White Van abductions :an eternal curse like the regime -an individual abducted in broad daylight in Colombo today

(Lanka-e-News-05.Dec.2011, 11.55PM) Under the murderous MaRa regime , in broad daylight today, (5) , an individual was abducted in the notorious white Van. Christofer Fernando aged 50, from Jampettah street , Colombo 13 is the victim of this abduction. Nobody has been arrested so far on this abduction. The relatives of Fernando had made a complaint to the Kotahena police.

It is significant to note that during the period of the war , over 500 Muslims and Tamils were abducted in the white Van , and until today , their fates are not known.

Thereafter , the first Sinhalese individual who was abducted in Colombo was journalist Prageeth Ekneliyagoda.

MaRa panics following the massive 29th protest demonstrations : Only choice inflame UNP leadership controversy

(Lanka-e-News-05.Dec.2011, 11.55PM) Following the great success of the protest demonstrations and rally at Hyde Park on the 29th of November organized by the UNP against the MaRa regime , the latter had got cold feet and panic stricken. It will be a matter for surprise if the MaRa regime had not understood the gravity and the dangerous portents which were contained in the speech of the opposition leader when he said , the time has come for the protests and agitation to be taken to the streets like those street protests and agitations in America and Arabia , and when that message was received with huge loud approbation of the massive crowds which thronged the venue. Full story >

Maathakal protests Sri Lanka’s Naval base

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 December 2011, 23:22 GMT]

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 December 2011, 23:22 GMT]
A major coastal village Maathakal in Jaffna staged a protest on Monday against occupying Sri Lanka building an extensive naval base there by confiscating private lands of Eezham Tamils. Maathakal is the closest point of Jaffna to Point Calimere (Koadikkarai) in the Tamil Nadu coast across the Palk Strait. The base is a security threat not only to Eezham Tamils but also to Tamil Nadu as well as to India, but New Delhi and Colombo seem to think Tamils on either side of the Palk Strait as ‘common enemies’, commented a geopolitical analyst in Jaffna. In recent times, occupying SL is silently expanding its naval bases in other points of the Palk Bay too, at Kaarainakar, Kayts, Ma’ndaitheevu, Delft and Oora’ni by confiscating private lands. Meanwhile Sri Lanka that has no claim over Bay of Bengal without the country of Eezham Tamils it occupies, is entertained in Indian dominated BIMSTEC. 

Sri Lanka's large military establishments that choke Jaffna peninsula and threaten Indian security. Sinhala colonisation is carried out in places no 11, 13, 14, and 16. The locations: 1. High Security Zone, Valikaamam North, 2. Kaarainakar naval base, 3. Vallan, Pungkudutheevu, 4. Periyathu'rai and Saamiththoadda-munai, Delft (Key location for Kachchatheevu and Rameswaram), 5. Kunthavadi, Delft, 6. Thalai-mannaar, 7. Mannaar Fort, 8. Tha'l'laadi, 9. Poonakari Fort, 10. Elephant Pass, 11. Vettilaikkea'ni, 12. Naakarkoayil, 13. Ariyaalai East and the opposite sandbar Ma'n'niththalai, 14. Naavatkuzhi, 15. Ma'ndaitheevu and 16. Jaffna city. The innumerable small military posts and the newly planned cantonments in Vanni are not shown in the map. [Satellite Image courtesy: NASA, Visible Earth. Legend by TamilNet]

 Full story >>

Chauvinism not the solution

Sunday 04 December 2011
We were struggling during the last period to build a social democratic movement to face the dictatorial and repressive policies of the government. But this attempt was nullified continuously by the intervention of chauvinist forces. There is a school of thought which believes that the government could be challenged only by a leadership that is more Sinhala than the Mahinda camp. These misplaced radicals devote their time to contact racist elements who fall out from the ruling coalition. In addition they try to promote alternate UNP leaders to act as saviours of the Sinhala nation. In other words an important question is posed to those who are coming into the anti government agitation. Are we to take the stale set of slogans of Sinhala chauvinists as the first and foremost weapon to be 

used against the government? Quite apart from the question of expediency of such a strategy, it will inevitably boomerang on the opposition.

Breaking the barriers of language

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Democratic leader of Justice for Tamil Struggle: HonourableDr. Vickramabahu Karunarathne Right of self - determination of Ilankai (SriLanka)Tamils by

Underworld members being killed fearing kudu Duminda’s criminal contracts will be exposed – a top flight police officer

(Lanka-e-News-04.Dec.2011, 11.55PM) A top flight police officer speaking to Lanka e news stated that following the gunshot head injuries sustained by Duminda Silva who is now hospitalized, the MaRa regime is engaged in a spate of killings of underworld members after abducting them in the white Van , because of the fear that they may expose the criminal contracts they committed for Duminda Silva on behalf of the regime.

Anura Senanayake , the DIG of the Colombo CCD is playing a main role in this , and he is in the process of carrying out Bayagotha’s orders .

The same top flight police officer further revealed that last 30th November the Modera police stopped and seized a white Van engaged in abduction . But on orders from the defense Ministry , the Van was released without any records being made of it .

Nobody has the right to take the law into their hands when taking action against the criminals , and all citizens must duly abide by the laws , whether they are the law enforcers or the criminals. When unlawful summary murders are committed like in these instances, the root of the cause of murders cannot be identified or rooted out with the result that murder spree will go on unabated and uncontrolled since a politician is behind it in Sri Lanka, the police officer bemoaned.

Mahinda Rajapakse's history had also been tainted with association with criminals. Vitharandeniya Ukkuwa the notorious criminal was a close associate and security provider of Mahinda , who was later killed. Later on, another notorious murderer ‘ Chandi Malli’ who also had close dealings with Mahinda too was killed. This list of atrocities and criminal deals is a long one. Though those behind these killings were not made known , it is everybody’s common knowledge that who committed those murders , the police officer observed.

Yesterday (3) , when Navy Ruwan was abducted at Warakapola and it fled , the Van No. 252- 5369 was noted and was informed to the police emergency at 18.01 hour , but no action had been taken by the police.

The Warakapola police had recorded in its complaint book of this abduction in page 293 chapter 24 

FLASH: Man who killed beggars arrested

 Monday, December 05, 2011

A suspect who had killed at least 12 beggars in parts of Colombo and greater Colombo has been arrested, the police media unit said this morning.

The police said that the suspect had initially been arrested over a heroin related case in Mount Lavinia and was detained for a period of time.

During investigations it came to light that the suspect had killed several beggars by hitting them on the head using a brick.

According to the police, the suspect had killed beggars in Moratuwa, Kiribathgoda, Colpetty, Peliyagoda, Wellawatte, Kotahena, Mount Lavinia, Slave Island and Kelaniya.

The suspect did not have a permanent residence and used to loiter on the pavements, the police said.

Trincomalee war displaced 'won't go back'

President Rajapaksa announced the capture of Sampur in an SLFP conference in 2006 Sri Lanka's war displaced from several areas in the eastern district of Trincomalee will not be allowed to resettle in their ancestral lands, the government has confirmed. Trincomalee Government Agent, Maj Gen TTR de Silva, said the resettlement of internally displaced people (IDPs) from Sampur has become "an international issue." "People can not go back nearer to the thermal power plant," he told journalists in Trincomalee on Sunday. He made the remarks at a conference on media development which was also attended by the Director General of Information, Prof Ariyaratne Athugala. Media has an important role to play "in building a bridge between people and development," said Prof Athugala. 'Land grab' The journalists attended the seminar then pointed out that the government has not attempted to resolve many issues raised by the media, including the resettlement in Sampur.  The Ceylon Electricity Board new buildings are also being constructed there and the area has been demarcated for new related industries   Trincomalee GA, Maj Gen TTR de Silva "The Ceylon Electricity Board new buildings are also being constructed there and the area has been demarcated for new related industries,” was the response by the government agent. Sampur was among the first major Tamil Tiger strongholds in the east that was re-captured by the security forces. The government officials were also told that 1500 fishermen have lost livelihoods as a result of a new saltern is being built in Kuchchuveli. Responding, Maj Gen de Silva said decisions regarding acquiring land have been taken from the higher echelons of the government including the president and cabinet of ministers. “I think it is a shame that 60% of salt intake in Sri Lanka is imported,” he added. The journalist also pointed out that farmers were banned to cultivate 700 paddy land in Kappalturai that has been cultivated for generations but Maj Gen de Silva said those decisions were taken by the government hierarchy. The North - East Sinhala Organisation (NESO) earlier accused the government of land grab in eastern Sri Lanka. But the provincial council authorities have denied the accusation.

War crime litigations reach crucial phase in US courts

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 December 2011, 20:19 GMT]

Civil cases against Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse and Shavendra Silva, an ex-army commander and currently Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) are waiting next round of decisions from the District Court of District of Columbia and District Court of Southern District of New York respectively, legal sources monitoring the progress of the cases said. The Rajapakse case awaits decision if the court can "force" Rajapakse to answer and engage with the Court. Shavendra case awaits decision from the SDNY judge on Silva's Motion to dismiss. 

• SDNY case against Rajapakse

A third case in US court (SDNY) is against Mahinda Rajapakse, by attorney Rudrakumaran, and this case has not proceeded further than filing according to court records.

• Case 1:11-cv-00235-CKK, Complaint

Attorney to the DC case, Bruce Fein, acting for three Tamil plaintiffs, in the case K. Manoharan et al. v. Mahinda Rajapakse, told TamilNet that he is optimistic about a favorable decision from Judge Kotelly, a judge with experience in Federal Intelligence and Surveillance Act (FISA). Fein added that if the Judge agrees that plaintiffs have satisfied the attempts at Service of Process having acted according to the latest order, Rajapakse will risk a default judgment against him if he continues to ignore court order. Fein said he is also contemplating to advice his clients to include, Sri Lanka's President's brother Gothabaya Rajapakse as a co-defendant in the DC case.

The process to add another defendant will not be a complicated procedure as we have surmounted the service of process hurdles and that since the additional defendant is a US citizen, the plaintiff and the court will have less complex mechanisms at hand to effect service of process, Fein said.

• SDNY Complaint against Silva

Ali Beydoun, lead counsel for the plaintiffs in Shavendra Silva case, said he is hopeful that the SDNY judge will likely not rule before scheduling a hearing for oral arguments from the attorneys. However, if the judge considers the legal argument in the motion from the defendant convincing on the issue of diplomatic immunity, the Judge may dismiss the case without a hearing.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Tamils Against Genocide (TAG), a US-based activist group, told TamilNet that two legal efforts are currently in progress, one involving post-surrender mass-rape of Tamil women, and the other involving complicity of Colombo in white-van abductions, torture, and incarceration. A legal document that will serve to press charges against a serving Sri Lanka diplomat in Europe for culpability in mass-rape is under preparation for filing with the prosecutor of the relevant EU state. The document is reported to include detailed graphics on where and how the crime occurred during March 2009 when the refugees were trickling out from the demarcated No Fire Zone and surrendered to the SLA, spokesperson added.

Law to take over private lands in Tamil Homeland

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 December 2011, 12:09 GMT]
Whilst the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) has been in the past taking over lands in the Tamil Homeland under the guise of High security Zones (HSZ) they have now surreptitiously introduced a Bill in the Parliament to amend the ‘Town and Country Planning Ordinance’ in an effort to take over even private lands belonging to Tamils in Tamil dominated areas under various religious and historical pretexts, writes a legal practitioner and human rights activist in the Eastern Province. 

Out of 18,800 square km of land in the Northeast, the occupying Army is said to have already taken over 7,000 square kilometres of land after May 2009.

In Champoor in Trincomaalee District 10,000 acres of land has been declared as High Security Zone (HSZ), citing the construction of a Coal powered Electricity Plant with the collaboration of India, which in fact does not need more than 500 acres at the most. 

This HSZ is going to affect the livelihood of almost 10,000 Tamil-speaking people of the area who are primarily Paddy cultivators and fishermen. In addition, the hazardous nature of the coal plant with environmental pollution will affect not only the immediate vicinity but also a larger area.

3000 acres of land has been acquired by GOSL for a Buddhist Vihara in Thiriyaay, a traditional Tamil village in Trincomalee District. 

Large extents of land have been acquired in Vanni, said to be for developmental projects but are being actually occupied by the Army. 

The present effort to amend the ‘Town and country planning Ordinance’ is the ploy most probably of Gotabhaya Rajapakse, the Defence Secretary as Urban Development now comes under the Defence Ministry. 

Having exhausted all the avenues to take over lands of Tamils this would seem to be a process to make inroads into Tamil owned areas in the towns which they could not do otherwise. 

The circular issued by the Land Commissioner General recently to register private lands in the Northeast is perhaps another ploy in this direction.

The step taken by the Supreme Court not to give a decision on this new Bill is a correct one. The three member Bench comprising of the CJ Shiranee Bandaranaike, S.S.Pavan J and Chandra Ekanayake J, have said that it was in violation of Section 154G of the Constitution as the subject of land comes under the Provincial list and hence the Bill should have been referred to every Provincial council after having been gazetted for their consent before it is placed on the Order Paper of Parliament. If not it cannot become a law.

Irrespective of the inadequacy of the 13th Amendment it shows the mindset of the GOSL in that knowing pretty well that the Eastern Provincial Council will not consent to such amendment they wanted to do it otherwise. 

That GOSL modes operandi also clearly shows that unless Eezham Tamils are vested with sovereignty of the land of their nation, such a colonial-minded land grab and annihilation of their nation could never be stopped.

Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo appears at ICC in Hague

Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo confirms his name before the ICC

Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo has become the first former head of state to appear at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

He faces four charges of crimes against humanity, including murder and rape, in the wake of Ivory Coast's disputed presidential elections a year ago.

Some 3,000 people were killed in violence after Mr Gbagbo refused to accept defeat in the 2010 polls.

Full Story>>>

John de Silva theatre to be demolished to make way for Mahinda Rajapaksa theatre

Monday, 05 December 2011

The Lotus Pond – Mahinda Rajapaksa Visual Arts Theater built with Chinese aid is to be declared open on the 15th and authorities are looking at removing the John de Silva theatre that is located next to it since the old theatre has a negative impact on the image of the new theatre.

The canteen of the John de Silva theatre was razed to the ground by a group of military personnel a few days ago as the first step.

The seven storey Mahinda Rajapaksa theatre was built by a Chinese construction company. Several artists linked to the President has advised him that there was no necessity for the John de Silva theatre since the new theatre has several theatre halls.

A senior artist who gave us the information said it was likely that the John de Silva theatre would be demolished shortly and a drama that was scheduled to go on the boards yesterday had been cancelled.

Honour pact on political solution: TNA

Reiterating its commitment to continuing the talks aimed at arriving at an amicable political solution for the Tamils in Sri Lanka, the Tamil National Alliance has urged the government “to honour the mutual agreement reached and not to place new impediments to achieving an acceptable political solution that is desired by all the peoples of Sri Lanka”.

TNA leader R. Sampanthan said on Saturday in Colombo after the talks resumed in November and as per modalities agreed upon and confirmed in the minutes, it was “agreed that the bilateral talks between the government delegation and the TNA would continue and the consensus arrived at would be placed before the proposed Select Committee of Parliament. The TNA reiterates that its nomination to the PSC must await substantial consensus being reached at the bilateral talks, as was agreed.”

Outlining the manner in which the talks proceeded after resumption on November 16, he said parties identified the issues to be discussed and agreed upon evolving a political solution. The parties agreed on the specific order in which these issues were to be discussed and for this purpose, scheduled four meetings — on December 1, 6, 14, and 15. A timetable setting out these dates and issues was also circulated.

At the first of these meetings held on December 1, Minister of External Affairs G.L. Peiris indicated that without the TNA nominating its representatives to constitute the proposed Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), the bilateral talks could not progress as previously agreed, said Mr. Sampanthan.

When the TNA reminded the government of the commitment already made, it requested time to deliberate and consequently a new meeting was scheduled for December 3

Since the government-TNA talks began on January 10 this year, about 10 meetings have been held.

On August 4, the TNA walked out of the meeting, saying that no meaningful and purposeful dialogue could commence as the government had not responded to the TNA's comprehensive proposals and that no purpose would be served by fixing a further date for talks unless and until the government made its response available.

Exclusive: Photographic Evidence Of SL Government Whitevanning, Child Soldier Recruitments and Deshamanya Iniyapaarathi

Colombo Telegraph

IN JOURNALISM TRUTH IS A PROCESS

     By Uvindu Kurukulasuriya -

In November 2005, in recognition of her service to the country and the world, then-President of Sri Lanka Chandrika Kumaratunga conferred on Radhika Coomaraswamy the title of “Deshamanya” a prestigious national honour. She is the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. In this capacity, she serves as a moral voice and independent advocate to build awareness and give prominence to the rights and protection of boys and girls affected by Armed Conflict.

From Left - Inayapaarathi, Jeevendran, an armed crader,Sukumar Muralidharan,David Dadge and Uvindu Kurukulasuriya – photo by Athula Vithanage

Outside the TMVP office in Tirukkovil - White van with newspaper in place of number plate and Jeevendran and Inayapaarathi – Picture taken from inside our van through the windscreen - Picture by Uvindu Kurukulasuriya

TMVP Tirukkovil van has no number plate Photo by Athula Vithanage

TMVP child soldiers - Athula Vithanage pretends to take notes - our diver and TMVP carder and our van Photo by Uvindu Kurukulasuriya          Continue reading »

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LLRC report: President to outline action this month

Sunday December 04, 2011

Special address to Parliament on national question and HR issues

Exclusive

By Our Political Editor

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will make a special address to Parliament after he personally tables the findings of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission this month. The address will set out the steps the government would take on the recommendations of the LLRC’s final report. He will also focus on concerns expressed by the international community over alleged violations of human rights and international law. Two matters connected to this address, government sources said yesterday, were yet to be finalised. One is whether the fuller report of the LLRC should be tabled. Current thinking centres on only the observations and recommendations to be tabled first. With this in view, Sinhala and English translations are now being made. The other is the date on which the address will be delivered. It would be before the current budget sessions of the Parliament end on December 21, these sources said. Rajapaksa’s address, the sources added, would deal comprehensively with the recommendations of the LLRC and how his government would initiate action. Some of the testimony where the Commission says “there is prima facie evidence,” is to be handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department for further probe. Those recommendations that require other governmental action would be pursued, he is to assure. As earlier reported, though the Commission has held that the Channel 4 video titled ‘Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields’ was “fabricated,” it has noted that there are discrepancies both ‘scientifically and technically.’ Hence, it has said that some aspects of the video footage require further investigation.

14 rounds of discussions unavailing: Govt. had not resolved a single issue - TNA withdraws from discussions

(Lanka-e-News-03.Dec.2011, 11.55PM) TNA M. P. Suresh Premachandran speaking to Lanka e news said , the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) had withdrawn from the series of discussions which were held between it and the Govt. There had been 14 rounds of discussions to resolve the national issue , but so far , as there was no solution found despite the issue revolving around small and simple requests , the TNA had decided to withdraw from the discussions which are serving no purpose and unavailing , Premachandran pointed out.

The Govt. had not furnished even a single answer to any of the questions asked by the TNA pertaining to the thousands of the people who had been re settled.
Suresh Premachandran said , at today’s discussions at the Temple Trees , the TNA withdrew from them after informing the Govt.

Rajpal Abeynayake assaulted

 Rajpal Abeynaike the Editor of Lakbima News has lodged a complaint with the Colpetty Police Station stating that he was assaulted at the annual get together of lawyers held at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo yesterday.

 

Abeynaike a veteran journalist speaking to the Daily Mirror online stated that he was assaulted due to the comments he made regarding the former Chief Justice Sarath N.Silva. "This event is a 'lampoon' where people take pot shots at each other in good humour, it’s been so for over a century, I was talking to a lawyer and told him how I think it’s ridiculous that the same lawyers who demonised Sarath Silva when he was the Chief Justice now seem to portray him as a saviour," he said.

 

Abeynaike an Attorney-at- law himself went on to say that, "Another lawyer got involved with the conversation, I must have hit a wrong nerve and he started assaulting me. Irrespective of what I said no one has the right to assault another person, if he doesn’t agree with my views there is a civilised way of opposing it."

 

Abeynaike was also threatened with death during the assault "This individual threatened me with death and all sorts of other things during the assault, I have lodged a complaint with the Colpetty police in this regard" he said.

 

The Colpetty police declined to comment stating that the investigation is pending. (Hafeel Farisz)

For colombo, a lesson from Egypt - When troops go marching into business

Never, ever let the military into business ventures, money making, town and country planning, or development projects; never let the military have control over civilian life in general and most emphatically so if there is money involved. That’s the hard lesson Egypt’s second revolution is teaching the world. It’s not a new lesson; the threat to public when the military is let out of the barracks and allowed to dabble in money and business has been driven home by many terrible bloodbaths spread over many years.
It is a prominent and diabolical threat in this country at this time. A grave menace has been hanging over the City of Colombo and several adjacent municipalities and urban councils, though thankfully the government’s script may have been blunted by its rout in the CMC elections. The Defence Ministry has been re-titled defence and urban planning, hoping to pull the wool over the public eye and allow this establishment to own land, enter the construction industry and participate in business ventures. The recent nationalization of some 35 or 38 business enterprises may see some of them placed directly or indirectly under military management. None of this bodes well; when the army smells cash, the people taste blood – their own, a la Egypt.

Egypt’s second revolution            Full Story>>>

Navy Ruwan and Navy Dhammika abducted by an armed group who came in a white Van

(Lanka-e-News-03.Dec.2011, 11.55PM) Another underworld leader Navy Ruwan alias ‘Dematogoda Ruwan’ was abducted by an armed group who came in the white Van at about 6.00 p.m. today (3) . Along with Navy Ruwan , another individual Navy Dhammika had also been abducted. This abduction had taken place at Warakapola district. That van no is 252 – 5369. Navy Ruwan’s wife stated that her complaint to the police in connection with this abduction had not been accepted.

Navy Ruwan , his wife Lakshika, along with Navy Dhammika have returned home at about 6.00 p.m. from Kataragama . They have to climb a series of hills to reach their home . The armed group who was hiding in the jungle had waylaid them , and after seizing Navy Ruwan and Navy Dhammika , they had ruthlessly assaulted both. They were then abducted in the van.

The armed group which had taken a stone from nearby had hit navy Ruwan on the head repeatedly . While his head was broken and bleeding he was taken into the van. An individual who appeared to be the leader of the group has said , they wished to search the house, but now they have no time for that . When Lakshika began weeping and wailing not to hit her husband , the armed group had assaulted her too most brutally .

The armed group which forced Navy Ruwan and Navy Dhammika into the Van had immediately sped off. Ruwan ‘s wife Lakshika had then informed the police of the incident to the Warakapola police by phone , but the police had not accepted the complaint. The police officer who received the call had replied , whatever you wish to say , come and tell at the station. Navy Ruwan and his family had arrived at Warakapola to stay hidden about three months ago. Since of late , abductions by the Van had risen tremendously. On November 23rd , Lanka e news posted an article captioned ‘ Here are the full details of the white van criminal abductors’ exposing its modus operandi and who is behind it.

White vans now dole out justice!

By Gayan Kumara Weerasingha

The infamous white vans are back in circulation, only they’ve switched targets. It’s not LTTE suspects or members of the media anymore but underworld bigwigs and drug traffickers who are now looking over their shoulders. Karate Dhammika, a high profile mafioso type, fell victim to the white van operation but a few weeks ago. He was kidnapped from a house in Rambukkana in which he had been hiding in the early hours of October 22. 
Five days later, yet another criminal known as Loku Seeya suffered a similar fate in Wattala. A widely known kapumahattaya in a devale in Ragama, he had been trafficking drugs on a large scale. Loku Seeya, it is believed, was taken to an area close to Ampara, as his corpse was found floating in a river in Akkaraipattu a few weeks ago.
The latest victim of the white van operation was Jaleel Mohamed, an alleged drug trafficker with links to politicians in power who called Negombo his base of operations. He had been abducted on the night of November 30. According to informed sources, his politician friends are hard at work attempting to get him released.
Jaleel, who has committed many a murder and dealt in blackmail, is a criminal who has been wanted by the police for a long time. He has even been accorded special police protection when carrying out certain crimes.
Jaleel is a father of two. He met the mother of his children while she was still earning her keep as a sex worker. He managed to gradually get her out of the trade and provided for her, after marriage, from his criminal activities. However, when Jaleel was once arrested, his wife was forced to return to her former profession in order to feed the family until he was released on bail. Unable to forgive his wife for what he considered a betrayal, it is believed that he poisoned her.
At the time he was kidnapped, Jaleel was in the process of building a two storey house in Dalupota, Negombo. The land is valued at Rs.7.5 million.
A number of other drug traffickers have fallen victim to the white van operation in both the city and the outstations. Priyantha Galabada, a chief suspect in the case of the slaying of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra has also been abducted in a white van. Premachandra and three others were killed in Mulleriyawa during a shoot out on October 08.
As these criminals begin to be hunted down, a number of them are fleeing the country. Others, like drug peddler Mervin based in Peliyagoda who was caught by the Mirihana police with a large stash of marijuana and carrying false identification for Velayudan Chandrapala, opt to stay in prison, safe from the white van, instead of paying the meagre fine.

Over 700 Children Reported Missing Since End Of War

A total of 707 children have to date been reported missing from the Northern Province since the end of the conflict.

Of the total, 374 of the children are boys, and 333 are girls. Thus far, 116 of the children reported missing have been traced.
Thirty one of these children have been reunited with their families, while reunification is in process for another 22. Another 63 names have found matches, and are currently undergoing verification and tracing.
These statistics were obtained via UNICEF, which sourced the data to the Family Tracing Unit of the Department of Probation and Childcare Services in the Northern Province.
A UNICEF report released on July 12 this year recorded a total of 676 cases of missing children.

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Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith Furious

By Ranee Mohamed

At a press conference held at the Bishop’s House of Colombo yesterday, Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith proclaimed that he will not be attending any functions of the state or state institutions till the authorities clear the name of the Missionaries of Charity and stop the unfounded allegations and harassment.
‘I wish to protest in the strongest possible way against the high-handed acts of the authorities. And as a mark of protest I will not be attending any state or state institution-organised functions till this situation is rectified. I am sorry these kinds of things have happened,” said the Archbishop.Read More »