Sri Lanka’s Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa told the head of the international ceasefire monitors that the Army could easily defeat the Liberation Tigers with the assistance of the Karuna Group paramilitaries, the Daily Mirror reported Tuesday. Paradoxically, Mr. Rajapakse, appointed to his post by President Mahinda Rajapakse, his brother, had two weeks ago also told the then head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that paramilitaries were not operating in government-controlled areas.

Amid the indefinite postponement of the Geneva talks, violence in the Northeast continued to escalate this week. Over 50 people, including Sri Lankan military personnel, LTTE cadres, aid workers and civilians have been killed and dozens wounded in numerous incidents over the past two weeks.

Anti-Tamil rioting in Trincomalee last week following the race riots that saw at least 22 dead and over 60 injured (see page 3).

"More than 19 people were killed and over 45 were wounded in communal rioting last Wednesday (April 5)that also saw the closing of over 22 Tamil and Muslim shops in the eastern port town."

“Unfortunately, because the Sri Lankan Navy conducted itself in a manner that threatened the safety of our commanders, and because events took place that were against the promises made by the Head of the [truce monitors], the central committee meeting of our leadership could not take place.”

"Mr. MacKay said he has spoken to Norwegian officials about Canada playing a more active role in the Sri Lanka talks, including possibly holding talks here"

In all, 13 Tamil civilians were killed in Jaffna islets on Saturday alone, in revenge attacks by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) personnel enraged by the sinking Thursday of two Dvora gunboats.

“The electoral victories of Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi in the districts of Trincomalee and Amparai has inflicted a stunning defeat of the paramilitaries allied with Government of Sri Lanka.”

As LTTE demands ‘Jihad’ paramilitaries be disarmed, Sri Lanka recruits more Muslim troops.

President Mahinda Rajapakse’s United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) won nearly 85 percent of the local government bodies by winning majorities in 224 out of 266 where elections were held.

“The economy can surpass 6 percent growth this year, unless there’s outright war and disruption,”

Despite last week’s election, a major shift in the dynamics of the peace process is not in sight.

Readings of last week’s election results are overly optimistic.

Muslims are being coopted into the Sinhala state’s efforts to crush the Tamil struggle.

“The only way out of this mess is for Rajapakse to work out some form of alliance with the UNP (United National Party)"