OTHER NEWS Italian secret police re-arrest 8 released LTTE suspects 59 AP mines uncovered during search operations Sri Lanka: Pillaiyan ‘too busy’ to meet Karuna Equipment belonged to a SP and ammunition recovered close to Air Force Commander's residence    Advertisement Print Version | Email to friend UN watchdog groups denounce 5 nations vying to join rights council 07-05-2008 UNITED NATIONS, New York: Five countries trying to win seats on the UN Human Rights Council - Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Gabon and Zambia - fail to protect human rights and should be disqualified from membership, two watchdog groups said in a report. But the groups, Freedom House and UN Watch, said Tuesday that Gabon and Zambia are virtually guaranteed seats because candidates are chosen by regional groups and Africa has an uncontested slate in the election, scheduled for May 21. Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, which is based in Geneva, criticized democratic countries in Africa and elsewhere for failing to compete for seats on the council, where they could become advocates for human rights. \"Instead, they lend international credibility to repressive governments that routinely violate the rights of their own citizens,\" Neuer said in a statement. Freedom House, based in New York, promotes human rights worldwide, while UN Watch monitors the international body\'s performance based on its charter. Both evaluated the 20 candidates for council seats on their records of promoting human rights at home and at the United Nations. Their report gave \"questionable\" ratings to three candidates with mixed human rights records - Brazil, East Timor and Burkina Faso. \"Qualified\" ratings were given to Ghana, Japan, South Korea, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Argentina, Chile, France, Spain and Britain. The Human Rights Council was created in March 2006 to replace the widely discredited and highly politicized Human Rights Commission, and one aim was to keep some of the worst human rights offenders out of its membership. But the council has been widely criticized for failing to change many of the commission\'s practices, including putting much more emphasis on Israel than on any other country. The United States was virtually alone in voting against the establishment of the council, and Washington has chosen to remain off the council. The Geneva-based council is composed of regional groups that give dominance to Africa and Asia, each with 13 countries. The council\'s current membership includes Cuba, Saudi Arabia, China and Russia, whose human rights records have been widely criticized. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Gabon and Zambia, whose rights records were called \"dismal\" on Tuesday, are also members. Print Version | Email to friend

Italian secret police re-arrest 8 released LTTE suspects Tue, 08-07-2008 07:00:00 Of the 28 LTTE suspects arrested in Italy recently for offences under Italian and International law, including extortion to support a terrorist organization, eight were released by the local Magistrate on the grounds of insufficient evidence to prove their complicity with the LTTE. However, the Italian Secret Police, headed by Dr. Antonio S. Bersone and Dr. Missou, invoking Italian Anti-Terror laws,rearrested all eight and produced them before a Magistrate in Naples who was convinced ... |FULL STORY|

59 AP mines uncovered during search operations Mon, 07-07-2008 08:00:00 Security forces uncovered 59 anti-personnel mines (AP), during search operations conducted in Mannar and Welioya fronts on Sunday (July 6). According to security sources, 32 AP mines were uncovered by troops engaged in clearing operations in general area Palamoddai, Mannar, while 27 other AP mines were found in a similar operation conducted North of Janakapura at Welioya.... |FULL STORY|

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Sri Lanka: Pillaiyan ‘too busy’ to meet Karuna By Munza Mushtaq Sun, 06-07-2008 22:00:00 Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pillaiyan, who is the Deputy Leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), has put off meeting with his Leader Karuna Amman owing to his “extremely busy schedule.” Karuna arrived in the country on Thursday after he was deported by British authorities. Sources said that he was hoping to meet with Pillaiyan who took over his reigns but he was in for a disappointment when Pillaiyan had repeatedly refused to mee... |FULL STORY|

Equipment belonged to a SP and ammunition recovered close to Air Force Commander's residence Sat, 05-07-2008 18:00:00 Army personnel recovered this morning (05) a bag with arms, ammunition, a cap worn by Assistant Superintendent of Police and a passport belonged to a Superintendent of Police in close proximity to the official residence of the Air Force Commander in Keppetipola Mawatha, Colombo. There were 90 T-56 ammunition, parts of bore 12 shotguns, one locally produced gun, three empty magazines, one pouch, a cap worn by Assistant Superintendent of Police, an applet and stars worn by chief police ins... |FULL STORY|

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