Aussie TV exposes paramilitary presence in SLA controlled areas in East

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 April 2006, 02:31 GMT]
Australia's Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Television’s Dateline program aired for the first time video footage from a training camp of paramilitaries from Karuna Group operating from Government controlled territory in Batticaloa. In the same program, Mr Gothabaya Rajapakse, the Sri Lankan Secretary of Defence and the brother of SL President Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse, denies any knowledge of existence of paramilitaries. Previously, Mr Gothabaya Rajapakse had claimed that Sri Lanka forces could win a war against Tigers with Karuna Group's support.
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CFA teaches belated political lesson to UPFA, says UNP MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 April 2006, 21:01 GMT]
United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian Dr. Jayalath Jayawardene, addressing a UNP press conference Wednesday in Colombo said that those in power in Sri Lanka today are facing the political reality and learning a hard lesson that proper implementation of the Cease Fire Agreement is a critical prerequisite if efforts to find solutions to the national problem are to make progress.
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SL President to address heads, deputies of MC, UC, and PS

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 April 2006, 15:58 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse is to address all heads and deputy heads of 266 local government institutions including Municipal Councils, Urban Councils and Pradesiya Councils elected at March 30 elections on April 21 at Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), sources in Colombo said.
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Sri Lankan President violates constitution - AHRC

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 April 2006, 17:56 GMT]
SL President Mahinda Rajapakse bypassed Sri Lankan constitutional procedures when he took it upon himself to appoint members to the National Police Commission and the Public Service Commission, charged the Hong Kong based Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) in a statement issued on Tuesday.
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SL Army and Karuna can defeat LTTE – Defence Secy

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 April 2006, 23:03 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa told the head of the international ceasefire monitors that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) 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.
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Mannar NGO workers campaign for TRO staffers' release

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 April 2006, 11:58 GMT]
Activists of non-governmental organizations in Mannar district held a protest march in Mannar town Monday morning demanding the release of the seven abducted workers of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) at Welikanda on 30th January 2006. The Consortium of Non-Governmental Organizations in Mannar District organized the event, sources said.


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SL President pledges to end violence of Tamil armed groups - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 April 2006, 18:29 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapakse has assured the LTTE leadership, through the Norwegian facilitators, that he will do everything within his powers to implement the pledges given by the government at the first session of peace negotiations held in Geneva in February this year. The President has instructed the military authorities to take necessary action to disarm Tamil armed groups and to put an end to the violence perpetrated against the Tamil Tigers and their supporters in the government controlled areas in the northeast. The development was reported after a meeting between the Norweign Envoy Mr. Hanssen-Bauer and the Chief Negotiator of the LTTE Mr. Anton Balasingham Saturday.
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PNM demands ouster of Norway

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 April 2006, 00:10 GMT]
Patriotic National Movement (PNM), an alliance of extreme Sinhala nationalists formed and backed by the Janatha Vimukthi Permamuna (JVP), a coalition ally of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, held a protest campaign in front of the Norwegian Embassy in Ward Place, Colombo from 4.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. Friday demanding the ouster of Norway from Sri Lanka's Peace Process, civil society sources in Colombo said.
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Defence Secretary visits Jaffna, meets SLA, SLN commanders

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 April 2006, 11:30 GMT]
Secretary of Defense and Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse's brother, Gothabaya Rajapakse, arrived at Palaly airport in a special Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) aircraft Friday, and met with senior commanders of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Sri Lanka Army (SLA), sources in Jaffna said.
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JVP steps up anti-Norwegian campaign

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 April 2006, 15:32 GMT]
The Sinhala extreme nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) stepped up its campaign against Norway on Wednesday, a day before the Norwegian International Development Minister and the Norwegian Special Envoy, were scheduled to meet Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse. "The newly appointed Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer contributed to the recognition of Palestine. He is here with a similar agenda to divide the country," the Propaganda Secretary of the JVP, Wimal Weerawanse, addressing a press conference organised by the extremist Patriotic National Movement in Colombo said Wednesday. He also criticized the outgoing Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, Mr. Hagrup Haukland.
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No room for hypocrisy in implementing CFA - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 April 2006, 10:56 GMT]
Armed activities of the paramilitary groups have intensified following the first session of Geneva Talks contrary to the commitment made by the Sri Lanka Government to the February 2002 Cease Fire Agreement (CFA). Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse can no longer pay lip service to CFA after the route of the extreme Sinhala hardline forces in the local elections in the South, LTTE Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan told reporters in Kilinochchi after meeting the newly appointed Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer on Wednesday.
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Vavuniya pre-schools call for immediate release of TRO workers

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 April 2006, 12:48 GMT]
Staff, children and parents of Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala Preschools in Vavuniya marched in protest to the Government Secretariat, demanding the safety and release of the seven Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) staffers who were abducted on 29-30 January and are still missing, TRO officials in Vavuniya said. They handed over a memorandum addressedto Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse to Vavuniya Government Agent (GA), T. Sinnathamby, Tuesday morning at the Vavuniya Government Secretariat.
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"No Muslim Unit required in Sri Lanka Army”

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 April 2006, 10:57 GMT]
Saying that "no Nation’s Army in the world, defending its territorial integrity, has a particular regiment for a specific community or race," All Ceylon Moors Association, in a letter addressed to Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse said members of our "community are disinclined for the Sri Lanka Army to recruit Muslims youths to protect the Muslim community."
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Annai Poopathy, a supreme model for Tamils- Ilamparithi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 April 2006, 14:15 GMT]
"Annai Poopathy who sacrificed her life, in a fast-to-death protest in March 1988 protesting against the Indian peace keeping forces (IPKF) and supporting the Tamils liberation struggle, is an example for all Tamils to emulate. In all key events, like the local council elections, we have to tell the world that we Tamils stand determined and united in achieving our just aspirations," said S. Ilamparithi, Jaffna district head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam LTTE political wing, presiding at the 18th anniversary memorial celebration held Saturday 10 a.m, at Palai Maha Vidyalayam.


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UPFA victory should pave way for progress in peace- TNA

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 March 2006, 12:33 GMT]
"Local electoral rout of Sinhala extremist parties, the marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), and Buddhist monks party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) is a clear mandate to Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse to take immediate steps to move peace process forward. Urgently, the Unitary Constitution and rejection of concepts of Tamil Homeland should be removed from "Mahinda Chintanaya," and replaced with concepts supporting Tamils right to self-determination," said Sivajilingam, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian commenting on the unfolding local election results giving UPFA huge victory and ITAK demonstrating its support base in the East.
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Rajapakse begins Pakistan visit

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 March 2006, 22:54 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse begins his official three-day visit to Pakistan Friday. This is his second State visit since he assumed duties as President in November 2005. SL Ministers including Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Susil Premajayanth, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, Jeyaraj Fernadopulle, A.L.M Athaullah, Douglas Devananda, Abdul Risath Bathiyutheen and Cegu Issadean will accompany Rajapakse, informed sources said.
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Rajapakse casts vote, turnout less than 60%

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 March 2006, 12:15 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa cast his vote at the local Government polls at the polling centre in Medamulana D.A. Rajapaksa Maha Vidyalaya in Hambantota where his name is registered.
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Solheim and Hanssen-Bauer to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 March 2006, 13:29 GMT]
Norwegian International Development Minister Erik Solheim who met Liberation Tigers Chief Negotiator Wednesday in London, will be visiting Colombo next Thursday, according to a press release issued by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Colombo on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the newly appointed Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer will be visiting Sri Lanka on Monday 3 April on a four day visit.
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Expel Norway, demands JVP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 March 2006, 01:39 GMT]
"If Norway is not sacked immediately from the peace process, we will amass more than two hundred thousand people in a protest demonstration in front of the Norweigian Embassy," warned Wimal Weerawanse, parliamentarian and propaganda Secretary of marxist Jathika Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), at a meeting in Colombo Tuesday evening, sources said. Patriotic National Movement (PNM), an alliance of extreme Sinhala nationalists, organized the meeting at Mahaveli Centre Colombo.


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Local election opens fault lines in ruling alliance

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 March 2006, 05:20 GMT]
The ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and its key constituent, Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), are engaged in battle of words to assert electoral dominance in the forthcoming local council elections, and this combined with the recent escalation in attacks against JVP members by UPFA supporters portend dangers of creating permanent fissures in the alliance, political sources in Colombo said.
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