Plane with weapons from North Korea headed to Sri Lanka?
December 13 2009 – CNN
Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) — Thai authorities seized a cargo aircraft carrying tons of weapons from North Korea during a refueling stop in Bangkok, a government official said.
The pilot told Thai authorities the aircraft was headed to Sri Lanka, but its final destination was unknown, according to Panitan Wattanayagorn, a spokesman for the Thai prime minister.
It contained about 35 tons of weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades, shoulder-launched rockets and tubes that may be missile components, the spokesman said.
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South Africa accused of ignoring Sri Lankan genocide
Dec 12, 2009 – sunday Times, South Africa
Human rights activists have accused the South African government of double standards for “flirting” with Sri Lankan government officials and ignoring the genocide in the country. The accusation follows a visit by the minister of international relations, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, to Colombo last month.
During her speech to seal bilateral links, Nkoana-Mashabane said: “Sri Lanka has become a key partner on several international issues such as human rights, poverty alleviation, globalisation and the reform of the United Nations …”
She added that the countries shared a common interest in the promotion of human rights.
However, activists said the minister’s speech ignored the conflict in the country since 1983 between the Sinhalese government and the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, also known as the Tamil Tigers.
Roy Chetty of the Social Movement Indaba said they were “outraged” that the SA government had ignored the oppression of the Tamil population of Sri Lanka. “I do not believe that the SA government has dealt with the Tamil population even-handedly. They have tended to prioritise their relationship with the Sri Lankan regime,” said Chetty.
Attorney Abbey Naidoo said he found the speech “disconcerting, as it seemed to reinforce the position of the Sinhalese genocidal regime”.
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Attacks on media: The story unfolds
December 12 2009 – Sunday Times
General Fonseka and Gotabhaya exchange charges on who did what when journlalists were abducted and killed
UNP hit by internal squabbles as Ranil goes on another overseas visit , but SB’s crossover shows UPFA’s need for every vote
“Are you confident,” asked Robert Blake, the senior-most official in the Obama administration to visit Sri Lanka in recent months, from President Mahinda Rajapaksa last Tuesday. “If I am not, I would not have called for a Presidential poll,” he replied and added, “come and see me again after I win.”
Blake, the former US envoy in Colombo, is now Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs in the Department of State. His three-day stay in Colombo beginning Tuesday was his first under the new assignment.
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Lanka named in mystery over arms cargo
December 12 2009 – Sunday Times
Thai authorities yesterday seized a Russian aircraft with thirty tons of weapons on board which the pilots claimed were headed from North Korea for Sri Lanka.
However, the Ministry of Defence said last night there were no official shipments either by air or sea from North Korea scheduled. “We have asked the Sri Lanka embassy in Bangkok to obtain details from the Thai authorities. We will have more information on the progress of their investigation later on Sunday (today),” an official told the Sunday Times.
The Russian aircraft with registration number AWG 732 had touched down at the Don Muang International Airport for a re-fuelling stop. This airport, once used for international commercial flights, is now used among others by charter operators
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Navy searching for survivors of Lankan fishing boat
December 12 2009 – PTI
New Delhi: Sri Lankan fishing vessel ‘Win Marine’ that took two Indian Coast Guard sailors hostage on Wednesday, was damaged in a fire last night in the Bay of Bengal. The Navy was looking for survivors there.
“At about 2345 hours (December 11), the fishing vessel was observed to be on fire…it was observed that the boat’s upper decks were ablaze and therefore, we commenced search for possible survivors in the vicinity,” Navy spokesperson Commander PV Satish said here.
He added that a Dornier reconnaissance aircraft was also launched to augment the search effort by ships at dawn on December 12, but it had return to base due to inclement weather.
“Search for the survivors has been temporarily called off due to the very adverse weather in the area,” Satish
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