Monthly archive

Kosh Raj Koirala – Asian Tribune Correspondent in Nepal

The newly elected Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal was sworn in Monday. President Dr Ram Baran Yadav administered him the oath of office and secrecy amidst a special function organized at Presidential Palace in Shitalniwas. Top leaders of all political parties, government officers, diplomats and security officials, among others, were present during the sworn in ceremony. Nepal, who is a senior leader of Community Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), was elected unopposed on Saturday. He was backed by 22 of the total 24 parties in Nepal’s parliament.

The Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) has called on ASEAN to suspend Myanmar’s membership in the regional bloc if the country’s military regime continues to detain its democracy leader, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi. ASEAN Inter- Parliamentary Mayanmar Caucus pointed out that Aung San Suu Kyi’s unjust current six-year house arrest is due to expire on 27 May 2009, but the military regime has brought on further trumped-up charges against her and is likely to detain her for a further three to five years. Already, several ASEAN member states have expressed deepening concern about the regime’s detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. However, ASEAN leaders have failed to take the measures necessary to compel the regime to end violations of human rights.

By Gopal Ethiraj from Chennai

M.K.Azhagiri, DMK south secretary and CM’s son, who is tipped to become a cabinet minister, was the first among those probables to reach New Delhi today with his family members and supporters. This is following the acceptance of the Congress formula of three cabinet slots and four Ministers of state after two days hectic parleys within the party. Besides Azhagiri, Dayanidhi Maran and former union minister A.Raja are tipped to join the central government as cabinet ministers, filling the three cabinet berths offered to the DMK. It is indicated, as per the latest information, Azhagiri may take over Chemicals and Fertilisers, Maran Textiles and Raja IT and Communications, the portfolio he handled in the last government.

Daya Gamage – US National Correspondent Asian Tribune

In a special congratulatory message to Sri Lanka president Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Los Angeles-based Sri Lankan Patriots USA, an organization that has been active in conducting anti-LTTE rallies, seminars to make Americans knowledgeable about the situation in Sri Lanka and holding demonstrations in front of pro-LTTE US Congressmen says the darkest days of Sri Lanka’s recent history during which the nation was held hostage by a band of separatist terrorists was over.

Hilary Rajakarunanayake, Editor – Sri Lanka, Asian Tribune

Gen.FonsekaSri Lanka had turned to China for military purchases only after India had refused to supply offensive weapons to the island's military during its critical campaign against the LTTE, said Army Commander Gen. Sarath Fonseka, in an interview with NDTV. "India had told us they were not in a position to sell or send offensive weapons or even equipment like radars and basic communication equipment to meet our requirements," he has told NDTV. This, he said, had led Sri Lanka to approach countries like Pakistan, China and Russia for meeting its urgent military needs.

While the top diaspora members fight over the future strategy of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Tamil professionals and commercial establishments in Europe have expressed disgust over 'utterly selfish motives' of the LTTE’s Department of Diaspora Affairs (DDA). They were referring to the DDA’s statement that the 'LTTE leadership is safe and it will re-emerge when the right time comes.' "The DDA has kept on feeding us stories that Tigers would fight back and deal a fatal blow to the Sri Lankan army and collected thousands of EUROs for various emergency funds," stated Gopal Sivarasa, a trader in Tamil predominant La Chapelle in Paris. "Even last week we donated funds after the tiny beachhead of Mulaithivu was encircled by the Sri Lankan army.