Vol. 26 No. 291 Thursday 14th December, 2006 Rs.15 - 32 Pages Registered in as a Newspaper - City Edition

Observations on China set to top FRIDAY SPECIAL 6 Majority Report 11 gold medal count Army breaks LTTE defences in Vakarai *UNHCR ‘cover’ for LTTE *Govt. to bring Vakarai under control * Army loses 24, LTTE 70 by Shamindra Ferdinando Red light for the Red? The ongoing operations in the Eastern theatre are Victor Ivan’s Radical aimed at bringing Vakarai region under government con- Rethink trol. The government intends to neutralize LTTE units, Revealed in an exclusive particularly their long range weapons deployed in the area and deny them easy access to the sea front. interview with The Island

The LTTE has civilian settlements lost their first and in the area,” he the strongest line of said. “The bottom ‘SLFP-UNP defences between line is that we Panichankerni and wouldn’t be shack- Kadjuwatte. Troops led by the ceasefire MoU of no use’ are in the process of agreement.” He consolidating the acknowledged that SB to take to streets newly captured posi- the presence of tions amidst spo- civilians impeded by Norman Palihawadena radic fire. Army Chief the operations. The UNP Reformists were at the end Advancing troops Earlier, troops of their tether, as the UNP was not doing came across UNHCR tents brought Sampur under their enough for the people, who had to suffer which had been used by the control. In the first week of in silence due to high cost of living and many other problems, UNP MP S. B. LTTE. September troops expanded Dissanayake told The Island yesterday. A senior Defence their Muhamalai frontline. He said he was prepared to take to the Ministry official yesterday The LTTE is believed to streets for the sake of the people who said the army was confident be unable to send reinforce- needed solutions to their burning prob- of completing the operation ments to the Vakarai region lems. shortly. Speaking on the con- due to the increased presence He said the SLFP-UNP MoU had failed dition of anonymity, he said of the Navy off Vakarai. to solve the problems of the people. Nor that the government would Although the LTTE initially had it been effective enough to help find a go ahead with the operation. managed to delay the solution to the conflict. Besides, he said, “We have to neutralise their advance, troops are gradual- there were many instance of political vic- artillery and mortar pieces ly taking the upper hand. timization, which the UNP leadership didn’t heed. to prevent further attacks on Continued on page 5 A demonstration, demanding a wage increase for plantation workers, was held opposite the Colomob Fort He said he and other Reformists had Railway Station yesterday (13), with several trade union leaders, including the Leader of the Opposition, been moved by the increasing helpless- Colombo Municipal Council participating. Vasudeva Nanayakkara discussing the ness of the people who had pinned their arrangements, of the demonstration, with ASP Premalal Ranagala before the start. Pic by Kamal Bogoda hopes on the Opposition. Canada-based Continued on page 5 LTTE leader faces deportation Plantation strike continues With the grief of los- Intelligence Service Main unions blamed for preventing presidential intervention ing their young son still (CSIS) seems to support by Wijitha Nakkawita and Thondaman, said the main union lead- fresh, the family of a boy the accusation in a Nanuoya / Deraniyagala ers had threatened the organisers of the who drowned in a par- report filed with the fed- strike and prevented President Mahinda tially frozen Scarborough eral court. Correspondents. Rajapakse from intervening to settle the pond is facing the That CSIS report The Plantation workers strike dispute. entered the 10th day yesterday with no prospect of being alleges that Nadarajah President Mahinda Rajapakse has solution in sight and intervention by the deported to Sri Lanka. was one of the Tamil Labour Minister Athauda Seneviratne directed the Labour Minister Athauda In court documents, Tigers’ top international failed to resolve the crisis Seneviratne to hold discussions with the the boy’s father leaders while living in The strikers came out without the strikers and Employers’ Federation but Muralidaran Nadarajah, Switzerland before com- support of the main plantation unions. up to yesterday there was deadlock in 45, claims to have been Nadarajah ing to Canada. CWC Leader Minister Arumugam the talks mainly due to rival plantation arrested and tortured by “It has been deter- Thondaman and Upcountry People’s trade unions trying to exploit the strike the Sri Lankan Army for 31- mined that, while in Switzerland, Front Leader Minister P. for their own ends, senior Government months according to (Nadarajah) orchestrated Chandrsekaran did not support the sources told The Island yesterday. Toronto.ctv.ca website on fundraising and propaganda activ- workers’ struggle. Minister December 12. ities in the support of the LTTE,’’ The strikers who moved out of the left for Nuwara Eliya yesterday and Nadarajah says the army reads a 2005 court ruling that plantations in their thousands have another round of talks with the strikers accused him of being a high-rank- stayed Nadarajah’s deportation decided to hold a Satyagraha opposite and the Employers was to be held and a ing officer within the Tamil Tiger pending a risk assessment. tea factories. compromise could be worked out at terrorist organisation. General Secretary of CWA S. The Canadian Security and Sathasivam , a former CWC parliamen- today’s talks, sources said. Continued on page 5 tarian, who rebelled against Mr. Continued on page 5

land on your India, Lanka agree on need to neutralize The Is MOBILE/PDA GPRS enabled maritime threats by non-state actors http://mobile.island.lk Select: Web Web Address An Indo-Lanka expert panel ing to living and non-living the government to neutralise Powerd by Lanka com Type:http://mobile.island.lk recently acknowledged the urgent marine resources. The possibility LTTE operations in Indian need to combat the growing of establishing a Joint Fisheries waters. threat posed by the LTTE. The Commission to commercially The meeting covered a wide panel recognized that the mar- exploit in a sustainable and mutu- range of subjects, including the itime domain constitutes an ally beneficial manner the mar- security dimension, the potential important medium for mutually itime fisheries resources of the for collaboration for the sustain- beneficial collaboration between two countries was also mooted. able exploitation of living and the two neighbouring countries. The National Maritime non-living marine resources, and The panel identified the prac- Foundation in its capacity as host the cooperation required for the The Island tical measures that may be taken, of the seminar titled “India-Sri protection and preservation of especially with regard to combat- Lanka Maritime Cooperation: the maritime environment. A ing maritime threats posed by Opportunities and Challenges” range of senior Indian and Sri http://www.island.lk non-state actors, for the joint The Sri Lankan Navy made a Lankan personalities from the management of the environment series of successful detections in governmental and the non-gov- including in the region of the the Gulf of Mannar this year, off ernmental sectors and academic Sethusamudram Ship Channel Jaffna and the East. President participated. Project, and for the exchange of Mahinda Rajapakse during a scientific and other data pertain- recent visit to New Delhi urged Continued on page 5