Sunday, August 28, 2011A US embassy cable released by the Wikileaks website last week quotes a former US official in Colombo as saying that a group of doctors who were in the Wanni during the war, had been “coached” on what to say at a press briefing in Colombo after they were arrested.
Dr T. Sathiyamoorthy, Dr T. Varatharajah and Dr. Shanmugarajah, who while in the Wanni, had made claims of heavy civilian casualties, contradicted their statements at a press briefing organised by the government in July 2009.
A secret cable dispatched in August 2009 by the Charge d’affaires of the US Embassy in Colombo James R. Moore, said that the doctors had not lied when giving their original statements to the media during the war. Read More »
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Grease Yakkas In Puttalam
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Puttalam August 24, 2011: A soldier stands guard in front of an army tank in a display of force. Photo by Abdul H. Azeez, Sivakumar, a heart patient for five years, leaves a young family behind Photo by Lalith Perera and Picchai sustained heavy injuries and is glad to have walked off alive Photo by Dileesha Abeysundara
By Abdul H. Azeez - in Puttalam and Kalpitiya
When Pakeer Thambi Kalladi Picchai (62) first heard about grease yakkas he thought it was a lie. But on Friday August 19 he went through an experience that left no doubts in his mind about the reality of their existence.
Picchai lives on a farm spanning five acres. The area of Puttalam he lives in, Karaithivu, Arikkavillu consists of vast stretches of farmland. Houses are located far apart from each other. At 5 p.m. his neighbours came to his house and asked him to help look for some suspicious people seen wandering about the area.
He took his torch and set off after breaking fast, but could not find anyone. Thus he returned home.
Read More »Picchai lives on a farm spanning five acres. The area of Puttalam he lives in, Karaithivu, Arikkavillu consists of vast stretches of farmland. Houses are located far apart from each other. At 5 p.m. his neighbours came to his house and asked him to help look for some suspicious people seen wandering about the area.
He took his torch and set off after breaking fast, but could not find anyone. Thus he returned home.
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(Lanka-e-News -26.Aug.2011, 11.45.P.M.) A group of judges who lost their posts during the period from 1999 to 2009 met the President yesterday night. They have complained to the President that during that period , that is during the tenure of office of Sarath N Silva ,former chief justice ,they were ousted from their posts unjustifiably. They have told the President that there are 42 such judges , some of whom committed suicide while some others fell ill , according to Presidential media sources. The Minister Janaka Bandara Tennekoon had at this juncture shown to the President a newspaper report on Sarath Silva which had appeared in the Ravaya newspaper. The Minister had then told the President that charges shall be filed against former chief justice. 
![Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa says he is satisfied an extension of the emergency rules isn't necessary. [Reuters]](http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201002/r511600_2770190.jpg "Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa says he is satisfied an extension of the emergency rules isn't necessary. [Reuters]")
Aug-26-2011 03:01