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Velupillai PrabakaranThe most elusive Leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE), Velupillai Prabakaran on Thursday , 11 September , paid his last respects to the ten Black Tiger commandos, who laid down their lives during the Tiger operation on the Vavuniya headquarters of the Sri Lankan Forces Headquarters. LTTE media reported that the Air Force has managed to destroy the LTTE’s light air craft that came to carry out the attack. Five of the ten Black Tiger cadres on Vavuniya mission were females. Tuesday's attack was the second combined attack by the Black Tigers and Air Tigers of LTTE's Tamileelam Air Force.

US Ambassador Robert Blake joined with representatives of World Vision to recognize the achievements of 70 Sri Lankan farmers who are participating in a joint project supported by World Vision and the United States Department of Agriculture. The program, which integrates farming with sustainable technology, has helped independent previously low-income farmers from all areas of Sri Lanka improve agricultural efficiency, increase yields, and thereby gain greater revenues and profits for themselves and their families.

The response of several international Non Governmental Organizations (INGOs) to the request made by the government of Sri Lanka to cease all operations and remove all personnel from the LTTE controlled part of the Vanni has raised several questions. While some of the NGOs and INGOs followed suit after the decision made by the United Nations agencies to withdraw from Vanni, some INGOs, reportedly making very suspicious excuses regarding their resources. These INGOs and NGOs say that the LTTE has ordered them to leave all their belongings when they depart from the area. In other words, the LTTE wants to use all the vehicles, transmission equipment and other properties of the INGOs for the battle against the advancing Sri Lankan forces.

The Tamil Tigers, this time has gone with a new strategy of holding the remaining officials of the UN, International NGOs and NGOs as human shield along with hundreds and thousands of the internally displaced Tamils. This is said to be a clear ploy to hold the remaining officials of the UN, INGOs and NGOs as hostages for the safety of Velupillai Prabakaran – an evasive and aging LTTE leader. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in its 25 years long mega serial, unleashed yesterday another episode of remote controlling the people to prevent the remaining officials of the UN, international NGOs and NGOs from leaving Kilinochchi.

Daya Gamage – US National Correspondent Asian Tribune

On Wednesday, September 10th, President George Bush sent the text of a proposed US-India nuclear agreement to Congress for approval. Friday, September 12, in response to the President's actions, the US-India Business Alliance (USIBA) and the US Congressional Task Force on US-India Trade held a briefing on Capitol Hill with Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher regarding the deal's current status.

Tamil child with lethal weaponTamilischer Kulter Verein Thurgau, another active front organization of LTTE in Switzerland had organized a fund raising event in Thorau recently, in the guise of raising funds ‘displaced persons in the north’. Certain sections of the Tamil community and Swiss nationals who attended the above event organized under the banner of cultural festival in Thurgau were shocked to see Montessori school children as young as eight years enacting a drama dressed as child combatants using replicas of most lethal weapons.

In a letter addressed to the Editor, Asian Tribune, Priyath Liyanage, Head of the BBC Sinhala service alleged that the news item appeared in the Asian Tribune on 1 September, as "deeply offensive mixture of inaccuracy, distortion and fiction about BBC Sinhala Service." Unfortunately "Asian Tribune" is not aware of how he came to such a conclusion, but we have decided to publish the excerpts of his letter which is written to contradict the news item 'The vicious agenda of BBC Sinhala Service' posted in the "Asian Tribune" of 1st September 2008.

Ranjith Jayasooriya with Valdis ZatlPresident Valdis Zatlers of the Republic of Latvia extended his congratulations to President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the successful completion of the SARRC Summit held recently in Colombo. He expressed his strong interest over having more and more bilateral cooperation through enhanced political and economic relations with Sri Lanka. These pleasantries were exchanged between the newly appointed Sri Lanka Ambassador to Latvia, Residence in Sweden, Ranjith Jayasooriya and the President of the Republic of Latvia Valdis Zatlers at the President Palace in Riga on Tuesday 2nd September 2008.

By Quintus Perera – Asian Tribune

HNB Stockbrokers in their weekly review indicated that the Colombo bourse continued its downward trend for the sixth consecutive week, as investors remained cautious over the market fundamentals. The negative sentiment that prevailed during the week prompted market indices to open lower with slight losses while leading to sharp falls during the latter part of the week. Overall the All Share Price Index (ASPI) lost 42.7 points or 1.8 percent to stand at 2355.6 points while the liquid Milanka Price Index (MPI) ended 76.2 points or 2.8 percent lower at 2685.0 points.

INGOs in Wanni - sleeping with dogs

By Janaka Perera

"When you sleep with dogs you get up with ticks all over your body," goes a pithy Sinhala saying. This is what has happened to most INGOs operating in LTTE dominated areas. Having been infected with 'tick fever' they have no alternative but to obey the Tigers' dictates and leave their possessions at the disposal of the terrorists. Of course several of these do-gooders were willingly serving the LTTE's cause in the name of humanitarian services. One of them was the Norwegian 'People's Aid' which gave over 30 vehicles for use by the LTTE. These are in addition to medicines, medical and communication equipment and other items that the INGOs allowed to fall into Tiger hands.

By Quintus Perera - Asian Tribune

Today is the Binara Full Moon Poya Day. There are four Pasaloswaka Poyas - Esala, Nikini, Binara and Wap and it is a four month period and the period in India it has been know as rainy season, specially where Lord Buddha lived. Yet it is a blossoming season with a clear sky blue in the day time and bright in the night with stars sparkling. We have to go to the Buddha era to visualize the bright sparkling and pleasant period called ‘Was’. Venerable Niwandama Samitha Thero, Viharadhipathi, Niwandama Deepadukkaramaya Purana Viharaya, explaining the significance of Binara Full Moon Poya said that during this Was period Buddhist Monks would be immobile and are expected to recede to their Temples, Viharas and other Monasteries to devote their time to preach Dhamma and look after the well being of the people and the people who patronage the Buddhist places of worship where the Monks congregate.