Sri Lanka news and discussions
- Thread starter samv
- Start date
samv
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2009
- Messages
- 3,059
- Reaction score
- -24
China creates a pearl in Sri Lanka
Wiry Chinese men in white helmets carry bottles of green tea and chilled water as they walk out of their neatly built prefabricated blue-and-white homes as the afternoon sun blazes over Hambantota on Sri Lanka’s south coast.
There is a small pool in the middle of lush lawns. Next to their homes are basketball courts and a football field. There’s no photography allowed of these details.
Only if you happen to be in a helicopter passing overhead, can you see the big picture: These prefab homes — airconditioned with web and cable access — are neatly arranged to spell the word “China”.
Quietly and efficiently, the Chinese are at work here, 260 km south of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo, creating one of their “pearls” around India, modern ports that they can use for strategic and industrial purposes.
The seas below Sri Lanka are part of an important shipping lane and, for China, Hambantota will be an important transit for general cargo and, importantly, oil from Sudan’s vast fields (where too China is in competition with India)
There could have been Indians at work here.
The $1-billion (Rs 4,870 crore) Hambantota Port Project was offered to India seven years ago, a highly placed diplomatic source told HT, on condition of anonymity. New Delhi declined, doubting if the port could be profitable, the source said.
Now, India can only watch as China’s Exim Bank pumps in $360 million (more than Rs 17,500 crore) to complete the first phase of the port by next year, at the end of which three big ships could dock here. The port will accomodate 33 ships by 2020.
Since it’s in his home district, Hambantota is being closely monitored by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Land and resources are no problem.
“We have acquired 1,600 hectares of land for the entire project. About 300 hectares are being currently used (Mumbai Port is spread over only 47 hectares),” said P.A. Agil Hewageegana, deputy director of the Hambantota Port Project. “But it has been ensured that work for the next two phases will progress without trouble.”
At the prefab-home complex, the Chinese have a quick smoke before boarding an airconditioned bus. They are on their way deep inside the site where giant cranes and dredgers are at work.
As he showed me around, Sri Lanka Ports Authority Superintendent Priyantha Dewasurendra talked of the Chinese request when work started in 2008.
“Every afternoon, between 12 noon and 2 p.m., they needed to rest,” he said. “The break, they said, would improve their efficiency for the rest of the day.”
The Lankans had no problem with the two-hour break for the 400 Chinese engineers, mechanics, drivers, crane operators and cooks. The project is running ahead of schedule. “The first phase was scheduled to end in 2011, April,” said Deputy Director Hewageegana. “But we are confident that it will be over by the end of 2010.”
For India, Hambantota could become a port of bother, if not trouble.
“The problem (in this project) is the potential, the facilities that could be given to the Chinese at the port,” said D.S. Rajan of the Chennai Centre for China Studies.
“It is not like a telecommunication project,” Rajan said over phone from Chennai. “India should keep a close watch and gather more data on the project.”
Manoranjan Mohanty of New Delhi’s Institute of China Studies said both India and China have a natural need to expand naval infrastructure.
“India should not take an alarmist view and push Sri Lanka towards China and US,” said Mohanty. “India should not promote a competitive military game in Sri Lanka.”
For Sri Lanka, the importance of China is growing.
Former Lankan diplomat K. Godage, who served in India, said he could understand India’s concerns over Hambantota but “India has to take into account the relations between China and Sri Lanka”.
“The Chinese are also conscious of India’s presence in Sri Lanka while they themselves are thousands of miles away,” said Godage.
Sri Lankan officials say the port will be owned and operated by the government; China is the contractor.
“India has nothing to worry,” said Ports and Civil Aviation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa. “We have taken a loan from China’s Exim Bank, which we have to pay back. China is not doing it for free. Like the Colombo port, any shipping company would be able to use the Hambantota port.”
That may be. But to a nervous India, Hambantota will always serve as a reminder of China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean.
SOURCE: Hindustan Times
Wiry Chinese men in white helmets carry bottles of green tea and chilled water as they walk out of their neatly built prefabricated blue-and-white homes as the afternoon sun blazes over Hambantota on Sri Lanka’s south coast.
There is a small pool in the middle of lush lawns. Next to their homes are basketball courts and a football field. There’s no photography allowed of these details.
Only if you happen to be in a helicopter passing overhead, can you see the big picture: These prefab homes — airconditioned with web and cable access — are neatly arranged to spell the word “China”.
Quietly and efficiently, the Chinese are at work here, 260 km south of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo, creating one of their “pearls” around India, modern ports that they can use for strategic and industrial purposes.
The seas below Sri Lanka are part of an important shipping lane and, for China, Hambantota will be an important transit for general cargo and, importantly, oil from Sudan’s vast fields (where too China is in competition with India)
There could have been Indians at work here.
The $1-billion (Rs 4,870 crore) Hambantota Port Project was offered to India seven years ago, a highly placed diplomatic source told HT, on condition of anonymity. New Delhi declined, doubting if the port could be profitable, the source said.
Now, India can only watch as China’s Exim Bank pumps in $360 million (more than Rs 17,500 crore) to complete the first phase of the port by next year, at the end of which three big ships could dock here. The port will accomodate 33 ships by 2020.
Since it’s in his home district, Hambantota is being closely monitored by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Land and resources are no problem.
“We have acquired 1,600 hectares of land for the entire project. About 300 hectares are being currently used (Mumbai Port is spread over only 47 hectares),” said P.A. Agil Hewageegana, deputy director of the Hambantota Port Project. “But it has been ensured that work for the next two phases will progress without trouble.”
At the prefab-home complex, the Chinese have a quick smoke before boarding an airconditioned bus. They are on their way deep inside the site where giant cranes and dredgers are at work.
As he showed me around, Sri Lanka Ports Authority Superintendent Priyantha Dewasurendra talked of the Chinese request when work started in 2008.
“Every afternoon, between 12 noon and 2 p.m., they needed to rest,” he said. “The break, they said, would improve their efficiency for the rest of the day.”
The Lankans had no problem with the two-hour break for the 400 Chinese engineers, mechanics, drivers, crane operators and cooks. The project is running ahead of schedule. “The first phase was scheduled to end in 2011, April,” said Deputy Director Hewageegana. “But we are confident that it will be over by the end of 2010.”
For India, Hambantota could become a port of bother, if not trouble.
“The problem (in this project) is the potential, the facilities that could be given to the Chinese at the port,” said D.S. Rajan of the Chennai Centre for China Studies.
“It is not like a telecommunication project,” Rajan said over phone from Chennai. “India should keep a close watch and gather more data on the project.”
Manoranjan Mohanty of New Delhi’s Institute of China Studies said both India and China have a natural need to expand naval infrastructure.
“India should not take an alarmist view and push Sri Lanka towards China and US,” said Mohanty. “India should not promote a competitive military game in Sri Lanka.”
For Sri Lanka, the importance of China is growing.
Former Lankan diplomat K. Godage, who served in India, said he could understand India’s concerns over Hambantota but “India has to take into account the relations between China and Sri Lanka”.
“The Chinese are also conscious of India’s presence in Sri Lanka while they themselves are thousands of miles away,” said Godage.
Sri Lankan officials say the port will be owned and operated by the government; China is the contractor.
“India has nothing to worry,” said Ports and Civil Aviation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa. “We have taken a loan from China’s Exim Bank, which we have to pay back. China is not doing it for free. Like the Colombo port, any shipping company would be able to use the Hambantota port.”
That may be. But to a nervous India, Hambantota will always serve as a reminder of China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean.
SOURCE: Hindustan Times
samv
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2009
- Messages
- 3,059
- Reaction score
- -24
From earlier this month...
Commanding Officer of Pakistan Navy Ship Zulfiquar calls on Commander of the Navy
Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe in conversation with the Commanding Officer of PNS Zulfiquar Captain Zahid Ilyas
Commanding Officer of PNS Zulfiquar Captain Zahid Ilyas paid a courtesy call on the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy Vice Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe today (05th of September 2009) at the Naval Headquarters. PNS Zulfiquar, a warship belonging to the Pakistan Navy, arrived today on a goodwill visit to Sri Lanka.
Upon its arrival, PNS Zulfiquar was ceremonially welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy. Defence Adviser of Pakistan to Sri Lanka Colonel Syed Khurram Hassnain Alam was also present at the welcoming ceremony held at the Port of Colombo.
PNS Zulfiquar, a Destroyer, is 123m long, 13.2m wide and 30.7m in height. It has a displacement of 3143.9 tons and a crew of 14 officers and188 sailors.
The ships visit to Sri Lanka is expected to strengthen the existing ties and cooperation between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. As members of SAARC, both countries share much in common. Educational, cultural, trade and military exchange programs between the two nations play a vital role in strengthening the existing diplomatic ties. Sri Lanka Navy in particular has benefitted much from training courses offered by the Pakistan Navy. The Pakistan Navy offers many berths to follow advanced Naval training in their prestigious training establishments to its Sri Lankan counterpart, annually.
PNS Zulfiquar, which set sail from Kelang in Malaysia, its last port of call, is set to proceed back home to Karachi in Pakistan upon completing its goodwill visit to Sri Lanka.
SOURCE: SL NAVY
Lahore attack: Pakistan to send team to probe LTTE links
Pakistan has sought Sri Lanka's clearance to send a top level Police team to investigate reports of Tiger guerrilla links in the attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team in Lahore on March 3.
Such links reportedly surfaced during talks between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in Libya two weeks ago. Both leaders were in Tripoli to attend the 40th anniversary in office of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gadaffi.
There have been contradictory reports on who made the revelations of Tiger guerrilla links in the Lahore attack that left eight dead and 20 others, including Sri Lankan cricketers, injured.
Some media reports claimed it was Premier Gilani who told President Rajapaksa of the involvement of the LTTE. However, most media reports in Pakistan said their Prime Minister learnt of it only from President Rajapaksa.
Pakistani authorities, the Sunday Times learnt, have already requested Sri Lanka for both clearance and assistance for their probe team. They plan to arrive in Colombo after the Ramazan period.
Pakistan's Interior Minister, Rehman Malik told a Pakistan TV channel on Thursday that he has already constituted a team. "The Sri Lankan Government has handed over some important clues that are being examined and those leads are expected to nab the persons behind the attack," Malik was quoted as saying. He said he had been directed by Premier Gilani to conduct the investigation.
According to the TV channel, "Gilani has said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa gave him clues linking elements in Sri Lanka with the terrorist attacks in Pakistan, including the strike on the Sri Lankan cricket team, during a recent meeting in Libya.
SOURCE: SUNDAY TIMES
Commanding Officer of Pakistan Navy Ship Zulfiquar calls on Commander of the Navy
Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe in conversation with the Commanding Officer of PNS Zulfiquar Captain Zahid Ilyas
Commanding Officer of PNS Zulfiquar Captain Zahid Ilyas paid a courtesy call on the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy Vice Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe today (05th of September 2009) at the Naval Headquarters. PNS Zulfiquar, a warship belonging to the Pakistan Navy, arrived today on a goodwill visit to Sri Lanka.
Upon its arrival, PNS Zulfiquar was ceremonially welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy. Defence Adviser of Pakistan to Sri Lanka Colonel Syed Khurram Hassnain Alam was also present at the welcoming ceremony held at the Port of Colombo.
PNS Zulfiquar, a Destroyer, is 123m long, 13.2m wide and 30.7m in height. It has a displacement of 3143.9 tons and a crew of 14 officers and188 sailors.
The ships visit to Sri Lanka is expected to strengthen the existing ties and cooperation between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. As members of SAARC, both countries share much in common. Educational, cultural, trade and military exchange programs between the two nations play a vital role in strengthening the existing diplomatic ties. Sri Lanka Navy in particular has benefitted much from training courses offered by the Pakistan Navy. The Pakistan Navy offers many berths to follow advanced Naval training in their prestigious training establishments to its Sri Lankan counterpart, annually.
PNS Zulfiquar, which set sail from Kelang in Malaysia, its last port of call, is set to proceed back home to Karachi in Pakistan upon completing its goodwill visit to Sri Lanka.
SOURCE: SL NAVY
Lahore attack: Pakistan to send team to probe LTTE links
Pakistan has sought Sri Lanka's clearance to send a top level Police team to investigate reports of Tiger guerrilla links in the attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team in Lahore on March 3.
Such links reportedly surfaced during talks between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in Libya two weeks ago. Both leaders were in Tripoli to attend the 40th anniversary in office of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gadaffi.
There have been contradictory reports on who made the revelations of Tiger guerrilla links in the Lahore attack that left eight dead and 20 others, including Sri Lankan cricketers, injured.
Some media reports claimed it was Premier Gilani who told President Rajapaksa of the involvement of the LTTE. However, most media reports in Pakistan said their Prime Minister learnt of it only from President Rajapaksa.
Pakistani authorities, the Sunday Times learnt, have already requested Sri Lanka for both clearance and assistance for their probe team. They plan to arrive in Colombo after the Ramazan period.
Pakistan's Interior Minister, Rehman Malik told a Pakistan TV channel on Thursday that he has already constituted a team. "The Sri Lankan Government has handed over some important clues that are being examined and those leads are expected to nab the persons behind the attack," Malik was quoted as saying. He said he had been directed by Premier Gilani to conduct the investigation.
According to the TV channel, "Gilani has said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa gave him clues linking elements in Sri Lanka with the terrorist attacks in Pakistan, including the strike on the Sri Lankan cricket team, during a recent meeting in Libya.
SOURCE: SUNDAY TIMES
Last edited:
Developereo
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2009
- Messages
- 14,093
- Reaction score
- 25
- Country
- Location
samv
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2009
- Messages
- 3,059
- Reaction score
- -24
SRI LANKA EMBASSY OF WASHINGTON D.C. HOSTS TRADITIONAL IFTHAR FOR THE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR
Dr. Abdullah Muhamad Khouj, Director and Chief Imam of the Islamic Centre of Washington D.C spoke on the significance of Ramadan. Also in the picture Sri Lankan Ambassador to US, Jaliya Wickramasuriya.
Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya and the Embassy of Sri Lanka staff celebrated the traditional Ifthar (breaking of the fast) ceremony with the Muslim community recently. The ambassador, in brief remarks, said the Muslim community had a rich heritage of noble service and contributions to Sri Lanka. He underscored its important role in the past and future of Sri Lanka, describing the Muslim community as peacemakers in a diverse country.
The ambassador said the Muslim community, from the times of the kings and colonial rule, has been dedicated to a united Sri Lanka.
The Embassy of Sri Lanka, in keeping with the tradition of commemorating the important festivals of religions practiced by Sri Lankans, hosted the Ifthar for a 5th consecutive year.
Dr. Abdullah Muhamad Khouj, Director and Chief Imam of the Islamic Centre of Washington D.C., who conducted the Maghrib prayers, spoke on the significance of Ramadan. Further he praised the Sri Lankans for their peaceful coexistence in the spirit of the countrys multicultural traditions.
The distinguished gathering was hosted to a sumptuous breakfast organized by the embassy staff. The Imam Safi Khan of Dar Us Salam Community, a large number of Sri Lankan Muslims including and representatives of the Sri Lanka associations from the Greater Washington area, participated in the ceremony.
SOURCE: Embassy of Sri Lanka and Defence.lk
---
Sri Lanka eyes peace dividend after crushing Tigers
Sri Lanka Poised to Raise Incomes as War Ends
Sri Lanka's Economic Growth Accelerates as War Ends
Tourism thrusts Sri Lanka market over two-year high
Sri Lanka shares rise to over two-year high
Sri Lankan shares at 28-month high
Sri Lanka shares rise on banking sector record high
Sri Lanka's reserves may hit record this year
Sri Lanka's Foreign Reserves Climb to $3 billion
Sri Lanka says forex reserves hit record $4 billion
Sri Lanka offers Pakistan exclusive industrial zone
Sri Lanka's Stock Market Value Climbs to Record as War Ends
Sept. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Sri Lankan stock market capitalization climbed to a record yesterday as the end of the 26-year civil war boosted stocks, making the islands benchmark index the best performer in Asia this year.
---
Sri Lanka's Aug tourist arrivals surge 34 pct | Reuters
Sri Lanka's tourist arrivals jumped by more than a third in August from a year ago, the third monthly rise since May due to the end of a decades-long war, the Indian Ocean island nation's tourism board said on Thursday.
August tourist arrivals rose 34.3 percent to 41,207, the highest since December, up from 30,672 recorded a year ago.
The rise in arrivals and expectations of post-war investment have driven the Colombo Stock Exchange's tourism sector index .CSEHT up 165 percent this year, double of the gain in the broader market .CSE.
"We are in for a major takeoff," Faizer Mustapha, Minister of Tourism Promotion told Reuters. "We have created a much-needed peaceful situation for tourists in Sri Lanka after the war."
Sri Lanka needs massive increase in hotel rooms
Sri Lanka sets minimum hotel rates
With tourism booming in Sri Lanka following the end of decades of ethnic conflict, authorities have ordered hotels in the capital to increase room rates and curb an aggressive pricing war.
Luxury hotels in Colombo will be forced to charge a minimum of 90 dollars a night, while stays in cheaper hotels are set to rise to 40 dollars from November, said M. Shanthikumar, president of the City Hotels' Association.
---
The final great investment frontier
By MICHAEL PREISS
...Many investors including myself, increasingly believe the island nation's time has finally arrived.
Sri Lanka is going to be one of the best investment opportunities on the planet for the next two to three years.
The Sri Lankan government intensified its battle against the Tamil Tigers at the beginning of the year to end the civil war - one of the longest-running armed conflicts in Asia - that cost 70,000 lives since 1983. The death of Tamil Tiger leader Prabhakaran was crucial to ending the fighting. Once the mysterious guerilla leader was dead, the Tiger movement collapsed, paving the way for lasting peace. Sri Lanka has traditionally excelled in tea, tourism, garments and rubber. And business potential in these areas remains, though in niche segments.
Tea plantations, dominated by trade unions, may not be as attractive any more. But downstream segments like blending, packaging and branding will be. In the capital-intensive tourism sector, where payback can take just four years or so, the risk is another terrorist attack will drive away visitors. Apparel export is crowded and dependent on single large orders.
So the new opportunities will not be in the sectors Sri Lanka is known for. They will be in real estate, business process outsourcing, banking, timber, pepper, fisheries, education, healthcare and, of course, infrastructure.
It is expected that the government will soon rebuild infrastructure, social facilities and offices across the northern regions that were long controlled by the Tigers. The redevelopment blueprint may be modelled on one in Eastern Sri Lanka, where the government began constructing a series of projects after the military expelled the Tigers from their former eastern stronghold.
Sri Lanka's long coastline is one of the island's most precious resources. Sandy beaches attract holiday makers and surfers from around the world.
But decades of civil war scared away most mainstream tourists, even though the fighting was mostly confined to the north and northeast. Going forward Sri Lanka could become the Thailand of South Asia for tourists.
The final great investment frontier
Dr. Abdullah Muhamad Khouj, Director and Chief Imam of the Islamic Centre of Washington D.C spoke on the significance of Ramadan. Also in the picture Sri Lankan Ambassador to US, Jaliya Wickramasuriya.
Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya and the Embassy of Sri Lanka staff celebrated the traditional Ifthar (breaking of the fast) ceremony with the Muslim community recently. The ambassador, in brief remarks, said the Muslim community had a rich heritage of noble service and contributions to Sri Lanka. He underscored its important role in the past and future of Sri Lanka, describing the Muslim community as peacemakers in a diverse country.
The ambassador said the Muslim community, from the times of the kings and colonial rule, has been dedicated to a united Sri Lanka.
The Embassy of Sri Lanka, in keeping with the tradition of commemorating the important festivals of religions practiced by Sri Lankans, hosted the Ifthar for a 5th consecutive year.
Dr. Abdullah Muhamad Khouj, Director and Chief Imam of the Islamic Centre of Washington D.C., who conducted the Maghrib prayers, spoke on the significance of Ramadan. Further he praised the Sri Lankans for their peaceful coexistence in the spirit of the countrys multicultural traditions.
The distinguished gathering was hosted to a sumptuous breakfast organized by the embassy staff. The Imam Safi Khan of Dar Us Salam Community, a large number of Sri Lankan Muslims including and representatives of the Sri Lanka associations from the Greater Washington area, participated in the ceremony.
SOURCE: Embassy of Sri Lanka and Defence.lk
---
Sri Lanka eyes peace dividend after crushing Tigers
Sri Lanka Poised to Raise Incomes as War Ends
Sri Lanka's Economic Growth Accelerates as War Ends
Tourism thrusts Sri Lanka market over two-year high
Sri Lanka shares rise to over two-year high
Sri Lankan shares at 28-month high
Sri Lanka shares rise on banking sector record high
Sri Lanka's reserves may hit record this year
Sri Lanka's Foreign Reserves Climb to $3 billion
Sri Lanka says forex reserves hit record $4 billion
Sri Lanka offers Pakistan exclusive industrial zone
Sri Lanka's Stock Market Value Climbs to Record as War Ends
Sept. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Sri Lankan stock market capitalization climbed to a record yesterday as the end of the 26-year civil war boosted stocks, making the islands benchmark index the best performer in Asia this year.
---
Sri Lanka's Aug tourist arrivals surge 34 pct | Reuters
Sri Lanka's tourist arrivals jumped by more than a third in August from a year ago, the third monthly rise since May due to the end of a decades-long war, the Indian Ocean island nation's tourism board said on Thursday.
August tourist arrivals rose 34.3 percent to 41,207, the highest since December, up from 30,672 recorded a year ago.
The rise in arrivals and expectations of post-war investment have driven the Colombo Stock Exchange's tourism sector index .CSEHT up 165 percent this year, double of the gain in the broader market .CSE.
"We are in for a major takeoff," Faizer Mustapha, Minister of Tourism Promotion told Reuters. "We have created a much-needed peaceful situation for tourists in Sri Lanka after the war."
Sri Lanka needs massive increase in hotel rooms
Sri Lanka sets minimum hotel rates
With tourism booming in Sri Lanka following the end of decades of ethnic conflict, authorities have ordered hotels in the capital to increase room rates and curb an aggressive pricing war.
Luxury hotels in Colombo will be forced to charge a minimum of 90 dollars a night, while stays in cheaper hotels are set to rise to 40 dollars from November, said M. Shanthikumar, president of the City Hotels' Association.
---
The final great investment frontier
By MICHAEL PREISS
...Many investors including myself, increasingly believe the island nation's time has finally arrived.
Sri Lanka is going to be one of the best investment opportunities on the planet for the next two to three years.
The Sri Lankan government intensified its battle against the Tamil Tigers at the beginning of the year to end the civil war - one of the longest-running armed conflicts in Asia - that cost 70,000 lives since 1983. The death of Tamil Tiger leader Prabhakaran was crucial to ending the fighting. Once the mysterious guerilla leader was dead, the Tiger movement collapsed, paving the way for lasting peace. Sri Lanka has traditionally excelled in tea, tourism, garments and rubber. And business potential in these areas remains, though in niche segments.
Tea plantations, dominated by trade unions, may not be as attractive any more. But downstream segments like blending, packaging and branding will be. In the capital-intensive tourism sector, where payback can take just four years or so, the risk is another terrorist attack will drive away visitors. Apparel export is crowded and dependent on single large orders.
So the new opportunities will not be in the sectors Sri Lanka is known for. They will be in real estate, business process outsourcing, banking, timber, pepper, fisheries, education, healthcare and, of course, infrastructure.
It is expected that the government will soon rebuild infrastructure, social facilities and offices across the northern regions that were long controlled by the Tigers. The redevelopment blueprint may be modelled on one in Eastern Sri Lanka, where the government began constructing a series of projects after the military expelled the Tigers from their former eastern stronghold.
Sri Lanka's long coastline is one of the island's most precious resources. Sandy beaches attract holiday makers and surfers from around the world.
But decades of civil war scared away most mainstream tourists, even though the fighting was mostly confined to the north and northeast. Going forward Sri Lanka could become the Thailand of South Asia for tourists.
The final great investment frontier
Last edited by a moderator:
samv
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2009
- Messages
- 3,059
- Reaction score
- -24
London Stock Exchange pays Sri Lankan firm $30m to upgrade system
By Jeremy Grant
When the worlds biggest exchanges go hunting for tech-savvy companies to help upgrade their trading systems, the last place they tend to look is Sri Lanka, a country known more for the civil war that has ravaged it for more than two decades.
But that is where the London Stock Exchange yesterday made a $30m commitment, snapping up a little-known - but rapidly growing - company called MillenniumIT.
The company was founded by Tony Weeresinghe, a former country manager for US software company Oracle, in 1996. It employs a staff of 450, most on a 6.5 hectare campus outside Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital, complete with tennis court and gymnasium.
MillenniumIT specialises in developing and selling the kind of ultra-fast trading systems that exchanges increasingly need to attract the high-frequency traders that are proving an ever-larger share of orders to exchanges.
The LSEs purchase is a sign that technology groups in the Indian subcontinent are flexing muscles globally, winning business from under the noses of better-known companies in Europe.
London Stock Exchange pays Sri Lankan firm $30m to upgrade system
London Stock Exchange poised to acquire Sri Lankan technology company
The London Stock Exchange will replace its troubled TradElect platform with a system from a Sri Lankan supplier.
---
Lloyds reduce war risk rating
India-Lanka economic pact talks likely to be finalised by 2010 end
Sri Lanka, India's NTPC to sign $500 mln coal deal
Last edited:
samv
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2009
- Messages
- 3,059
- Reaction score
- -24
Teen Convert Creates Battle
Published: Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 12:01 a.m.
Family relations are usually complicated enough without outside interference. Imagine what would happen if every argument between you and your teenager were subject to scrutiny by an advocacy group that would take your daughter's side in court.
Fathima Rifqa Bary, 17, smiles at supporters in the crowd in the courtroom of circuit judge Daniel Dawson for her hearing at the Thomas S. Kirk Juvenile Justice Center, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009 in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda, Pool)
Now consider the case of Fathima Rifqa Bary.
Bary is a 17-year-old from Westerville, Ohio, near Columbus, whose family are Muslims from Sri Lanka. In July, she ran away with the help of a Christian friend and landed in the Orlando home of Blake and Beverly Lorenz, pastors of an independent church, whom she found via Facebook.
Teen Convert Creates Battle
Rifqa Bary: A Florida Culture War Over Runaway Convert
Hate groups use teen to defame Islamic center
Institutional Islamophobia and the Politics of a Minor's Choice
Rifqa Bary says her parents would send her to their native Sri Lanka where she would be subject to "honor killing" for leaving Islam. But just what is an honor killing? And does it really still happen today? Simmons says in some societies it's believed that killing a woman or girl who's committed a sexual sin restores the family's honor, and the practice is carried out by a male relative.
She characterizes honor killings as a cultural rather than a religious practice that happens primarily in a few countries in the Arab world.
"I'm amazed to even hear that a Muslim from Sri Lanka would threaten honor killing," said Simmons.
Religion professor sheds light on Rifqa Bary case
Anyone remotely familiar with Sri Lanka, or Sri Lanka's Muslim community will understand that there is no culture of "honor killings" in the island.
Published: Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 12:01 a.m.
Family relations are usually complicated enough without outside interference. Imagine what would happen if every argument between you and your teenager were subject to scrutiny by an advocacy group that would take your daughter's side in court.
Fathima Rifqa Bary, 17, smiles at supporters in the crowd in the courtroom of circuit judge Daniel Dawson for her hearing at the Thomas S. Kirk Juvenile Justice Center, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009 in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda, Pool)
Now consider the case of Fathima Rifqa Bary.
Bary is a 17-year-old from Westerville, Ohio, near Columbus, whose family are Muslims from Sri Lanka. In July, she ran away with the help of a Christian friend and landed in the Orlando home of Blake and Beverly Lorenz, pastors of an independent church, whom she found via Facebook.
Teen Convert Creates Battle
Rifqa Bary: A Florida Culture War Over Runaway Convert
Hate groups use teen to defame Islamic center
Institutional Islamophobia and the Politics of a Minor's Choice
Rifqa Bary says her parents would send her to their native Sri Lanka where she would be subject to "honor killing" for leaving Islam. But just what is an honor killing? And does it really still happen today? Simmons says in some societies it's believed that killing a woman or girl who's committed a sexual sin restores the family's honor, and the practice is carried out by a male relative.
She characterizes honor killings as a cultural rather than a religious practice that happens primarily in a few countries in the Arab world.
"I'm amazed to even hear that a Muslim from Sri Lanka would threaten honor killing," said Simmons.
Religion professor sheds light on Rifqa Bary case
Anyone remotely familiar with Sri Lanka, or Sri Lanka's Muslim community will understand that there is no culture of "honor killings" in the island.
Last edited:
Developereo
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2009
- Messages
- 14,093
- Reaction score
- 25
- Country
- Location
I have always found Sri Lankan people to be very friendly, open minded and progressive. I never even knew their religion because the subject never entered the conversation.
samv
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2009
- Messages
- 3,059
- Reaction score
- -24
Hi, thanks for your comments. I feel for Rifqa Bary's family. It's obvious that she has been coached by the Christian group to say these things.
samv
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2009
- Messages
- 3,059
- Reaction score
- -24
Cleaning up Tiger cells with prize catch
The Terrorist Investigations Division (TID) nabbed one of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTEs) leaders recently. What was significant about this arrest was that it was the first post war arrest of a high profile Tiger operative in Colombo.
This operative, with access to the highest rung of the Tiger leadership, had been responsible for the attempts to assassinate the President and the Defense Secretary and also other high ranking military officials. He had been the mastermind behind attempts to revive the remaining Tiger cadres dormant in and around the city.
Strictly following journalistic ethics, this column will not divulge some details regarding this arrest and certain details about the Tiger operative, as it may hamper ongoing investigations. For convenience, this column will refer to him as Sivam, though this is not his real name.
Sivam, a high profile LTTE leader who conducted his mission covertly, had been a Tiger operative, carrier of weapons and ammunition, transporter of suicide cadres and kits and also the mastermind behind the planning of several attacks on certain key figures in the security establishment. He also cultivated several security personnel and had access to most of the important economic places because he spent million to corrupt and bribe officers manning them.
Sivam, had arrived in Colombo in March 2002, soon after the implementation of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) between the LTTE and the then government. The details of his arrival will not be discussed by this column as it had been similar to other Tiger arrivals into the city, as described earlier. Suffice it to say that Sivam too had gained access to Colombo by posing as a Muslim. Attired in Muslim garb, he had arrived and set up residence in Colombo. He had made it a point to always carry a copy of the Muslim holy book or the Quran and had even attended prayers in mosques. He had also undergone circumcision, to ward off the ultimate suspicion.
FULL STORY: Military Matters
The Terrorist Investigations Division (TID) nabbed one of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTEs) leaders recently. What was significant about this arrest was that it was the first post war arrest of a high profile Tiger operative in Colombo.
This operative, with access to the highest rung of the Tiger leadership, had been responsible for the attempts to assassinate the President and the Defense Secretary and also other high ranking military officials. He had been the mastermind behind attempts to revive the remaining Tiger cadres dormant in and around the city.
Strictly following journalistic ethics, this column will not divulge some details regarding this arrest and certain details about the Tiger operative, as it may hamper ongoing investigations. For convenience, this column will refer to him as Sivam, though this is not his real name.
Sivam, a high profile LTTE leader who conducted his mission covertly, had been a Tiger operative, carrier of weapons and ammunition, transporter of suicide cadres and kits and also the mastermind behind the planning of several attacks on certain key figures in the security establishment. He also cultivated several security personnel and had access to most of the important economic places because he spent million to corrupt and bribe officers manning them.
Sivam, had arrived in Colombo in March 2002, soon after the implementation of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) between the LTTE and the then government. The details of his arrival will not be discussed by this column as it had been similar to other Tiger arrivals into the city, as described earlier. Suffice it to say that Sivam too had gained access to Colombo by posing as a Muslim. Attired in Muslim garb, he had arrived and set up residence in Colombo. He had made it a point to always carry a copy of the Muslim holy book or the Quran and had even attended prayers in mosques. He had also undergone circumcision, to ward off the ultimate suspicion.
FULL STORY: Military Matters
samv
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2009
- Messages
- 3,059
- Reaction score
- -24
Article from last month (August 30), but I thought would be of interest...
LTTE turns conventional war to ‘intelligence war’?
Last week, we reported how the investigators solved the mystery over the suicide attack on the former Commander of Army Gen Sarath Fonseka. Another major expose reported during the same week was the alleged complicity of the Superintendent of Police Lakshman Cooray who is accused of transporting suicide bombers and explosives on several occasions. Both arrests, of an army chef identified as Siddeek and of Lakshman Cooray were made after the arrest of a LTTE cell leader identified as Piribaran.
This week saw many more conspiracies being exposed. One such is the bomb explosion targeting the entourage of the Pakistani High Commissioner Bashir Wali Mohammad in Colpitty on August 16, 2006. The latest expose came after the arrest of another Tiger operative who is alleged to have masterminded the bomb blast.
The Pakistani High Commissioner
The Pakistani High Commissioner, the investigators now confide referring to a confession extracted from the Tiger mastermind, was a passer by. The attackers were targeting whoever was the VIP taking the route.
The Tiger operative had in fact missed the first attempt on an unknown VIP vehicle which passed the place due to a technical glitch in the remote controller. He then went into the Liberty Plaza shopping mall and repaired the gadget. Returning to his position, he observed what looked like VIP movement and pressed the button, detonating the bomb laden inside a three-wheeler. It was after the blast that the attacker came to know that the quarry had been the Pakistani High Commissioner. The explosion killed seven soldiers providing security to the Pakistani envoy and risked a diplomatic stand off between Pakistan and its arch rival India. Mr Wali Mohammed, himself a retired Colonel of the Pakistan army and Inter Services Intelligence blamed India for the attack. India’s Intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was suspected in the attack.
It took three years for the secrets of the attack to surface. The Tiger mastermind was arrested along with a suicide jacket, claymore fragmentation mines, ammunition and a handgun at a house at Anandaraja Mawatha, Mattakuliya.
LTTE turns conventional war to 'intelligence war'?
LTTE turns conventional war to ‘intelligence war’?
Last week, we reported how the investigators solved the mystery over the suicide attack on the former Commander of Army Gen Sarath Fonseka. Another major expose reported during the same week was the alleged complicity of the Superintendent of Police Lakshman Cooray who is accused of transporting suicide bombers and explosives on several occasions. Both arrests, of an army chef identified as Siddeek and of Lakshman Cooray were made after the arrest of a LTTE cell leader identified as Piribaran.
This week saw many more conspiracies being exposed. One such is the bomb explosion targeting the entourage of the Pakistani High Commissioner Bashir Wali Mohammad in Colpitty on August 16, 2006. The latest expose came after the arrest of another Tiger operative who is alleged to have masterminded the bomb blast.
The Pakistani High Commissioner
The Pakistani High Commissioner, the investigators now confide referring to a confession extracted from the Tiger mastermind, was a passer by. The attackers were targeting whoever was the VIP taking the route.
The Tiger operative had in fact missed the first attempt on an unknown VIP vehicle which passed the place due to a technical glitch in the remote controller. He then went into the Liberty Plaza shopping mall and repaired the gadget. Returning to his position, he observed what looked like VIP movement and pressed the button, detonating the bomb laden inside a three-wheeler. It was after the blast that the attacker came to know that the quarry had been the Pakistani High Commissioner. The explosion killed seven soldiers providing security to the Pakistani envoy and risked a diplomatic stand off between Pakistan and its arch rival India. Mr Wali Mohammed, himself a retired Colonel of the Pakistan army and Inter Services Intelligence blamed India for the attack. India’s Intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was suspected in the attack.
It took three years for the secrets of the attack to surface. The Tiger mastermind was arrested along with a suicide jacket, claymore fragmentation mines, ammunition and a handgun at a house at Anandaraja Mawatha, Mattakuliya.
LTTE turns conventional war to 'intelligence war'?
Developereo
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2009
- Messages
- 14,093
- Reaction score
- 25
- Country
- Location
Agreed. I think she and her friends are trying to turn this into a safety, persecution issue.
The article doesn't say how old her 'Christian friend' is who helped her run away from Ohio to Florida, but she is 17 so, technically, that person could be prosecuted under criminal law for kidnapping/taking a minor across state lines for illicit purposes.
samv
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2009
- Messages
- 3,059
- Reaction score
- -24
Treatment of Tamil IDPs and Muslim Refugees
Double standard on human suffering stinks to high heaven
By Latheef Farook
It is heartening to note the swift international response to the misery of Internally Displaced Tamils. There is no doubt that every country,every organization and every individual should make every effort to ameliorate the conditions of about 280,000 unfortunate Tamil IDPs who were herded and used as human shields by the LTTE against the advancing Sri Lankan forces.
Moved by their sufferings, milk of human kindness began flowing like rivers as many countries in the world starting from India, United States, United Kingdom, Japan , nMalaysia, Australia and many more generously donated billions of rupees and offered aid packages to meet with the urgent needs of these unfortunate Tamil IDPs.Their sufferings, began only few months ago, attracted such great attention that on the eve of the crushing defeat of the LTTE, one after the other top political leaders from the west, from British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, rushed to the island to show their humanitarian concern.
In fact, Tamil IDPs melted the heart of Ban Ki Moon so much that four months later on September 3, 2009 while in Geneva for a climate conference he lamented that ‘‘conditions at Tamil IDP camps have not improved and it may deteriorate further when the monsoon season arrives. Therefore civilians should be allowed out of the camps to stay with host families.”.....
What a great humanitarian gesture? One should admire their compassion and humanitarian concern for the Tamil IDPs. However, all these Western politicians’ human kindness dry up completely when it comes to the sufferings of Northern Muslims, driven out at gunpoint, Jaffna Muslims within two hours notice, by the LTTE, and have been languishing in refugee camps in and around Puttalam for 20 long years in appalling conditions. No UN official or Western leader came to see their plight and there were no generous aid packages to them. Perhaps, in their eyes, these Muslim refugees were not human beings.
The Indian Government, for example, set aside Rs 500 crore for Tamil IDPs. It would have been nice if India, in the same spirit, had allocated at least Rs 500 for the around 130,000 Northern Muslim refugees during the past 20 years. After all their misery was caused by the LTTE which, together with other Tamil militants, were armed, trained and financed by India in its effort to prick the pride of Late President Jayewardene and turned this paradise island into Asia’s worst killing field.
Sri Lanka Breaking News-Daily Mirror Online
Sri Lanka President calls Muslims to help forge a new nation of unity
Mon, Sep 21, 2009, 08:46 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Sept 21, Colombo: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa today called on all the Muslims in the country to help forge a new nation with unity, tolerance, and harmony.
In his Eid-ul- Fitr message to the Muslim community, the President said during their long history in Sri Lanka the Muslim community has lived in harmony with the Sinhalese, Tamils, Buddhists, Hindus, Christians and all other communities and contributed much to its progress.
President Rajapaksa said when the Muslims celebrated the end of Ramadan last year the country's Eastern region was liberated from LTTE terror. This year there is cause for greater satisfaction as the entire country has been freed from terror.
He said today, the Muslims expelled by the LTTE from their homes in the northern parts of the country are able to return to live and carry out their traditions and religious activities in freedom.
President Rajapaksa said the country is looking forward to the lasting partnership of the Muslims of Sri Lanka to forge a new Sri Lankan nation of unity, tolerance and harmony and making its own contribution to the further progress of peace in the country.
Sri Lanka : Sri Lanka President calls Muslims to help forge a new nation of unity
Double standard on human suffering stinks to high heaven
By Latheef Farook
It is heartening to note the swift international response to the misery of Internally Displaced Tamils. There is no doubt that every country,every organization and every individual should make every effort to ameliorate the conditions of about 280,000 unfortunate Tamil IDPs who were herded and used as human shields by the LTTE against the advancing Sri Lankan forces.
Moved by their sufferings, milk of human kindness began flowing like rivers as many countries in the world starting from India, United States, United Kingdom, Japan , nMalaysia, Australia and many more generously donated billions of rupees and offered aid packages to meet with the urgent needs of these unfortunate Tamil IDPs.Their sufferings, began only few months ago, attracted such great attention that on the eve of the crushing defeat of the LTTE, one after the other top political leaders from the west, from British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, rushed to the island to show their humanitarian concern.
In fact, Tamil IDPs melted the heart of Ban Ki Moon so much that four months later on September 3, 2009 while in Geneva for a climate conference he lamented that ‘‘conditions at Tamil IDP camps have not improved and it may deteriorate further when the monsoon season arrives. Therefore civilians should be allowed out of the camps to stay with host families.”.....
What a great humanitarian gesture? One should admire their compassion and humanitarian concern for the Tamil IDPs. However, all these Western politicians’ human kindness dry up completely when it comes to the sufferings of Northern Muslims, driven out at gunpoint, Jaffna Muslims within two hours notice, by the LTTE, and have been languishing in refugee camps in and around Puttalam for 20 long years in appalling conditions. No UN official or Western leader came to see their plight and there were no generous aid packages to them. Perhaps, in their eyes, these Muslim refugees were not human beings.
The Indian Government, for example, set aside Rs 500 crore for Tamil IDPs. It would have been nice if India, in the same spirit, had allocated at least Rs 500 for the around 130,000 Northern Muslim refugees during the past 20 years. After all their misery was caused by the LTTE which, together with other Tamil militants, were armed, trained and financed by India in its effort to prick the pride of Late President Jayewardene and turned this paradise island into Asia’s worst killing field.
Sri Lanka Breaking News-Daily Mirror Online
Sri Lanka President calls Muslims to help forge a new nation of unity
Mon, Sep 21, 2009, 08:46 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Sept 21, Colombo: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa today called on all the Muslims in the country to help forge a new nation with unity, tolerance, and harmony.
In his Eid-ul- Fitr message to the Muslim community, the President said during their long history in Sri Lanka the Muslim community has lived in harmony with the Sinhalese, Tamils, Buddhists, Hindus, Christians and all other communities and contributed much to its progress.
President Rajapaksa said when the Muslims celebrated the end of Ramadan last year the country's Eastern region was liberated from LTTE terror. This year there is cause for greater satisfaction as the entire country has been freed from terror.
He said today, the Muslims expelled by the LTTE from their homes in the northern parts of the country are able to return to live and carry out their traditions and religious activities in freedom.
President Rajapaksa said the country is looking forward to the lasting partnership of the Muslims of Sri Lanka to forge a new Sri Lankan nation of unity, tolerance and harmony and making its own contribution to the further progress of peace in the country.
Sri Lanka : Sri Lanka President calls Muslims to help forge a new nation of unity
Last edited:
samv
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2009
- Messages
- 3,059
- Reaction score
- -24
LTTE : The Jihadi Connection
Jeremie Lanche
In an article for the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism in March 2008, Shanaka Jayasekara analyzed the LTTE links with Islamic militant groups in South Asia and beyond. Jayasekara stated that as the LTTE benefited from its worldwide influence within the informal arms market [it has such] attracted collaborative arrangements with other terrorist groups. The Taliban and some Al Qaeda affiliates would have enjoyed limited but real contacts with Velupillai Prabhakarans organization. Although there hasnt been any new development regarding the LTTEs arms supply network, it is fortunate that Dawn chose to publish an article about these connections in September, as terrorism experts call attention to the fact that the LTTEs network still are to be dismantled.
Experts have been pointing out the fact that the LTTE pioneered the most effective armament supply system ever for a non-state actor. The Tamil organization had contacts in almost every country bordering the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the LTTE began to diversify its sources of supply - the Air Tigers component flew with Czech-manufactured ZLIN-143. It is then not surprising that Prabhakarans worldwide network was an object of interest for other terrorist groups, especially with regard to its nature and ideology.
Selvarasa Pathmanathan, the highest-ranking Tiger alive and head of the arms procurement wing of the LTTE currently held by the Sri Lankan government at an undisclosed location is said to have established contacts with the Taliban as early as May 2001. According to Jayasekara, Pathmanathan would have bought weapons from the Taliban Sharjah network, named after the third largest emirate of the UAE, where Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout operated three to four flights a day to Kandahar. The affiliation between a secular-nationalist group fighting for a homeland in a Singhalese-ruled country and the hard-line Islamic movement of the Taliban is nothing if not unusual, but when it comes to business, ideology does not matter. Hence the LTTE was operating a company flying a flag of convenience Otharad Cargo only 17kilometers from Sharjah, in the larger emirate of DubaÏ.
Articles #2973 , LTTE : The Jihadi Connection
Jeremie Lanche
In an article for the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism in March 2008, Shanaka Jayasekara analyzed the LTTE links with Islamic militant groups in South Asia and beyond. Jayasekara stated that as the LTTE benefited from its worldwide influence within the informal arms market [it has such] attracted collaborative arrangements with other terrorist groups. The Taliban and some Al Qaeda affiliates would have enjoyed limited but real contacts with Velupillai Prabhakarans organization. Although there hasnt been any new development regarding the LTTEs arms supply network, it is fortunate that Dawn chose to publish an article about these connections in September, as terrorism experts call attention to the fact that the LTTEs network still are to be dismantled.
Experts have been pointing out the fact that the LTTE pioneered the most effective armament supply system ever for a non-state actor. The Tamil organization had contacts in almost every country bordering the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the LTTE began to diversify its sources of supply - the Air Tigers component flew with Czech-manufactured ZLIN-143. It is then not surprising that Prabhakarans worldwide network was an object of interest for other terrorist groups, especially with regard to its nature and ideology.
Selvarasa Pathmanathan, the highest-ranking Tiger alive and head of the arms procurement wing of the LTTE currently held by the Sri Lankan government at an undisclosed location is said to have established contacts with the Taliban as early as May 2001. According to Jayasekara, Pathmanathan would have bought weapons from the Taliban Sharjah network, named after the third largest emirate of the UAE, where Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout operated three to four flights a day to Kandahar. The affiliation between a secular-nationalist group fighting for a homeland in a Singhalese-ruled country and the hard-line Islamic movement of the Taliban is nothing if not unusual, but when it comes to business, ideology does not matter. Hence the LTTE was operating a company flying a flag of convenience Otharad Cargo only 17kilometers from Sharjah, in the larger emirate of DubaÏ.
Articles #2973 , LTTE : The Jihadi Connection
Similar threads
