Sri Lanka to set up new bus depots and bus terminals along A-9

Sri Lanka transport authorities are to take immediate steps to set up new bus depots and bus terminals along the A-9, main Kandy-Jaffna highway soon.

The National Transport Commission (NTC) said this programme will be implemented parallel to the Uthuru Mithuru Development programme under which railway stations are being built along the northern rail track.

The NTC expects to commence the bus services on A-9 Road once the government granted permission and setting up of new bus depots and bus terminals along the road is completed.

According to the sources the demining of the A-9 highway is almost completed, but the security forces have not granted the permission yet to commence passenger bus services along the road.

NTC chairman Prof. Amal Kumarage said that they would commence the bus services between Colombo to Mullaitivu and Trincomalee to Mannar soon after the completion of demining.

London: 32 injured in clashes between police and LTTE demonstrators

At least 32 persons, including 21 police officers, were injured following scuffles and protests between LTTE supporters and Metropolitan police outside the British Parliament yesterday.

Nearly 2,000 supporters had gathered for a sit-in protest over the plight of Tamil civilians trapped in Sri Lanka's war-zone, on a road opposite the Houses of Parliament, with police arresting ten Tamil supporters earlier on Tuesday for a number of offences.

Police had begun trying to move the supporters away from the Westminster Bridge near the Parliament house shortly after midnight but it resulted in clashes between the police and protesters.

Eight people, including three police officers were taken to hospital and others were treated at the scene by paramedics, while a total of 21 officers received minor injuries, eleven of the supporters also sustained injuries, a spokesman for the Scotland Yard said.

"The Tamil freedom struggle is a just cause and will not be quashed by the events of the last 24 hours. Truth and justice will always prevail," Pro-LTTE spokesman Selvarasa Pathmanathan said.

There are loads of people who have lost their loved ones in this conflict. They are here to grieve and it's just ridiculous that the police have behaved in this way towards us," he added.

Demonstrators, who were protesting for the second day today, brought traffic to an almost standstill last evening around the Parliament building.

Protesters moved en masse to occupy parts of Bridge Street and Westminster Bridge, a major thoroughfare through central London.

Traffic in the area was diverted and a large police posse was posted around the protesters, with police helicopters circling above Parliament Square.

The demonstration gained strength and virulence as reports from Colombo said leader of Tamil Tigers V Prabhakaran had been killed.

Many protesters refused to believe the reports and demanded that the world media be allowed to report from the north-east of Sri Lanka.

Some banners at the demonstration urged US President Barack Obama to send aid ships to Sri Lanka. Many demonstrators wore a white cloth around their heads and arms as a sign of solidarity.

Scores of Tamil supporters have attacked the Indian High Commission, Sri Lankan High Commission and the Chinese Embassy causing damages to window panes during the last few days pressing for justice to Sri Lankan Tamil civilians.

Russia welcomes news of LTTE defeat

Russia welcomed Sri Lanka's announcement of the Tamil Tiger rebels' defeat yesterday, saying it supported the government's "fight against terrorism.""Russia supports the Sri Lankan government's fight against terrorism and separatism to ensure its sovereignty and territorial integrity," the foreign ministry said in a statement, adding it hoped the conflict's end would bring about "peace, stability and security" in Sri Lanka.

"Moscow wishes our friend Sri Lanka's government and people to swiftly overcome the conflict's consequences and build successful economic and social progress based on inter-ethnic accord and respect of all ethnic and religious groups," the statement added.

Russia has faced its own unrest in Chechnya, where clashes have occurred regularly despite the recent end of a longstanding "counter-terrorist operation" in the region.

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse on Tuesday announced the final defeat of the Tamil Tigers, even as rebels insisted their leader was still alive and vowed to fight on for a Tamil homeland.

Iran congratulates Sri Lanka on defeating terrorism

The Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Manouchehr Mottaki telephoned Foreign Minister Bogollagama today (19th May), to extend his warm congratulations to the President, the Foreign Minister and the Government of Sri Lanka on the success achieved by Sri Lanka in defeating LTTE terrorism.

The Iranian Foreign Minister said that Iran has maintained close relations with Sri Lanka and has always condemned terrorism and, consistently upheld the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.  He states that he was speaking on behalf of the President of Iran who has conveyed his best wishes to Sri Lanka and will personally speak to the President of Sri Lanka at a mutually convenient time.  Iran has also offered assistance through the Red Crescent, for the emergency relief operations for the IDPs in the North. 

Foreign Minister Bogollagama conveyed his appreciation and thanks to the Government of Iran for the generous support extended to Sri Lanka at all times.  While reiterating that bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Iran have stood the test of time, he informed his counterpart that LTTE terrorism has been completely eradicated from the country and that Sri Lanka is now looking forward to a new chapter.

Minister Bogollagama further pointed out that the Government will give utmost priority to the humanitarian exercise underway to provide facilities to the IDPs in the welfare centres.  At the same time, it will be actively pursuing the inclusive political agenda and work towards economic empowerment of all citizens of the country which would ensure peace, stability and progress in Sri Lanka.

LTTE leader's body found, Sri Lanka confirms

Sri Lanka military just a short while ago confirmed that they have found the body of the LTTE rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

Commander of Sri Lanka Army General Sarath Fonseka has made the announcement that Prabhakaran's body was found among the 150 or so bodies the army recovered yesterday.

Most of the senior LTTE leaders have been killed during intense battles yesterday. Among the bodies so far identified were, Pottu Amman, LTTE intelligence wing leader , Bahnu, Charles Anthony, the eldest son of LTTE chief, B. Nadesan, LTTE's political head, S. Pulidevan , LTTE's head of peace secretariat, S. Ramesh, A special military leader, Kapil Amman, LTTE's deputy intelligence leader, Sudarman , the aide to Prabhakarn's son, Rathnam Master , a Black Tiger leader and Ilango.

DNA tests on body of Prabhakaran, Sri Lankan rebel leader

The body of the leader of Sri Lanka`s Tamil Tiger rebels, Velupillai Prabhakaran, is to undergo DNA and forensic tests along with the corpses of other top rebels, officials said today.

Prabhakaran was killed this morning along with two of his deputies after a two-hour firefight when they tried to break to freedom through advancing government troops, defence officials said. His body was badly burnt when his armour-plated van was hit by a rocket and burst into flames.

State television broke into its regular programming to announce Prabhakaran`s death, and the government information department sent a text message to cell phones across the country confirming that he was dead.

The announcement prompted mass celebrations around the country, and people poured into the streets of Colombo dancing and singing.

We have successfully ended the war, Gotabhaya Rajapakse, Sri Lanka`s Defence Secretary, formally told President Mahinda Rajapakse, in a nationally televised ceremony. President Rajapakse is his brother and commander-in-chief of the Sri Lankan armed forces.

Officials said that 40 of the 300 dead bodies found at the scene of the rebels` last stand have been shifted to a government hospital, with the army taking special charge of Prabhakaran`s corpse.

Magistrate Chamari Danansuriya asked police to arrange DNA and other forensic tests on the corpses. Autopsies will be carried out at Anuradhapura hospital in the north of the island, a court official said.