Northern Muslims support talks based on ISGA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 September 2004, 11:41 GMT]
"Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge should take immediate steps to commence peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the basis of the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposals submitted by the LTTE," said Moulavi. M.Subiyan, Secretary of the Association to Protect Rights of Northern Muslims, when TamilNet asked him to comment on the current peace stalemate. M.Subiyan is also the President of Killinochchi District Muslims' Secretariat.
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TNA MPs meet Swiss Ambassador

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 September 2004, 10:35 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Foreign Affairs Committee which met with Swiss Ambassodor to Sri Lanka, Mr. Bernadino Regazzoni, at the Switzerland Embassy in Colombo Friday expressed their concern on the reluctance shown by the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government to take steps to restart the peace talks, and urged the ambassador to exert pressure on the Government of Sri Lanka to actively seek ways to resume talks.
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Abrogate CFA if you want war, JVP told

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 September 2004, 10:32 GMT]
"You embarked on a loose, infantile armed struggle and butchered thousands if youth, and you have now come here praising virtues of democracy. The Tigers are fighting for the rights of their people. If it is not for the CeaseFire Agreement (CFA) Sri Lanka would have been destroyed by now," said UNP MP for Puttalam District, Mr. Ekanayake, speaking in Parliament Friday on the adjournment motion presented by Trincomalee District JVP MP, Jayantha Wijesekera, parliamentary sources said. The motion condemned the abduction of two Homeguards by the LTTE and demanded their release.
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TNA criticizes SL President's UN speech

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 September 2004, 01:11 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunge's speech at the United Nations General Assembly "does not reflect true factual position...We urge the President to refrain from making rhetorical statements and focus on resolute action that would enable the recommencement of talks and meaningful consensus-building that would ensure the success of the negotiations," said parliamentarians from Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in a press statement released Thursday.
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UNP says planning first step to topple Kumaratunge govt

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 September 2004, 13:08 GMT]
The United National Party (UNP) will hold a mass demonstration in Colombo on September 24, Friday, to protest against the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government. UNP MPs Mr. Gamini Lokuge and Dr. Rajitha Senaratne told a press conference in Colombo Tuesday, that the protest would be the first step to topple the UPFA Government, which has not fulfilled its promises to the people.
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New IGP to assume office

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 September 2004, 02:10 GMT]
Inspector Chandra Fernando will assume duties as the 29th new Inspector General of Police (IGP) before 30 September if his nomination to the IGP post is approved by the Constitutional Council, security sources in Colombo said.
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$700/day nightly comfort for SL team to UN- paper

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 September 2004, 11:55 GMT]
"Sri Lanka delegation to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) sessions is billed to stay at the most famous five-star luxury hotel in the city - the Waldorf Astoria," in New York costing Sri Lankan tax payers room rates ranging from $370 to $700, Sunday Times, a weekly broadsheet in Colombo reported in its Sunday edition.
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Solheim meets Sri Lanka's Opposition Leader

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 September 2004, 03:10 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Erik Solheim met with the Opposition Leader and former Prime Minister, Mr.Ranil Wickremesinghe, at the latter's official residence Friday evening, on the eve of his departure after a five day stay in Sri Lanka, sources said.
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Sri Lanka President welcomes Norway's role

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 September 2004, 17:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunge welcomed Norway's role in the peace process and accused the LTTE of ''indecision over commencement of talks,'' in a press release issued today after discussions with Norwegian Peace Envoy, Eric Solheim at the President's House in Colombo.
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ISGA must form basis for talks- UNP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 September 2004, 14:44 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) Thursday reiterated its stand that the future talks between the United People Freedom Alliance (UPFA) the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) should commence on the basis of the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA), said UNP's media spokesman and former minister Professor G.L.Peiris addressing a press briefing in Colombo.
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Solheim to meet Thamilchelvan Thursday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 September 2004, 17:52 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Erik Solheim is scheduled to meet Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan, Political Head of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Thursday morning at 10 a.m. in the Killinochchi Peace Secretariat, sources said
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Solheim meets Government Peace Secretariat Head

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 September 2004, 16:18 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Eric Solheim Tuesday held wide range of discussion with Dr.Jayantha Dhanapala, Secretary General of the Peace Secretariat of the Government of Sri Lanka regarding the prospects of resuming peace talks between the GOSL and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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Norwegian peace envoy arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 September 2004, 04:45 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Eric Solheim arrived in Colombo Monday evening on a five-day visit to hold talks with the leaders of Government of Sri Lanka and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) with the aim to a make a headway in the resumption of stalled peace talks, political sources said.
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"Weakening LTTE, main aim of SL Govt"- Balakumaran

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 September 2004, 13:57 GMT]
"Absolutely nothing fundamental has changed on the ground. There can be absence of war, there can be prospects of peace talks, or involvement of the International community, or there can be press releases issued by Chandrika Kumaratunge. But, precious little has changed in the feelings or nationalistic thinking of our people. War has not ended yet," said K.V.Balakumaran, a Senior Leader of the Liberation Tigers, in an interview with the Sydney Tamil Radio Thamil Muzhakkam's "Mannin Mainthargal" program during his recent visit to European countries.
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TNA MPs meet Canadian Ambassador

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 September 2004, 10:44 GMT]
Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Senior parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Kajendran, Ms.Pathmini Sithamparanathan and Selvam Adaikalanathan met with Candian Ambassador Valerie Raymond at the Canadian High Commission in Colombo Friday morning to discuss matters related to Interim Administration Authority Proposals (ISGA), diplomatic sources in Colombo said.
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UNP urges UPFA government to commence peace talks

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 September 2004, 19:52 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) Thursday appealed to the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government to commence peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as it has gained majority in the parliament.
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JVP bent on inflaming the South against ISGA- paper

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 September 2004, 10:41 GMT]
"Even though Sri Lanka's President Ms. Kumaratunge has cautioned the UPFA Ministers and parliamentarians not to air any views on the question of Interim Administration in public, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a minority partner in the UPFA government, is openly defying the request. JVP MP and General Secretary, Wimal Weerawansa, stated the very next day that the JVP would continue to oppose any discussions with the LTTE based on the latter's ISGA proposals," said Thinakural, a popular Tamil daily, in its editorial Wednesday.
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25% of NE Provincial Council vacancies not filled

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 September 2004, 10:43 GMT]
More than one-fourth, about 18,666 vacancies are not filled in the the North East Provincial Council (NEPC), which administers eight districts of the province, Jaffna Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara. Out of 60,034 officially approved positions in 2000 only 41,368 have been filled, sources said.


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TNA urges President to commence talks with LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 September 2004, 08:00 GMT]
“The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) would strongly urge the Government to commence talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) without delay, on the basis of the Interim Self-Governing Authority proposals of the LTTE. and thereby implement the position enunciated by the President on 10 June, when she met the TNA delegation”, said Mr.R.Sampanthan, TNA parliamentary group leader in a statement made in the parliament Tuesday morning.
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Jaffna undergrads want President's portrait removed from university

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 August 2004, 16:27 GMT]
Arts Faculty Students Union (AFSU) in the Jaffna University Wednesday decided to request the Vice Chancellor to remove the photograph of the Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge from the university common hall as a protest to the occupation of civilian houses and agricultural lands in several parts of the peninsula by the Sri Lanka Army, sources said.
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