SPECIALS  »   Fight for identity

Pro-LTTE activists hold up Sri Lankan envoy Press Trust of India, Tuesday July 28, 2009, Chennai A group of pro-LTTE activists blocked the way of outgoing Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai P M Amza as he was leaving after attending a felicitation function in Chennai. More»

New LTTE chief vows to seek 'free Eelam' Press Trust of India, Wednesday July 22, 2009, Colombo Vowing to pursue its campaign for 'Tamil Eelam', the LTTE has named alleged arms smuggler Selvarasa Pathmathan as its new chief to succeed Velupillai Prabhakaran, who was slain along with the entire rebel leadership in Sri Lanka two months ago. The Tamil separatist outfit, which was virtually annihilated by Sri Lankan troops in May, said it will "modify" the strategies of its "struggle" but will continue to work for a "free Tamil Eelam". More»

Lanka assures India on Tamil issue Indo-Asian News Service, Wednesday July 22, 2009, Phuket Sri Lanka on Wednesday assured India that the process of devolution of powers to the Tamil minority is on course as it tries to resettle over 300,000 civilians displaced by the military conflict in the shortest possible time. External Affairs Minister S M Krishna held talks with his Sri Lankan counterpart Rohitha Bogollagama for nearly half hour on the sidelines of India-ASEAN ministerial meetings in this Thai island resort. More»

Lanka accuses IMF of playing politics Agence France-Presse, Saturday June 27, 2009, Washington Sri Lanka has accused the International Monetary Fund of politicising financial aid following the fund's delay in considering a 1.9-billion-dollar bailout for the war-ravaged economy. "Never ever has the IMF taken political factors into account. Now, it seems for the first time they are doing that -- indirectly," Sri Lankan Trade Minister G L Peiris said on Friday in Washington ahead of talks with fund officials. More»

Will Lanka allow aid ship to unload? Sam Daniel, Maya Mirchandani, Arunachalam Vaidyanathan, Noopor Tiwari, Thursday June 25, 2009, Chennai For almost two weeks a ship carrying relief supplies for displaced Lankan Tamils is waiting in the international waters off Chennai. The Sri Lankan government turned it away last week citing procedural defects. The consignment was sent by the European Tamil diaspora. More»

A Raja seeks unloading of ship in Lanka Press Trust of India, Wednesday June 24, 2009, New Delhi Union Communication Minister A Raja on Wednesday met External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and submitted a memorandum demanding India's intervention to persuade Sri Lanka to allow unloading of a ship carrying relief material sent by the Tamil diaspora for the displaced people there. More»

LTTE remnants regrouping? Press Trust of India, Wednesday June 17, 2009, London A month after their defeat in the hands of the Sri Lankan army, the remnants of the LTTE plan to re-organise and pursue the goal of a separate Tamil state from abroad, with the rebels' international relations chief Selvaras Pathmanathan taking the lead. More»

LTTE war killed 1 lakh people: Rajapaksa Press Trust of India, Monday June 15, 2009, Colombo Expressing concern over 100,000 innocent lives lost in the just concluded "cruel war" against LTTE, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said his latest challenge is to rehabilitate the displaced Tamil civilians. Rajapaksa currently on a state visit to Myanmar, his first one after the conclusion of the three decade war with the LTTE, said that his latest challenge was to rehabilitate the war-torn region and bring normalcy to people's lives. More»

Prabhakaran waited for poll results Press Trust of India, Sunday June 14, 2009, New Delhi Velupillai Prabhakaran was waiting for the results of Indian elections to plan his next strategy in the 30-year-old civil war in Sri Lanka and was apparently hoping that either the NDA or the Third Front would come to power in New Delhi, but the army there had different plans. It has now emerged that the 54-year-old slain guerrilla leader was waiting till May 16. More»

‘Lankan army shot surrendering rebels’ Press Trust of India, Friday June 12, 2009, London Sri Lankan army has been accused of shooting surrendering Tamil Tiger rebels in the final months of the brutal civil war and bulldozing the injured civilians into mass graves, along with the dead, a human rights group has claimed. More»