the custody of the TMVP, he said.

“The US believes that we will be able to lift that particular restriction and to continue to provide military assistance if the TMVP releases more children”, he said adding that the United States is working closely with the government to improve its human rights record too.

Blake said that US military assistance in the areas of air and maritime surveillance has helped the government to detect LTTE arms shipments in the territorial waters of the country.

Read more,
http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2008/05/25/sec02.asp

Another time bomb found in Kandy

Police personnel of Wattegama police station have found a time bomb placed near an electric transformer at Madawala Junction this morning (May 25).

According the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS), the bomb has been discovered by the police around 9.20 am on information provided by a vigilant civilian. The army bomb disposal team has defused the bomb. The weight of the bomb is about 1kg, said the sources.

Police investigations are in progress.

Extracted from,
http://defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080525_04

Three arrested LTTE suspects released on bail by British Courts

Three LTTE suspects, who were arrested by the Britain police for conspiring to procure equipment to LTTE, have been granted bail by the British Courts.

Media reports said that fourth man was not released as he has not applied for bail.

Jegatheswaran Muraleetharan, alias Muralee Tharan, 46, Jeyatheswaran Vythyatharan alias Vithy Tharan, 39, Murugesu Jegatheeswaran alias M Jegan, 33 and Shanthan are charged with conspiring to receive equipment for terrorist purposes between January 2003 and December 2006, reports said.

Shanthan was granted bail with a large financial security and on condition that he contacts the police by phone daily through voice recognition equipment.

Extracted from,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/May24140118JV.html

Rice from Myanmar to check Sri Lanka shortage

A consignment of rice from Myanmar is expected to reach the port of Colombo early next week that will meet the local market needs, a top official said Saturday.

R. M. K. Ratnayake, secretary to the Minister of Trade and Consumer Affairs, said 7,000 metric tons of rice from Myanmar would arrive on May 27.

This was part of the 50,000 metric tons ordered by the Sri Lankan government in late March.

Escalation of retail rice prices due to a shortage prompted the government to place urgent orders with Myanmar.

The government early April imposed price control as means to ensure the availability of rice, the staple diet of the 20 million population.

"There is no shortage right now but we are concerned about August/September. If there is a problem then Myanmar rice will help us to overcome the situation," Ratnayake told reporters.

He said the cyclone in Myanmar had delayed the rice shipments from arriving. The Sri Lankan rice crop was affected by heavy monsoon rains and floods in the last quarter of 2007.

Extracted from,
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-05/25/content_8246485.htm

High tea production in Lanka to give boost to exports

Sri Lanka has registered a 29 per cent increase in its tea output to around 112 million kgs in the first four months of 2008 that is expected to give a boost to its exports, which are slated to cross one billion dollars in value terms this year.

Sri Lanka's tea exports is likely to grow by 15 per cent for 2008 against the landmark one billion dollar export mark on top of high output due to favourable weather conditions this year, according to experts.

The rise in demand for Sri Lankan black tea from Russia, Iran and Libya is likely to push tea exports from the island country to a new high in 2008, they said.

Sri Lanka would face competition for its sought after orthodox tea (black tea) from Vietnam, which produces similar variety of high quality tea.

Tea Production for the period January-April 2008 is pegged at around 112 million kgs, which is 29.2 per cent higher as compared to the same period in 2007, the Sri Lankan Tea Board said.

Read more,
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/015200805241421.htm

Were Noyahr’s abductors trying to get a lead on his `sources’?

As Thursday’s abduction and torture of Keith Noyahr, Associate Editor of The Nation, drew widespread condemnation, Sunday Island inquiries revealed his tormentors had been taken him to Dompe and then brought him back to his Dehiwela residence after Rivira Media Corporation triggered a frantic search for him.

Well informed sources said the gang would have been after the identity of Noyahr’s ‘sources.’

The timely intervention of Lalith Alahakoon, Editor of The Nation and Krishantha Prasad Cooray,

CEO of the Rivira Media Corporation, had forced the government to search for the missing journalist. But his release, the sources said asserted would have been after the gang had established the identities of the target’s ‘sources.’

Now, they would be after his ‘sources,’ the sources said. Had not for their intervention, Noyahr would have been killed and dumped somewhere, the sources said.

A UK based businessman early this year bought a 49 per cent stake of Rivira Media Corporation which publishes ‘Rivira’, ‘The Nation’ and ‘Bottom Line’ newspapers. He is reported to have paid Rs. 100 million.

Read more,
http://www.island.lk/2008/05/25/news2.html