Associated Press, Tue April 27, 2004 01:15 EDT . - - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) European monitors urged the Sri Lankan army and Tamil Tiger rebels Tuesday to hold talks to defuse growing tensions after unidentified gunmen shot and killed seven guerrillas in a daring ambush in the country's east. ``We have suggested a meeting between the army and the LTT,'' said Agnes Bragadottir, the spokeswoman for the Norwegian-led Sri Lanka - Monitoring Mission, saying that the monitors hoped for a meeting later Tuesday.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the slayings, but the Tigers accused loyalists of renegade commander Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan and suggested the army may have helped orchestrate the attack Sunday.

``It is totally false. We are not involved in any way,'' military spokesman Sumeda Perera said Tuesday.

Perera said the military was prepared to meet with the rebels ``at any time.''

Muralitharan, whose whereabouts are unknown, disbanded his 6,000-strong fighting force on April 12 after fighters from the main group launched an overwhelming attack that claimed the lives of over 30 guerrillas and several civilians.

The fighting between his breakaway faction and the main Tamil Tiger group was the first major battle between Tamil guerrillas and had risked drawing in nearby post of the Sri Lanka - military and imperiling a 2002 cease-fire agreement between the Tigers and government.

A Norwegian delegation was expected in Sri Lanka - in the coming weeks to try to revive the country's peace process, which has been on hold since the rebels withdrew from talks last April demanding greater autonomy in Tamil-dominated regions.

The Tiger rebels launched their fight in 1983 for a separate homeland for Sri Lanka - 's minority ethnic Tamils, claiming discrimination at the hands of the majority Sinhalese. The civil war killed about 65,000 people before the Norwegian-brokered cease-fire in February 2002.

Hey pals of India, Pakistan,Nepal,Bangladesh and etc,

http://www.musicindiaonline.com/

This is a great link, contains almost all the
- Hindi
- Urdu
- Assamese
- Bengali
- Gujarathi
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Enjoy the Music!

Udara
Sri Lanka
PS:- I would be providing on Lacnet jukebox for Sri Lankan friends interested in Sinhalese music, I got to know from some of our Lacnet team that its temp inactive but would be back again soon!

The chucking controversy

Sri Lanka express concerns over Broad

Wisden Cricinfo staff

April 18, 2004





Chris Broad: reported Murali to the ICC © Getty Images



Sri Lankan cricket authorities have confirmed that they have written to the ICC expressing concern over the conduct of Chris Broad, the match referee. Broad, a former England player, was in charge for the series between Sri Lanka and Australia and reported Muttiah Muralitharan's action to the ICC, claiming that it was suspect.

Mohan de Silva, the chairman of the Sri Lankan cricket board, insisted that the letter was an informal way of making the ICC aware of its feelings on the matter. "We have brought to the notice of the ICC his [Broad's] general conduct", de Silva said on Sunday. "It is not a formal protest or a complaint, but a letter to keep the ICC informed. We feel it is part of our responsibility." The Sri Lankan board's main point of concern is that Broad had acted even without any of the umpires raising the issue.

Meanwhile, Bruce Elliott's biomechanics team at the University of Western Australia has concluded that Muralitharan should be allowed to continue using his doosra until the completion of further biomechanical research into slow bowling.


© Wisden Cricinfo Ltd

Tamil Tigers release nearly 150 child soldiers in eastern Sri Lanka
Associated Press, Tue April 13, 2004 07:21 EDT . - - COLOMBO,Sri Lanka - (AP) Tamil Tiger guerrillas released nearly 150 child soldiers in eastern Sri Lanka - on Tuesday after they beat back a breakaway rebel faction in clashes over the weekend, the U.N. children's agency said.
``UNICEF welcomes the release of these children and will provide support to them and their families,'' said Ted Chaiban, UNICEF's local representative.

``For too long these children have had to live as soldiers and have been denied the rights of other children to learn, play, and live in the security of a family environment.''

UNICEF said in a statement that some 150 child soldiers who had been fighters for the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam were released, though it was still trying to confirm the total number.

Human rights groups have estimated that the Tamil Tigers may have used as many as 4,000 child soldiers in their civil war against the Sri Lankan government which began in 1983 and cost more than 65,000 lives.

``Although we are very glad to see these children being reunited with their families, there are hundreds and possibly thousands more still in the ranks of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam,'' the statement said.

The agency also said that after the fighting, hundreds of other children may be returning home on their own.

``We hope that this large release of children is the beginning of a new trend by the LTT,'' Chaiban said.

Tamil Tigers agreed with UNICEF last July to release all child soldiers in their ranks. But the U.N. body said in a report in January that the rebel group was still holding about 1,300 child soldiers.

A Norway-brokered cease-fire ended the violence in February 2002, though the mainstream rebel group advanced against a breakaway faction last Friday, killing a reported 33 from both sides.
Published: Tue Apr 13 12:12:44 EDT 2004

Happy Sinhalese and Tamil new year for all the TIG
friends around the world :)

May our countries see the lasting peace, externally and internally in human hearts!

love and peace,

Udara