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Sri Lanka: High threat from terrorism in Lanka: UK 306 Reads

Monday, December 03, 2007 - 04:11 AM

December 3, 2007 by lrrp

The British government notes there is a high threat from terrorism in Sri Lanka in the wake of the twin bombings in Nugegoda and Colombo last week in which some 20 civilians were killed and several others sustained injuries.

In a reviewed and reissued travel advice on Sri Lanka following the incidents last week, the British Foreign Office notes that attacks in Sri Lanka could be indiscriminate, and have occurred in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. “On November 28, there was a bomb attack in Central Colombo targeting a government Minister, and another attack on the outskirts of Colombo that killed at least 18 and injured a number of civilians,” the travel advice says.

The travel advice further states that there was heightened security in Sri Lanka and the government security legislation provided wide-ranging discretionary powers, which had recently been strengthened and there had been detentions, particularly of people of Tamil ethnicity.

Earlier this year the British Foreign Office advised against all travel to the Yala National Park.

“Yala National Park is currently closed due to security concerns.
We advise against all travel to Yala National Park.
“Additionally, you should exercise caution and seek the advice of your tour operator or the local authorities before travelling to areas adjacent to Yala National Park, east of the A2 Road from Hambantota to Wellawaya and south of A4 Road from Wellawaya to Pottuvil,” the advice said following a terrorist attack inside the park.

http://lrrp.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/high-threat-from-terrorism-in-lanka-uk/

Sri Lanka: Attack kills Tamil Tiger leader 305 Reads

Friday, November 02, 2007 - 04:37 AM

Story Highlights
S. P. Thamilselvam, "peace negotiator" during talks with government, killed Friday
Died, along with five others, in air force attack on northern Sri Lankan port
Air strike comes two weeks after rebel pre-dawn raid on Sri Lankan air force base

Tamil Tigers fighting since 1983 for a separate homeland in the north and east

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- A key political leader of the Sri Lankan rebel group, the Tamil Tigers, was killed Friday along with five other rebel officers during an air strike in the country's embattled north, the guerrillas said in a statement on a Tamil-affiliated Web site.

S. P. Thamilselvam was killed by the Sri Lankan air force during an "aerial bombardment" Friday at 6:00 a.m. local time in Kilinochchi -- a rebel held part in the country's north.

According to CNN contributor, journalist Iqbal Athas, Thamilselvam acted as the group's "peace negotiator" during talks with the Sri Lankan government.

"The Sri Lanka Air Force attack has targeted the residence of the members of the Political Division," the rebel statement said, also naming the five others killed as Lt. Col. Anpumani, Maj. Mikuthan, Capt. Neathaji, Lt. Aadchiveal and Lt. Vaakaikkumaran.

The strike came nearly two weeks after rebels launched a pre-dawn land and air attack on a Sri Lankan air force base that killed 10 Sri Lankan forces and wiped out military hardware worth millions of dollars, according to military sources.

There was no immediate response from the military about Friday's attack that killed Thamilselvam.

The Tamil Tigers, formally called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, have been fighting since 1983 for a separate homeland for the Tamil minority in the north and east, citing decades of discrimination by the majority Sinhalese. About 65,000 people died before the 2002 cease-fire.

The U.S. State Department designated the Tamil Tigers a foreign terrorist organization in 1997.

All AboutSri Lanka • Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

Links referenced within this article

Sri Lanka
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/sri_lanka
Tamil Tigers
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/liberation_tigers_of_tamil_eelam
Sri Lanka
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/Sri_Lanka
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/Liberation_Tigers_of_Tamil_Eelam

Find this article at:
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/11/02/tamil.leader

Sri Lanka: Tigers sold Norwegian passports to al-Qaeda 773 Reads

Monday, March 19, 2007 - 06:34 PM

Walter Jayawardhana

TORONTO: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have stolen Norwegian passports and sold them to the al-Qaeda organisation to earn money, Norwegians Against Terrorism Organisation chief spokesman Falk Rovik said.

Addressing as the main guest speaker at the Sri Lanka United National Association's special general meeting at the North York Civic Centre Auditorium in Toronto recently, he said an LTTE member called Mike Daniel Jeya is already in prison for this passport racket.

"The LTTE has sold these passports to the highest bidders including an Algerian al-Qaeda group," Rovik said. He said the LTTE in Norway has made use of weak members of the society to carry out their illegal rackets.

"In this case it was a police officer who was made use of. Police officer Herman Olav Nyhusmoen was a habitual gambler and was always wanting money to pay his debts. So, LTTE cadre Mike Daniel Jeya was easily able to steal the passports using him," Rovik said.

He said both the Norwegian and the LTTE cadre are in jail for the crimes. Rovik said the passport fraud was detected when a LTTEer was caught with 700 passports in Thailand.

He said according to Interpol figures 130,000 Norwegian passports have been stolen. Rovik pointed out that the LTTE has used some of the stolen passports and the balance had been sold to the highest bidders including the al-Qaeda group in Algeria.

A large gathering including representatives from Amnesty International, Mackenzie Institute, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, CSIS, Toronto Police, several GTA Riding Association officials, Sri Lanka's High Commissioner, Deputy High Commissioner, Consul General and other Sri Lankan community leaders were present at the lecture.

Rovik who is also a member of the board of Oslo Chapter of the Amnesty International, said almost 90 per cent of LTTE revenues are raised from criminal activities outside Sri Lanka, including the smuggling of narcotics and humans, extortion of Diaspora members, credit card fraud etc.

He charged that the Norwegian Government had funded the LTTE through two ways, by giving money to the bogus humanitarian front organisation called the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) and sending money to secret bank accounts.

He said the TRO is directly controlled by the LTTE and is being used to funnel money into the LTTE's arms procurements. Rovik said the money supplied by Norway to the TRO ran into millions of dollars. He said his organisation extracted these lists from public records and published.

"As a cover up, the government is grouping those figures to hide certain names the monies received," Rovik said. Norway is also using secret accounts to fund the LTTE, he said.

Rovik further charged that ex-Norwegian Special Forces have trained the LTTE Sea Tigers in under water demolition methods in Thailand. He said ex-Norwegian Special forces never train foreigners without the Norwegian Government's consent.

He said the Sea Tigers were especially trained in attacking ports and Navy ships. He revealed that certain Norwegian military personnel serving in the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) under the peace process have taken LTTE personnel to study at the Special Forces Military base in Rena, Norway.

He said the Norway managed SLMM monitors are not true monitors but a bias lot and said it was amply demonstrated when a Chinese fishing trawler was destroyed by the Sea Tigers. Rovik said what the SLMM said was that the sinking of the Chinese vessel was done by an unknown third party.

He said there is innumerable pieces of evidence to prove that the Norwegian Government has contributed to terrorism in Sri Lanka.

"Due to that victims of terrorism in Sri Lanka who have lost their limbs, loved ones and property and suffered mutilations are able to file class actions against the Norwegian government asking for compensation, under the country's laws," Rovik said.

http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/03/20/sec01.asp

Sri Lanka: Ambassadors Slightly Wounded in Sri Lanka Rebel Attack 310 Reads

Tuesday, February 27, 2007 - 08:25 AM

By Steve Herman
New Delhi
27 February 2007

Sri Lanka says Tamil Tiger rebels deliberately targeted foreign ambassadors on a humanitarian mission to the east of the country. The Tigers acknowledge they fired artillery at the air force base where the diplomats were getting out of helicopters but say they were unaware the aircraft contained diplomats. The U.S. and Italian ambassadors were slightly injured in the attack. VOA's Steve Herman reports from New Delhi.

The landing zone for helicopters carrying the diplomats and Sri Lanka's human rights minister came under fire Tuesday from Tamil Tiger artillery.

US Ambassador Robert Blake, left, and Italian counterpart, Pio Mariani, center wearing green t-shirt, walk with Sri Lankan Minister for Disaster Management Mahinda Samarasinghe, right, in Colombo, 27 Feb. 2007
U.S. Embassy officials in Colombo say Ambassador Robert Blake suffered a "superficial wound" that "drew blood" and may have been caused by shrapnel or a rock. Italian envoy Pio Mariani was taken to a hospital where a small piece of shrapnel was removed from his head. The German Embassy in Colombo says its ambassador, Jurgen Weerth, initially reported hurt, was not injured.

Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe was giving several diplomats a tour of the restive eastern district of Batticaloa, where government troops last month captured a key Tamil Tiger stronghold.

Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry calls the incident a deliberate attack targeting foreign diplomats on a humanitarian mission.

The executive director of the Regional Center for Strategic Studies in Sri Lanka, Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, says if that was the case, it is likely to backfire on the rebels.

"If they want to create a positive image for themselves in the international community, I wonder if they would be firing mortars or rockets or whatever at foreign ambassadors," he said. "On the other hand, there might well be the argument that they wanted to create some kind of dramatic, sensational impact to remind that they are still a force to be reckoned with."

The rebels, who are fighting for a separate homeland for Sri Lanka's Tamil minority group, say they were unaware of the presence of the ambassadors. A Tiger spokesman expressed regret that the diplomats were injured, blaming the government for putting them in harm's way.

Sri Lankan foreign minister, Rohitha Bogollagama, on a visit to Beijing, said the Tamil Tigers had again demonstrated their "terrorist nature" by launching the attack.

He said the attack was a reminder to the international community to "take effective measures to eliminate fundraising and weapon procurement" by the Tigers abroad, and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

Sri Lanka's Defense Ministry says seven security personnel at the air base were wounded.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-02-27-voa14.cfm

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