(NSI News Source 
Info) Colombo - January 8, 2009: Sri Lankan government on Wednesday decided to formally ban the LTTE, a move signalling end of prospects of peace talks with the Tamil Tigers against whom the security forces have launched a major offensive.
Sri Lanka joined countries like India, the United States and the EU, who have already proscribed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) headed by V. Prabhakaran. The decision to ban the outfit with effect from Wednesday midnight was taken at an emergency Cabinet meeting chaired by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse.
After the meeting, senior Cabinet minister Maithripala Sirisena told reporters that government took the decision to ban LTTE as civilians were being held in the rebel-controlled areas against their will.
Meanwhile, the Lanka defence ministry said on Wednesday that Tamil Tiger rebels are "near extinction" as troops press home their initiative after capturing the rebels’ political capital. Soldiers on Wednesday kept up pressure on the bottleneck linking the main island to the Jaffna Peninsula from two fronts, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said. Resistance was lower than on the first day of the assault a day earlier.
"The number of fighters and the volume of fire is lower, in terms of artillery," he said. The Army has sandwiched the LTTE on the thin strip of land, with troops to the north and south. The Tamil Tigers have vowed to hit back after suffering a series of major defeats in their vicious 37-year battle for a separate homeland.
The ministry said troops recovered three rebel bodies while "scores" were killed during heavy fighting around the Muhamalai defence line in the Jaffna peninsula on Tuesday.
"Security forces... are now gaining rapid tactical advantage leaving LTTE near to extinction," the ministry said, adding that intense ground battles had left "well-fortified LTTE defences crumbling and its leadership stunned."
Meanwhile, Tamil Tigers, now virtually on the run, have claimed that they still retained the capability to seize back LTTE’s de-facto capital of Killinochchi and said Sri Lankan government’s plans to hold elections in the Northern areas "would be a futile exercise".
Emerging after the devastating defeat at the hands of Lankan Army, LTTE political chief B. Nadesan said that "Kilinochchi town was captured more than once by the Sri Lanka military earlier." "Similarly, we have also re-captured the town on earlier occasions, effectively bringing the town under our control to serve the administrative and infrastructure needs," Nadesan said.
"It is in Kilinochchi, where the Sri Lankan forces have suffered historic debacles," he told the pro-LTTE website Tamilnet.
Lanka has hit the Tamil Tigers on Wednesday with a terrorist designation it lifted as part of ill-fated 2002 truce, as soldiers pressured the separatists’ last stronghold on the Jaffna Peninsula.
Though largely symbolic since the LTTE are already on US, EU and Indian terrorist lists and the government routinely calls them that, the Cabinet vote is just one more sign Sri Lanka has no plans to negotiate.
"The Cabinet has decided to ban the LTTE as they are not allowing civilians to leave the war zone," defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella, also a minister, said. President Mahinda Rajapaksa had given the LTTE until the New Year to free civilians which rights group say the rebels are keeping as human shields and using as fighters or battlefield labourers. The LTTE denies that.
On the issue of government plans to hold provincial elections in the North after liberating it from the LTTE, Nadesan said it would be a futile exercise.
"It will be a futile exercise to attempt to sideline the authentic representatives of the people of a nation and to depict the puppets and paramilitary agents of an invading military as the representatives of the people," the LTTE political head said.
"Tamil people have clearly defined their political aspirations by the democratic mandate in the elections of 1977," he said.
Info) Colombo - January 8, 2009: Sri Lankan government on Wednesday decided to formally ban the LTTE, a move signalling end of prospects of peace talks with the Tamil Tigers against whom the security forces have launched a major offensive.
Sri Lanka joined countries like India, the United States and the EU, who have already proscribed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) headed by V. Prabhakaran. The decision to ban the outfit with effect from Wednesday midnight was taken at an emergency Cabinet meeting chaired by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse.
After the meeting, senior Cabinet minister Maithripala Sirisena told reporters that government took the decision to ban LTTE as civilians were being held in the rebel-controlled areas against their will.
Meanwhile, the Lanka defence ministry said on Wednesday that Tamil Tiger rebels are "near extinction" as troops press home their initiative after capturing the rebels’ political capital. Soldiers on Wednesday kept up pressure on the bottleneck linking the main island to the Jaffna Peninsula from two fronts, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said. Resistance was lower than on the first day of the assault a day earlier.
"The number of fighters and the volume of fire is lower, in terms of artillery," he said. The Army has sandwiched the LTTE on the thin strip of land, with troops to the north and south. The Tamil Tigers have vowed to hit back after suffering a series of major defeats in their vicious 37-year battle for a separate homeland.
The ministry said troops recovered three rebel bodies while "scores" were killed during heavy fighting around the Muhamalai defence line in the Jaffna peninsula on Tuesday.
"Security forces... are now gaining rapid tactical advantage leaving LTTE near to extinction," the ministry said, adding that intense ground battles had left "well-fortified LTTE defences crumbling and its leadership stunned."
Meanwhile, Tamil Tigers, now virtually on the run, have claimed that they still retained the capability to seize back LTTE’s de-facto capital of Killinochchi and said Sri Lankan government’s plans to hold elections in the Northern areas "would be a futile exercise".
Emerging after the devastating defeat at the hands of Lankan Army, LTTE political chief B. Nadesan said that "Kilinochchi town was captured more than once by the Sri Lanka military earlier." "Similarly, we have also re-captured the town on earlier occasions, effectively bringing the town under our control to serve the administrative and infrastructure needs," Nadesan said.
"It is in Kilinochchi, where the Sri Lankan forces have suffered historic debacles," he told the pro-LTTE website Tamilnet.
Lanka has hit the Tamil Tigers on Wednesday with a terrorist designation it lifted as part of ill-fated 2002 truce, as soldiers pressured the separatists’ last stronghold on the Jaffna Peninsula.
Though largely symbolic since the LTTE are already on US, EU and Indian terrorist lists and the government routinely calls them that, the Cabinet vote is just one more sign Sri Lanka has no plans to negotiate.
"The Cabinet has decided to ban the LTTE as they are not allowing civilians to leave the war zone," defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella, also a minister, said. President Mahinda Rajapaksa had given the LTTE until the New Year to free civilians which rights group say the rebels are keeping as human shields and using as fighters or battlefield labourers. The LTTE denies that.
On the issue of government plans to hold provincial elections in the North after liberating it from the LTTE, Nadesan said it would be a futile exercise.
"It will be a futile exercise to attempt to sideline the authentic representatives of the people of a nation and to depict the puppets and paramilitary agents of an invading military as the representatives of the people," the LTTE political head said.
"Tamil people have clearly defined their political aspirations by the democratic mandate in the elections of 1977," he said.
Srilankan Problem Solutions- Opinions
ReplyDeleteThe war is killing the people...
and there are sources saying that srilankan army has occupied many areas...
If the Srilankan govt wants to wipe out the "Terrorist Group" and because of that if our people die ... then the "Terrorist group" should surrender thinking of our brothers/sisters...Srilanka will not stop war till the group is destroyed or surrenders...If the group surrenders its not act of cowardice but its act of bravery for lives of our tamil brothers/sisters....what is the sake of war when our people are killed....
Indian government should not be so shit in handling atleast that situation after surrender as it is handling the STOP THE WAR thing
The steps Indian Govt immediately should do NOW are -
Indian Government should force the Srilankan government to give equal status to the tamil people in areas captured by the army- allow fair elections to be held in those places under supervision of India/UN-Force Srilankan govt to make changes in constitution of srilanka to give privileges/benefits to the tamil people....
(Indian government cha namma ooru bomb blasts kooda kattu padutha mudiyala damn them...)
namma ooru politicians CHA .... they hav Minister seats in the central government...when they wanted particular ministry departments for their sons/grandsons etc they threatened the govt and withdrew support...but now they r just staging protest :( and not threatening the central govt as they did for their sons/grandsons etc...
ANyway this is my opinion... I am sorry if i hurt any of others opinions