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Archive of entries posted on April 2009

Mullivaaikkaal Hospital hit as shelling continues

29 April 2009, 11:12 pm

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

While there has been no Aerial bombardment , sporadic artillery and heavy mortar fire has continued in the tiny strip of territory in the Karaithuraipatru AGA division in the Northern Mullaitheevu district on Wednesday April 29th 2009.

A tragic consequence of the shelling has been the incident where shells fell on the makeshift hospital in Mullivaaikkaal in the 10 sq Km area controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) resulting in the death of nine patients. Further injuries were inflicted on another fifteen patients admitted to hospital for treatment.

[in Mullivaaikkaal, Apr 29]

Filed under Current affairs.
76 Comments

Hundreds of civilian casualties in 17 hour “blitzkrieg”

28 April 2009, 10:58 pm

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Hundreds of civilian casualties were reported within the 10 sq km area controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) due mainly to a 17 hour long heavy fire “blitzkrieg” conducted by the Armed forces of Sri Lanka.

The “blitz” like intensive attacks commenced at 6.00 pm on Monday April 27th 2009 and continued for 17 hours till 11.00 am in the morning of Tuesday April 28th 2009.

[Air attack between mullivaikkal and Iraddaivaikkal-pic: RDHS]

Filed under Current affairs.
103 Comments

Combined pre-dawn operation launched by Armed Forces

27 April 2009, 10:59 pm

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

The Sri Lankan armed forces have launched a combined military operation in the Karaithuraipatru AGA division in Mullaitheevu district against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the early hours of the morning on Monday April 27th 2009.

The pre-dawn operation that began around 3.45 am was going on as scheduled at dusk despite wrong information being circulated in Tamil Nadu by interested parties that a ceasefire had been announced.

The news that a ceasefire had come into force was conveyed by Central Govt minister for Home Affairs, Palaniyappan Chidamparam to the State chief minister Muttuvel Karunanindhi.

[M. Karunanidhi, chief minister of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, lies in a bed during an indefinite fast in the southern Indian city of Chennai April 27, 2009-Reuters pic]

Filed under Current affairs.
112 Comments

Wretched of the Wanni earth break free of bondage

26 April 2009, 10:20 pm

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Latest developments on the Wanni war front have brought much relief to all people yearning for the safety of entrapped civilians in the coastal strip of northern Mullaitivu district currently controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The long awaited military operation to break through Tiger defences and facilitate the evacuation of civilians that began at midnight on Sunday April 19 has been a success in terms of numbers.

By Thursday April 24 around 103,000 people from Palammaathalan, Ambalavanpokkanai and Puthumaathalan areas had been freed from what was in reality an open prison.

Since the Government had not geared itself up to handle such large numbers the officials both military and civil are struggling to cope with the large influx.

Filed under Current affairs, This Day.
32 Comments

The “human” costs of the “humanitarian” rescue operation

21 April 2009, 5:29 am

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Thousands of Entrapped Tamil civilians fled from areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on April 20th in the aftermath of a military operation by the Army that was successful in breaching tiger defences in the Karaithuraipatru AGA division in Northern Mullaitheevu district.

According to official sources , besieged Tamil civilians were able to escape LTTE clutches and move towards Army positions after the security forces broke through the “bund cum Trench” defence constructed by the Tigers in the Puthumaathalan-Ambalavanpokkanai area.

Filed under Current affairs.
187 Comments

Fraudulent concept of a “fire-free, no-fire, safe zone”

18 April 2009, 11:36 pm

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Nowadays there is a lot of media focus on the terms “Safe-Zone,” “fire-Free Zone,” and “No-Fire Zone” in the Northern mainland known as the Wanni.

All terms refer to a designated tract of territory where the warring parties namely the armed forces of the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are not supposed to fire from or fire at each other.

[Safety measure during gun fire]

Filed under Current affairs.
111 Comments

Theepan of the LTTE: Heroic saga of a Northern warrior

15 April 2009, 9:50 pm

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

“All Rome sent forth a rapturous cry,
And even the ranks of Tuscany
Could scarce forbear to cheer” -Thomas Babington Macaulay

['Col' Theepan]

I was reminded of the above lines from the original “Horatius” poem by Macaulay when I was reading a posting on the defence ministry website headlined “Driven to their deaths in vain”.

It was about the large number of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres and leaders killed at Aananthapuram in the Puthukkudiyiruppu AGA division.

Filed under Current affairs.
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Anatomy of the LTTE military debacle at Aanandapuram

10 April 2009, 11:21 pm

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Then out spake brave Horatius,
The Captain of the gate:

“To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.

And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,

For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his Gods,

- Thomas Babington Macaulay

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) organization has experienced many major setbacks during the course of its 33 year old history.

Despite misgivings expressed on these occasions by prophets of doom, the movement has always managed to withstand these blows and continue on its politico-military journey.

Nevertheless the debacle it suffered in the Aanandapuram area of Puthukkudiyiruppu AGA division, during the first week of April seems to be different both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Filed under Current affairs.
115 Comments

Top Tiger leaders killed in a major debacle for LTTE

6 April 2009, 10:18 pm

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) organization suffered a terrible blow in the Aanandapuram area of Puthukkudiyiruppu AGA division.

In what may very well be the defining moment of the on going war the tigers have lost a vast array of illustrious fighting commanders as well as large numbers of cadres in a single battle.

Filed under Current affairs.
201 Comments

Remembering “Lassie Boy” on his 51st birthday

4 April 2009, 10:35 pm

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

“Sunday Leader”‘ founder Editor,Lasantha Manilal Wickrematunge, who was assassinated on January 8th this year, would have celebrated his 51st birthday today (April 5th) if among the living.

[Lasantha Manilal Wickrematunge]

For the first time in many years I will not be wishing Lasantha Manilal Wickrematunge on his birthday.

Filed under Current affairs.
15 Comments

Lester James Peries: Liberator of Sinhala Cinema

4 April 2009, 10:07 pm

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Lester James Peries is the acknowledged pioneer of authentic Sinhala cinema. It was he who created an indigenous cinema in every sense of the term . It was he who first gained worldwide recognition for Sinhala cinema.

Western background

The path-breaking director was born on April 5, 1919 in Dehiwela to Catholic parents with an affluent westernised background. His father Dr. James Francis Peries had studied medicine in Scotland. His mother Ann Gertrude Winifred Jayasuriya was the first student to pass the Cambridge senior exam at St. Bridgette’s, Convent.

Filed under Film.
8 Comments