Jaffna to hold peace sports festival in September

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 June 2003, 10:43 GMT]
At a conference held Monday at the Jaffna district secretariat it was agreed to hold the second North-South peace sports festival in Jaffna peninsula on September 4, 5 and 6, provincial sports ministry sources said.


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Sri Lanka's main opposition lays condition for IA

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 May 2003, 16:29 GMT]
The main opposition Peoples Alliance (PA) Friday said that Tokyo donors' conference should be held as scheduled next month with the participation or non-participation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). It further said that the interim administration should be established to facilitate the implementation of the political solution reached at the peace talks now being held between the GOSL and LTTE and with certain conditions, sources in Colombo said.


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Colombo responds to LTTE's request for IA

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 May 2003, 15:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka's United National Front (UNF) government Monday responded to the request of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) that an interim administration (IA) with adequate powers to effectively handle the reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement of the war ravaged northeast province should be established before Tokyo aid summit talks begin next month, sources said. The details are being conveyed to the LTTE by Norwegian envoy, Eric Solheim, on Tuesday, sources added.


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Sampanthan writes to PM on interim administration

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 May 2003, 14:28 GMT]
The parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Mr.R.Sampanthan Monday sent a letter to the Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister urging him to act with “adequate clarity and certainty the commitment as stated in his 2001 general election manifesto that an Interim Administration will be set up for the northeast province and such a step will strengthen and consolidate the peace process.”
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Hakim leaves for Norway, Solheim arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 May 2003, 17:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader and a minister in the United National Front (UNF) Government Mr.Rauff Hakim Sunday left for Norway. Meanwhile Norwegian special envoy Mr. Erik Solheim arrived in Colombo the same day, government sources said.


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TNA briefs foreign envoys on NE interim administration

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 May 2003, 15:57 GMT]
A delegation of the Tamil National Alliance Thursday told the American Ambassador for Sri Lanka Mr.Ashely Wills the urgency in setting up of an interim administration to rebuild the war ravaged northeast province and to rehabilitate the displaced families in their villages, TNA sources said.
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TNA delegation meets LTTE leadership in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 May 2003, 14:30 GMT]
A Tamil National Alliance delegation led by its parliamentary group leader, Mr.R.Sampanthan, Tuesday held discussion with the LTTE’s political head, Mr.S.P.Thamilselvan, regarding the possibility of the resumption of peace talks with the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE.
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Valikamam north IDPs picket demanding resettlement

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 May 2003, 14:24 GMT]
Hundreds of internally displaced families of Valikamam north Tuesday held a two hour picketing campaign in front of the Jaffna district secretariat, demanding that they should be allowed to resettle in their lands occupied by the Sri Lanka Army.
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TNA delegation meets Helgessen, Wickremesinghe

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 May 2003, 00:06 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) delegation met with Norwegian deputy foreign minister Mr. Vidar Helgessen and the Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe separately Monday and held discussions regarding resumption of peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), political sources in Colombo said.
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Sri Lanka hit by worst floods in fifty years

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 May 2003, 00:39 GMT]
At least one hundred thousand families were rendered homeless and about one hundred and fifty people died in flood and earthslip following continuous torrential rain now the country is experiencing. Five districts in the down south of the island Ratnapura, Kalutara, Galle, Hambantota and Matara have been badly affected by the floods, government sources said Sunday.


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Sri Lanka's PM leaves for India amid political crisis

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 May 2003, 16:21 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe left Friday morning to Cochin in South India on a private visit while his senior peace negotiators began discussions with the Norwegian delegation led by deputy foreign minister Mr. Vidar Helgessen to explore ways to resolve the present crisis following the temporary withdrawal by the LTTE from peace talks, political sources in Colombo said.
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Sri Lanka's deepening constitutional crisis

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 May 2003, 00:19 GMT]
President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge Wednesday rejected a request made by the Prime Minister to reconsider her decision of taking over the Development Lottery Board (DLB), a subject that comes under a senior minister of the United National Front government Mr.Milinda Morogoda, political sources in Colombo said.
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Peace snag said rooted in Sri Lanka's constitution

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 May 2003, 00:02 GMT]
Norwegian Foreign Minister Mr. Jan Peterson accompanied by his deputy Mr. Vidar Helgessen Wednesday morning arrived in Colombo to hold crucial talks with the leaders of the government and LTTE to in a bid to restart Sri Lanka’s stalled peace talks. Japan and Norway are keen that the LTTE take part in crucial aid conference next month in Tokyo. The Tigers, however, say Colombo should first establish legally operable bodies and procedures to ensure a direct say for Tamils over the utilization of funds pledged by donors for reconstructing the war torn northeast.
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US diplomat cancels Trincomalee visit

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 May 2003, 14:27 GMT]
The Assistant Secretary of State in the US government Ms Christina Rocca cancelled her visit to Trincomalee due to inclement weather, diplomatic sources said. On her two-day visit to Sri Lanka, Ms. Rocca was scheduled to visit Trincomalee Tuesday to hold talks with Sri Lanka navy officials in the east port town in addition to a luncheon discussion with selected leading citizens of the area at a tourist resort in Nilaveli, sources said.


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Kumaratunge acted contrary to constitution - Peiris

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 May 2003, 13:55 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s United National Front government Tuesday said the taking over of the Development Lottery Board that comes under a minister in the UNF cabinet by President Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge is contrary to the constitution of Sri Lanka.
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Chandrika strips lottery board admin responsibility from Morogoda

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 May 2003, 00:49 GMT]
President Chandrika Kumaratunge Friday took over responsibility for the administration of the National Development Lottery Board that functioned under the Minister of Economic Reforms, Science and Technology Mr.Milinda Morogoda, a senior Minister in the United National Front (UNF) government using the executive power vested on her by the presidency, sources said.


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Colombo to take positive steps to resume talks with LTTE-Peiris

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 May 2003, 16:37 GMT]
Sri Lanka's cabinet spokesman, Minister G.L.Peiris, said Thursday that the Sri Lanka government is in the process of taking positive steps to accelerate the resettlement of internally displaced and to strengthen the function of the Subcommittee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs(SIHRN) in an attempt to bring the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam back to the negotiating table.


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SLA will relocate 152 military units in NE - Marapone

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 May 2003, 16:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka's defence minister Mr.Tilak Marapone Wednesday said his government has decided to relocate about one hundred fifty two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) units in the northeast province and the relocation would take place in a manner that will not endanger the national security of the country, sources said.


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Peace facilitators strive to restart peace talks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 May 2003, 02:57 GMT]
The political advisor of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Mr.Anton Balasingham arrived Killinochchi Monday via Katunayake international airport after having discussions with Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Vidar Helgessen in Colombo Monday morning, diplomatic sources said.
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Peace talks, security situation to be debated in parliament

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 May 2003, 18:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe is to make a special statement on the peace talks and the current security situation of the country in parliament on May 6. A full debate on PM's statement will be followed thereafter, parliamentary sources said.
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