Indian Govt denies cession of Kachchatheevu to Sri Lanka

The Union government of India on Friday informed the Supreme Court that the question of retrieval of Kachchatheevu from Sri Lanka did not arise as no territory belonging to India was ceded to Sri Lanka.

Taking on record the Centre’s response to a writ petition filed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa seeking retrieval of Kachchatheevu from Sri Lanka, a Bench of Justices B.S. Chauhan and S.A. Bobde posted the matter for final hearing after three weeks to enable Ms. Jayalalithaa to file her rejoinder.

Ms. Jayalalithaa, who filed the petition in December 2008 as AIADMK general secretary, sought a declaration as unconstitutional the 1974 and 1976 agreements between New Delhi and Colombo on ceding of Kachchatheevu, an island off the Rameswaram coast, to Sri Lanka.

Ms. Jayalalithaa said the island was historically part of the Ramnad Raja’s zamindari and later it became part of the Madras Presidency. The island was always of strategic importance and special significance for fishing operations in the area. In or around 1921, Sri Lanka started claiming territorial rights over the island without any justification and notwithstanding such claims it continued to be part of India. She highlighted the sufferings of fishermen from Tamil Nadu who inadvertently strayed into the island. Because of the hostile attitude of the Sri Lankan navy, fishermen feared to go fishing as they were either killed or taken into custody if they entered Kachchatheevu.

In its response, the Centre said the island was a matter of dispute between British India and Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and there was no agreed boundary. The dispute relating to the status of this island was settled in 1974 by an agreement and both countries examined the entire question from all angles and took into account historical evidence and legal aspects. This position was reiterated in the 1976 agreement.

It said: “no territory belonging to India was ceded nor sovereignty relinquished since the area in question was in dispute and had never been demarcated.” Therefore, the contention of Ms. Jayalalithaa that Kachchatheevu was ceded to Sri Lanka was not correct and contrary to official records.”

The Centre said as per the two agreements, no fishing rights in Sri Lankan waters were bestowed to Indian fishermen. Under the agreements “Indian fishermen and pilgrims will enjoy access to visit Kachchatheevu and will not be required by Sri Lanka to obtain travel documents or visas for these purposes. The right of access is not to be understood to cover fishing rights around the island to Indian fishermen.”

On the frequent incidents of firing against Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy and their arrest, the Centre said “the government has always taken up on a priority basis with Sri Lanka including at the highest levels any incident involving safety and security of Indian fishermen in the waters between two countries. Whenever Indian fishermen were arrested, the government of India intervened and got them released,” it said and sought dismissal of the petition as not maintainable.

-The hindhu-

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Rathupaswala factory workers trapped

Reports say that the employees of Casino businessman Dhammika Perera's Rathupaswala Vinigross factory, have been threatened by the villagers.
The development promotion manager of the factory Mr. Pradeep Chandanarathna said that the villagers who have laid siege around the factory are not allowing its employees to go out.
He further said that there are 297 employees in the factory are still trapped in the factory since yesterday afternoon and and that 76 of them are women and there is one pregnant mother among them.
He said that when they had tried to go out of the factory yesterday evening, the villagers had assaulted them with rocks and stones.
He also pointed out that the drinking water rations inside the factory are going low.
He accused that although a group of employees had tried to complain the police but the officers did not accept their complaints.
The Vinigross factory, which was accused of mixing poison to the water used by 13 villages including Rathupaswala, opened up its operations once again yesterday (30) without any restriction by the Court.
Objecting this decision, the villagers have surrounded the factory and ven. Theripehe Siridhamma thero is preparing to a fast again.
At the moment a massive force of Police and STF officers have been deployed in the area.

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South Korean PM meets Sri Lankan president on visit

South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-Won met the Sri Lankan president for bilateral discussions on Friday during an official visit aimed at boosting relations and investment.

The three-day official visit from 28-30 August also saw the prime minister visiting new areas on development in the island including a visit to the freshly expanded Colombo port, which is now the deepest harbor in South Asia.

Chung and Rajapaksa discussed investment and trade opportunities, including the high number of Sri Lankan migrant workers in South Korea according to the President's Office.

On Thursday the South Korean prime minister signed an agreement that will enable Sri Lanka to use South Korean technology to protect its environment including water resources.

"The Korea- Sri Lanka Environmental Cooperation Forum also embodies with strong commitment and determination of the Korean government. Korea will share its knowledge on the management on environmental issues and will explore new avenues for further cooperation in this field. The companies that are present here already have ongoing environmental projects in Sri Lanka or have plans to," he told the gathering at the signing ceremony.

This is the first official visit of prime minister of the Republic of Korea since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries in 1977.

The South Korean prime minister's visit is a direct follow-up to the discussions at a summit meeting held by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa with his Korean counterpart during his state visit to Seoul in April 2012.

Pics-Sudath Silva

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Pottu amman's German brother suddenly dies

The elder brother of LTTE intelligence wing leader Pottu Amman, who had secretly arrived in Sri Lanka and resided in Jaffna, has died recently.

After the revelation of the death of this person, named Shanmugalingam Shivagnanakumar, a German citizen, the German Govt, through its embassy in Sri Lanka, has secretly taken away the dead body to Germany.

He had been residing in a house in Ariyalei, Jaffna for 2 months and during the questioning of the security forces, he had said that it was his ancestral home.

However, according to the security forces, this not the
ancestral home of Pottu Amman and they say that this person had tried to appropriate the property by force.

And on the 21st, he had died from a heart stroke, that happened when he was going in front of Nallur kovil, Jaffna in a foot cycle.

After the police inquiries his body has been brought to a well known florist in Colombo and then to the Airport to be taken to Germany.

It has now been revealed that he had been residing in Germany for a long time and had come to Sri Lanka with the intention of bringing along the rest of his family.

Shanmugaligam Sivashanker, better known as Pottu Amman, head of the LTTE Intelligence Unit (TOSI) and the Black Tigers (Karunku Puligal), is a secretive man, of whom nothing much is known about. Wanted by the Interpol for terrorism, he has been the mystery man of the LTTE. But no more. Sunday Standard is able to unravel the mystery, and expose the LTTE`s second in command in words and picture.

According to very reliable sources, Pottu Amman, born in the early 40s had joined the LTTE in the early 80s after a long stint abroad. His wife is from Sandiweli, near the Eastern University and they have two children, a girl and a boy.

He is said to have been in charge of the LTTE camps in Tamil Nadu costal area during the early days of the LTTE.

In 1985 he was kidnapped by PLOTE cadres in Mahalingapuram, Chennai; and was released in exchange for Kannan, abducted by the LTTE.

Source privy to LTTE inside information told the Sunday Standard that, `Pottu Amman`s life was more of a secret than Prabhakan`s. He headed all the operations outside the North and East parts and orchestrated many suicide attacks against the country`s political leaders and anti LTTE Tamil political party members.`

-Mawbima-

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Schoolgirl K'napped, striped and photographed

A suspect who was arrested for abducting a 22 year old schoolgirl who was waling towards her examination centre to sit down for the Advanced level examination and harassing her by taking nude photos of her from a mobile phone, was sent to remand prison till the 11th September.

The suspect is a youth residing in Moratuwa. Police have discovered the mobile phone which has been used to take the naked pictures of the girl by force.

Preliminary police inquiries have revealed that the reason behind this was a love affair that has gone in facebook.

The suspect is also a father of one child.

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In the quest to find the missing loved ones

Hundreds of people held candles and photographs of loved ones as they marched in Sri Lanka’s capital on Friday demanding that authorities provide information about relatives who were reported missing during the country’s civil war.

The vigil, marking International Day of the Disappeared, coincided with a visit by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay to assess the government’s progress in investigating wartime abuses.

During the quarter-century civil war, which ended in 2009, an undetermined number of suspected rebels, journalists and activists were abducted by “white van squads” allegedly operated by pro-government paramilitaries. Many were never seen again.

Relatives say they also don’t know the whereabouts of family members who surrendered to the army at the end of the war.

Pillay, who ends her weeklong visit on Saturday, is to report to the U.N. Human Rights Council next month on the status of the investigation into abuses allegedly committed by government troops and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels, including abductions and forced disappearances.

Separately Friday, hundreds of people protested outside the country’s U.N. office, urging Pillay to probe alleged atrocities by the rebels.

About 500 people from the Dead and Missing Person’s Parents Front shouted slogans and held placards reading, “Ms. Pillay we are waiting 30 years for justice.”

The European Union, meanwhile, said it hopes that the government-appointed committee investigating disappearances “will approach its important and challenging task with determination and independence” and observe international standards.

The EU delegation in the country said in a statement that it “encourages Sri Lanka to draw on the support of international partners who may be able to assist with this challenging task.”

-Washington Post-

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Couple found dead inside their shop

The bodies of a husband and wife were found inside their shop at the Kottamulla in Ratnapura today, Police said.
The bodies were recovered after a relative complained to the police that the couple had gone missing. Investigations revealed that residents in the vicinity had noticed their shop open the day before, but it was closed yesterday.
The police suspect foul play. The magisterial inquiry will be conducted today. (Lasantha Niroshan)

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