Due to misinformation spread by the LTTE and its sympathisers, the US is calling for further ceasefires in order to minimize further civilian casualties. The history has shown that such ceasefires have not produced tangible results as LTTE is holding civilians as human shields against their will. Those who resisted the LTTE have been either beaten or killed.

Also, there is a push to save the leaders of the LTTE, one of the most brutal terrorist orgnaisations in the world, who masterminded and executed killings of prominent political leaders such as Rajiv Ghandi, the 7th Prime Minister of India.

We, a group of peace loving Sri Lankans earnestly request the US and the international community to provide support to the Sri Lankan government to eradicate terrorism out of Sri Lanka and the world and not to help negotiate escape routes for such terrorists. For, terrorism has to be completely and comprehensively eradicated.

But when New York and Washington was attacked, within few minutes the CNN newsroom declared it as a Terrorist attack, which was shown all over the world.

With the banning of the LTTE from the UK under the provisions of the Terrorism Act of 2000, people have started to identify LTTE as a Terrorist group.

The L.T.T.E has been campaigning its terrorist activities for the past 18 years in Sri Lanka carrying out dozens of suicide bombings against security forces, business establishments, military personnel and politicians.

We ask from CNN reporters why they can't recognize L.T.T.E as a Terrorist group that has caused more 60,000 innocent lives.

http://www.elephantadvocacy.org/srilankatempleelephantcampaign2012.pdf

See the poor victim at http://goo.gl/xOAer

An Appeal for the Abolition of the Thirteenth Amendment

The priceless Independence that our country achieved with blood, tears and commitment and the island nation’s unitary character have to be handed over in pristine form to the next generation and generations yet to be born. That is the formidable challenge facing us.

We all know Your Excellency is above manipulation by various influences and threats designed for the insidious benefit of external agencies. These agencies are resorting to new strategies to divide our country having ignominiously failed to achieve their fantasy of Eelam by means of war and destruction. Their maneuvers are being sharpened and fine-tuned to form a single divisive force.

A unitary island nation is the inalienable inheritance of the nations of Sri Lanka. The choice of the moment in our view is between the implementation of the Thirteenth Amendment with its conspiratorial clauses relating to police and land powers or its abolition in its entirety. The wrong choice is best with tragic consequences for our country.

Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse’s recent pronouncement that the Thirteenth Amendment be done away with defies contradiction. We have no option but to free our country from the Thirteenth Amendment trap.

As citizens who love our motherland we appreciate deeply the patriotism embedded in Your Excellency’s personality, a patriotism that inspired victory over the most ruthless terrorist organization in the world. Our plea is that our country be saved from a looming catastrophe lurking in the Thirteenth Amendment that bring to naught the victory won at the cost of thousands of lives.

Most respectfully yours,

Mithrawa Sansadaya

The last elected Tamil leader threatened by the LTTE.

This is the initial step of a world wide appeal to the United Nations to save the life of Douglas Devananda - the last remaining Tamil opponent of the LTTE banned by the international community for acts of terrorism.

He is the leader of the Tamil political party in the democratic stream which is seen as a formidable rival of the LTTE who claims to "the sole representative of the Tamils". In the past the LTTE (better known as Tamil Tiger terrorists) have made ten attempts on the life of Douglas Devananda, a member of parliament elected by the Tamil people in his electorate in Jaffna. Though he escaped all attempts he is aware of what the IRA told Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher: "You have to be lucky all the time. We have to be lucky only once".

This appeal is to put pressure on the LTTE to halt its eleventh, or twelfth or any other attempts on the life Douglas Devananda. Like any other human being he has a right to life, free from the threats of LTTE suicide bombers or snipers. The international community was shocked when the LTTE sniper shot dead Lakshman Kadirgamar, the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, on August 12, 2005. He is the latest in a long list of Tamil leaders eliminated by the LTTE. The history of the LTTE is a record of eliminating all potential rivals to its Supreme, Velupillai Prabhakaran, who is wanted by India for the murder of Rajiv Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India, wanted by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka for 200 years for the killing of non-combatant civilians when the Central Bank building was blown up in the heart of the Colombo and wanted by Interpol.

With the elimination of Lakshman Kadirgamar, a Tamil lawyer from Oxford University, the LTTE silenced one of its leading opponents. The next in line is Douglas Devananda.

It is also necessary to highlight his plight because the LTTE has never admitted to any of the killings. It always draws a smoke screen denying responsibility and blaming it on others. The organizers of this petition want to put on notice that if something happens to Douglas Devananda it would be only from the action of the LTTE.

In the past, though the LTTE, has denied responsibility, it has left its paw marks through (1) Tiger technology, (2) modus operandi and (3) motives. The Tiger technology is revealed in suicide bombers, (they perfected the art of jackets worn round the body) , long-range snipers, or pistol gangs riding in motor cycles. Their modus operandi is to study, video and map out strategies of the location and go on practice runs before executing with deadly accuracy.

All the Tamil and non-Tamil leaders killed - i.e. from Rajiv Gandhi to Lakshman Kadirgamar -- had posed a serious threat to the LTTE at one time or another. All three factors have combined in the previous ten attacks on Douglas Devananda.

Devananda, who heads the Eelam People's Democratic Party, V. Anandasangaree, head of the Tamil United Liberation Front and Col Karuna, are the three remaining Tamil leaders who are on the hit list of the Tamil Tigers. Of these Anandasangaree is abroad and Col. Karuna is in hiding. The easiest target is Douglas Devananda, senior minister the United Peoples' Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government led by Sri Lanka President Chandrika Bandaranaike.

Douglas Devananda, an elected Member of Parliament in the Jaffna electoral district, won a seat in the parliament of Sri Lanka at the last parliamentary general elections held on 02 April 2004, despite rampant election fraud, malpractices, threats and intimidation of LTTE, and disproved the LTTE claim that they are the "sole representatives of the Tamils".

Douglas Devananda is the only moderate Tamil political leader, who has been protesting against the LTTE atrocities in Sri Lanka, for the past 15 years continuously. Douglas and his men, based in Sri Lanka, are determined to expose the atrocities of the LTTE to the International Community.

Douglas Devananda MP is today the only surviving Senior Tamil Minister of Agricultural Marketing Development, Co-operative Development, Hindu Affairs and Assisting Education and Vocational Training in the Cabinet of Chandrika Kumaratunga, President of Sri Lanka.

Devananda was born in Jaffna on 10th November 1957. At the age of 13 he joined the Manavar Peravai (Students Federation) and in 1975 he joined the EROS - Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students. It was then that he assumed the pseudonym of Douglas.

In his youth he was with various Tamil rebel groups. But realizing that the destiny of the Tamil people is by winning rights through non-violent democratic means he turned a new leaf by establishing the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP).

Having entered the democratic mainstream, Douglas worked hard to build his party in the North-East Province of Sri Lanka. His efforts paid dividends when nine members of the EPDP, including himself were elected to Parliament from the Jaffna District, in August 1994. Douglas was reelected to Parliament in October 2000, and again in December 2001.

Douglas Devananda is a self-confident idealist, who is a committed fighter against fascism. He is unassuming, approachable and a believer in humanism. He is determined to serve his people, despite the fact that he has been wounded, scarred and blinded in one eye, and compelled to live a life in the shadow of death. He deserves to lead a normal life without threats to his life. This appeal is to give him that right. Your vote can, hopefully, ensure that right to live in a democratic society without being killed just because he disagrees with those who claim to be "the sole representative" of any community - an unrealistic political proposition except in a fascist regime.

Our Sri Lankan elephant is an integral part of our rich history. It is a unique species, playing an important part in religion and culture. Could you imagine a Sri Lanka without elephants? Sadly we are hastening towards a dismal end.

Please add your name to this petition to save our elephant. Copies will be sent to appropriate government departments and other wildlife organizations. Please add your name. The success of this endeavour is based on my belief that: YOU CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!

He looked at me with his beautiful long-lashed eyes. It was a deep, penetrating stare, reaching to the depths of my soul. Could this be it?... Suddenly, there is a loud crack. He turns, bewildered by the noise. There's another crack and he runs into the thick scrub. Two days later, I find him again... DEAD.

Friends,
Our Sri Lankan elephant is an integral part of our country and the world at large. It is a unique species, playing an important part in religion, history, ecology and culture. Could you imagine a Sri Lanka without elephants? Sadly, we are hastening towards such a dismal end. Please add your name to this petition to save our elephant. Copies will be sent to appropriate government departments and other wildlife organizations, both domestic and international. Please add your name. The success of this endeavor is based on our belief that: YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Thank you.

Mr. Kingsley Rodrigo, Chairman of People's Action for Free and Fair Elections' (PAFFREL) Sri Lanka has alleged at a press Conferance held by PAFFREL on the 15th March in Colombo that there are Muslim paramilitary groups operating in the Eastern Region of Sri Lanka and he has named 'Jihad'and 'Jamath E Islami' as two of the paramilitary groups.

He has claimed he can produce evidence to backup and confirm his claims. The Inspector General of Police has denied that there are any armed Muslim groups and the Muslims too have denied its existance. The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka has in a letter to the PAFFREL Chief challenged him to produce the evidence he has within 07 seven days.

Ok?