Editor seeks protection after JVP threats

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 May 2005, 11:07 GMT]
Mr. Lasantha Wickramatunga, Editor of Colombo based newspaper Sunday Leader, informed of imminent risk to his life and sought protection from Inspector General of Police, Mr Chandra Fernado, after threatening statements were made by Mr Wimal Weerawansa, a government-party MP and leader of the parliamentary group of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) during a meeting held at Maharagama by JVP's front, the ultra-nationalist Patriotic National Movement (PNM).
Full story >>

Kumaratunga moves to clip JVP's strong media links

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 March 2005, 13:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga is reported to have taken over the administration of the Media Ministry, held by Minister Mangala Samaraweera, in a move widely seen as intended to limit the strong links the radical Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has with the State media institutions, especially the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Co-operation (SLRC), Independent Television Network (ITN) and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), political sources in Colombo said.
Full story >>

Arrest rising chauvinism, extremism, TNA tells Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 March 2005, 12:15 GMT]
Accusing Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister of "inciting the forces of chauvinism and extremism" in Sri Lanka by rushing to describe World Bank official Mr Peter Harrold's statements on Liberation Tigers, without checking their veracity, as "provocative," Mr Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in his statement in Sri Lanka's parliament on the current political situation, urged the Sri Lanka Government to speak with one voice regarding taking the peace process forward, parliamentary sources in Colombo said.
Full story >>

JVP demands UPFA Government to withdraw statement on interim administration

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 February 2005, 12:53 GMT]
The radical Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a major coalition partner of the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) on Thursday demanded the government to withdraw immediately its statement - that it was ready to resume peace talks with the LTTE firstly to set up an interim administrative structure in the NorthEast region - as it goes against the stance of the coalition government. The government Information Department said in a statement on Wednesday that the government was prepared to resume talks to set up first an interim arrangement to handle the urgent humanitarian needs of the people and then proceed to discuss the final solution to the prolonged ethnic crisis.
Full story >>

Clinton expresses hope on joint mechanism for Tsunami reconstruction

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 February 2005, 10:37 GMT]
Expressing hope on a joint mechanism for reconstruction of Sri Lanka's tsunami-shattered coastal areas, US ex-president Bill Clinton Monday said that he was informed Sunday night that the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) and the Sri Lanka Government were working together to create such a mechanism for tsunami relief. "My experience is, whether it is Middle East or Northern Ireland, whenever people work together on specific issues, it helps to resolve the differences," media sources said Clinton as saying. The ex-US presidents met with Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga Sunday night.
Full story >>

Former US Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W.Bush arrive in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 February 2005, 10:35 GMT]
Former US Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W.Bush arrived in Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake, Sunday evening at 4.12 PM as part of their tour of tsunami-hit countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, Media Minister Mr. Mangala Samaraweera, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Vishva Warnapala and Interior Ministry Secretary Mr.Tilak Ranaviraja were present at the Airport to receive the two former US presidents. US President George W Bush appointed the ex-presidents to lead private fundraising efforts in the wake of the tsunami.
Full story >>

Government's ability to prevent killings limited, says Mangala Samaraweera

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 February 2005, 07:46 GMT]
Cabinet Spokesman of President Chandrika Kumaratunga's Freedom Alliance government Minister Mangala Samaraweera said Friday that although the government was taking all steps to prevent killings in the future, there was a limit to which it can prevent them. The killings took place between Sri Lanka army garrisons at Welikanda and Punanai on the Pollonnorawa-Batticaloa road Monday.
Full story >>

JVP, SLFP discord widens

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 February 2005, 12:33 GMT]
Relations between the two main constituent parties of the United people front Alliance (UPFA) government worsened with the Janatha Vimukthy Peremuna (JVP), the Marxist extreme Sinhala nationalist party expressing its displeasure over the Sri Lanka government's failure to involve JVP in the rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in the North and East, JVP sources said.
Full story >>

Kumaratunga bans house construction close to sea coast

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 December 2004, 10:03 GMT]
Visiting the tsunami hit areas in the Southern Province, President Chandrika Kumaratunga said Wednesday that "in the future as a safety measure construction of houses would not be allowed in areas close to the sea coast."
Full story >>

UPFA ignoring critical national issues- Prof Peiris

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 December 2004, 12:09 GMT]
"Political parties in the South should recognize the "potentially dangerous" situation Sri Lanka is facing. The United National party (UNP) is ready to support any genuine steps the Government of Sri Lanka takes to resolve critical National issues faced by this country," said Prof G L Peiris Monday in Kandy after meeting Asgiriya Mahanayake Thera in Dalda Maligawa, sources said.
Full story >>

"Presidential term will continue till December 2006"- Samaraweera

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 October 2004, 15:27 GMT]
The United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government Thursday announced that the incumbent Presidency will expire only in December 2006. ''The UPFA government is not keen in holding Sri Lanka's Presidential election in December 2005 or a referendum to extend the current term,'' said Mr.Mangala Samaraweera, Information Minister and Media Spokesman addressing a press briefing Thursday.
Full story >>

SLTTA donates sports equipment to Muttur villages

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 October 2004, 00:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka Table Tennis Association (SLTTA) donated more than sixty thousand rupees worth of Tabel Tennis tables and other accessories to Trincomalee district sports unit of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to introduce and develop Table Tennis sport in the LTTE controlled Muttur east villages.


Full story >>

"SL Govt ready with alternate peace proposals"- Samaraweera

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 October 2004, 00:20 GMT]
The United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government Thursday announced that it is ready with its alternative proposals to the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). "However, we do not know whether the LTTE would accept the government alternate proposals," said Media Minister Mr.Mangala Samaraweera at a press briefing held Thursday in Colombo, sources said.
Full story >>

Peace trapped in political chess game- paper

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 October 2004, 10:50 GMT]
"Leader of Opposition, Ranil Wickremasinghe, has told the Indian leaders that that United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA). should start talks with the LTTE. In earlier times, it was left to the Tamil leaders to undertake missions to bring pressure to bear on the Sri Lanka Governments. Tables have now turned, giving way to the scenario of one main southern Sri Lanka political camp persuading NewDelhi to pressure the other southern camp to start peace negotiations immediately," said Thinakkural, a popular Tamil daily in its editorial Thursday.
Full story >>

Education Ministry invites CTTU for talks to avert strike

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 October 2004, 14:31 GMT]
Ms Tara de Mel, Secretary to the Ministry Education in the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government has invited the Ceylon Tamil Teachers’ Union (CTTU) for talks on 13 October at her office in Colombo to resolve problems confronting the Tamil medium education and Tamil medium teachers and students in the northeast and in other provinces. President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge is also holding the portfolio of Minister of Education. Her deputy Minister for Education is Mr.Mangala Samaraweera who is also the Minister for Media.
Full story >>

Public sector employees to receive pay hike

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 September 2004, 00:05 GMT]
Public sector employees will be given a substantial salary increase in the maiden budget of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) scheduled to be presented on November 12 this year, said UPFA media spokesman and Media Minister Mr. Mangala Samaraweera addressing post -Cabinet press briefing Thursday.
Full story >>

“Political solution should be found without delay”-UPFA Dy Minister

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 August 2004, 02:21 GMT]
“Political solution to the ethnic conflict in the country should be found during the regime of President Chandrika Kumaratunge. She is committed to peace in the country. We cannot drag on forever a peaceful solution to the national problem,” said Mr. Dilan Perera, Deputy Minister for Ports and Civil Aviation, addressing a gathering to mark the 25th anniversary celebration of the establishment of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) under which the management of all ports in the country comes.
Full story >>

SL Government ready to resume peace talks- Cabinet Spokesman

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 2004, 10:25 GMT]
The minority United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government said Thursday that it is prepared to commence peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at any time and anywhere. Speaking at the post Cabinet press briefing held Thursday Media Minister Mr. Mangala Samaraweera said that the LTTE should adopt a policy of flexibility in its stand, sources in Colombo said.
Full story >>

Karuna meets with Sri Lankan ministers, US officials- paper

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 July 2004, 00:36 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s tourism minister and brother of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Mr. Anura Bandaranaike, escorted the renegade LTTE commander, Karuna, to Singapore to address US officials on combating terrorism, The Sunday Leader reported this week, quoting government sources. Another government minister and a close confidante of President Kumaratunga, Mr. Mangala Samaraweera, is to meet with Karuna, the paper also said.
Full story >>

CWC blows hot and cold

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 July 2004, 12:46 GMT]
The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), a member of Sri Lanka’s opposition, blew hot and cold on joining the President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s minority government, according to reports in the Tamil press last week. Meanwhile, the Sunday Times said that the plantation workers’ party was still undecided on the switching sides, while the Sunday Leader said this week “joint opposition was buoyed by information the CWC for the foreseeable future will not join the government.”
Full story >>