Military spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara today (Oct 2) told media that forward elements of 57 division troops are now consolidating their defences in the area, 3.5 km south of Kilinochchi outskirts. Speaking at the weekly media briefing at the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS), he said that some elements of the 57 division have already crossed the Nachchikudha - Therumurukandi road at some locations in the Akkarayankulam area. Troops have been able to cut-off the road that connects north-western coast and the Jaffna-Kandy (A-9) road at these locations, he further elaborated.

United Nations officials in Sri Lanka today deplored the placing of explosives by an unknown group on a Government truck that was due to join a UN food convoy in the north of the country, the scene of intense recent fighting between Government forces and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). In a statement, the UN reiterated that humanitarian operations and personnel must be protected at all times, in line with international humanitarian law, adding that it acknowledged the actions of the Government to meet this responsibility.

Finally, the last bit of confirmation regarding the LTTE's use of mercenaries and further confirmation of the downing of the Zlin 143 has come to light. The first group of civilians to escape the LTTE's clutches recently and reach Weli Oya last week confirmed both the above findings.

According to these civilians who undertook a perilous journey by sea to escape the LTTE, the Zlin 143 had crashed into the premises of the Iranapalai Roman Catholic School. Relatives and friends of the escapees had been eyewitnesses to the carnage caused by the crashing plane. The crash site is a clearing along the Puthukudiirippu-Iranapalai road in Mulaitivu District, which area is loosely inhabited jungle.

Security forces discovered a large haul of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and other banned equipment last evening (01) while carrying out clearance procedures on a convoy of Wanni bound lorries. This discovery was made a day after security forces found C-4 explosives in a Kilinochchi bound lorry in Vavunia. The items were recovered at the Vehicle Park at Thandikulam in Vavuniya, sources said. 
 
According to the defence sources, 22 Global Positioning System (GPS) items had been concealed in jaggery sacks and subsequently security forces had seized the lorry.

Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets bombed the LTTE's military headquarter complex in Kilinochchi this afternoon (Oct 2), Air Force spokesperson Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said. Fighter jets launched from Katunayake carried out the air strike at 12.40 PM targeting the LTTE headquarter, located 2 km northeast of Kilinochchi town, he added.

Meanwhile, defence intelligence sources revealed that the target was engaged on real time ground intelligence on a meeting of senior LTTE cadres at the location. The LTTE has maintained the targeted camp complex as its main military coordinating centre, the sources added. Elaborating further on the air strike, the sources said that the targeted camp is situated at Paravipanjan in Kilinochchi.

by:Kath Noble

evaluates the 'goodness' of 'good ideas' (pertaining to conflict resolution) by placing them in the appropriate political and historical contexts in this essay. 

In a democracy, 'good ideas' often end up in the dustbin of history.  Politicians have to convince the masses of the worth of a suggestion or give it up.  At the very least, a rejected proposal has to be set aside for a while. Intellectuals don't usually appreciate this, but it is just the way the system functions.  Democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time, as the saying goes.

I was prompted to reflect on this issue after listening to the Dudley Senanayake Memorial Lecture at BMICH last week. John Alderdice, a Northern Irish politician and a member of the British House of Lords, was the speaker. Leader of the Alliance Party from 1987 to 1998, he now serves on the Independent Monitoring Commission set up by the British and Irish governments to report on implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, having been appointed Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly from 1998 to 2004.

by Marian Menaka Fernando

It was a gloomy, rainy Saturday in Geneva, Switzerland, on 6 September, 2008, as about fifty of us waited to board the bus that was to take us to the town of Bern, which houses the Swiss Parliament.  We were all headed to take part in a peaceful gathering to protest the presence of pro-LTTE groups in Europe.  The mood on the bus was hopeful—in spite of the less than ideal weather conditions. 

Security forces while making clearance on a convoy of Wanni bound lorries at the Omanthai Entry/Exit point in Vavuniya, have found C-4 explosives and batteries in two lorries yesterday (Sep 30), evening. According to military, a total of 60 lorries are expected to cross the Omanthai gateway by Thursday evening (Oct 2), with essential food items to displaced people in Wanni. 30 lorries were hired by the Vavuniya District Secretariat, while the rest have been hired by the WFP.

Reply to Joint Statement by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Crisis Group of September 19^th 

An unholy trinity of international NGOs saw fit to dish out yet another helping of their standard but totally unnecessary advice the other day. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Crisis Group issued a joint statement urging the leaders of various other countries and the heads of multilateral institutions to press the Government to take account of some potential dangers ahead in the Vanni. As is becoming the norm for that clique of international NGOs, it presented a rather inaccurate assessment of the current situation and a completely exaggerated vision of what is likely to happen in the future. 

The main concern expressed was over the fate of civilians now that the UN agencies and international NGOs have withdrawn from uncleared areas. This relocation from Kilinochchi was completed by the end of September.