Monthly archive

Anura RajakarunaThe Sri Lankan High Commissioner in South Africa Mr. Anura Rajakaruna giving an interview to Lotus FM radio in Durban said that what the LTTE hunger strikers are trying to highlight is not the plight of the trapped civilians but the demands of the LTTE. He also pointed out that the former TNA MP M.K. Elaventhan launched a hunger strike on 09th April at the "Mariamman Temple" in Durban. He has staged this hunger strike at this temple apparently hoping to attract the attention of the devotees who came to the temple for the annual festival. With the ending of the annual festival and realizing that no more attention could be gained, we now understand, Mr. Elaventhan has quietly given up his much publicized hunger strike.

By Farzana Shah-Asian Tribune Correspondent in Pakistan

Advisor to Pakistani prime minister on Interior, Rehman A. Malik on Wednesday informed the Upper House of the Parliament that India is backing the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) for fuelling insurgency in the province and creating unrest. Winding up debate on an adjournment motion, to discuss the Balochistan situation in the wake of a recent killing of three Baloch leaders in Turbat, Rehman Malik said "BLA was raised and funded by Russia during Soviet-Afghan war when Pakistan was supporting Afghans and now India is backing its activities." "BLA remained dormant since the Afghan war ended, but it was reactivated after killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti, whose grandson Barhamdagh Bugti has openly sought Indian and American support for independence of Balochistan in a recent interview," he added.

Kosh Raj Koirala – Asian Tribune Correspondent in Nepal

The Indo-Nepal border adjoining to troubled Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar state of India has been sealed ahead of the second phase of polling for 13 out of 40 Lok Sabha seats on Thursday. Officials at Home Ministry said Indo-Nepal border along the Lok Sabha constituencies of Valamikinagar, east Champaran, west Champaran, Sitamarhi and Madhubani is sealed for three days starting Tuesday afternoon. These constituencies are infested by Maoist guerilla. Police officials from both the countries had held meeting to beef up security along the border to help check infiltration of anti-social elements.

Dr. Subramanian Swamy, President of the Janata Party has condemned the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Mr. M. Karunanidhi for calling for a bandh to pressurize the Central Government to ensure a cease-fire in Sri Lanka. He has categorically said that “There is no need for a bandh to affect a cease-fire in Sri Lanka because the Tamil civilians in the no-firing zone have already escaped from in the LTTE held areas, to safe areas under the control of Sri Lankan army. Dr. Swamy has demanded President’s rule be imposed in Tamil Nadu and the Union Government dispatch CRPF and BSF to assist the Tamil police in maintaining law and order in the State.

By M Rama Rao, India Editor, Asian Tribune

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has convened a high level meeting here in Delhi to come to grips ‘catastrophic' situation’ as the International Red Cross likes to term the post-war scene in Wanni. The meeting is taking place against the backdrop of announcement in Colombo that Sri Lanka President Rajapaksa is sending his brother Basil Rajapaksa as his special emissary to India to discuss the humanitarian situation and the DMK’s call for a general strike on Thursday to force Singh to ‘sympathize with the plight of Tamils’ in the island nation.

By Wajid Ali Syed – Washington Correspondent for Asian Tribune

Senator John Kerry has said that President Obama's Afghanistan Pakistan plan "is not a real strategy." In an interview session with the USA Today, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said "Pakistan is in a moment of peril, and I believe there is not in place yet an adequate policy or plan to deal with it." He also advised the administration not to use the term "Af-Pak," to describe a unified strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, claiming that it does a disservice to both countries and to the policy. He said, both governments are very sensitive about it and don't see the linkage.

M.A. Kader- Asian Tribune Correspondent in Bangladesh

Saudi Arabia will allow Bangladeshi workers to switch jobs on same work permit, Bangladesh foreign minister Dipu Moni said Wednesday. Dipu Moni who is with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the tour to the kingdom told a local news agency on telephone that the prime minister and her entourage performed Umrah on Tuesday night. The foreign minister quoted the Saudi king as telling the prime minister that his government would allow increasing number of Bangladeshi workers to go and work in Saudi Arabia.

M.A. Kader- Asian Tribune Correspondent in Bangladesh

From now on Bangladesh government will not allow any foreign NGO to work in Bangladesh without registering first. he country’s social welfare minister Enamul Haq Mostafa Shaheed on Wednesday told reporters at the Secretariat, "We will not allow any foreign-registered NGOs to operate in the country. They'll only be allowed to operate after registering here." he government in this regard has taken steps to form a single body proposed to be styled ‘Social Security Council, which will register, monitor and regulate NGOs in future, he said.