Clinton urges Sri Lankan political parties to support Joint Mechanism

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 May 2005, 18:34 GMT]
Meeting the local and foreign media personnel in Colombo at the end of his tightly-scheduled two-day visit, Clinton said that he fully backs the proposed Joint Mechanism‚ as it could also lead to peace and reconciliation. Former US President Bill Clinton, who is also the UN special envoy for co-ordinating tsunami rebuilding process, on Saturday urged the political parties in the South to extend their support for the establishment of such a mechanism "to build a common future for everyone". Appreciating the ceasefire which is continuing for the past three years, Clinton said that Norway was facilitating and all the Sri Lankans should support the peace process.
Full story >>

Clinton visits Kalmunai to inspect tsunami reconstruction

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 May 2005, 06:48 GMT]
Former US President Bill Clinton arrived in Sri Lanka on Friday in a special aircraft from India to inspect the tsunami reconstruction process in his capacity as the UN Special envoy for tsunami reconstruction. On Saturday morning, Mr. Clinton flew to Kalmunai in the Eastern Batticaloa district to personally inspect the reconstruction activities and is expected to meet the community leaders there, sources from Kalmunai said.
Full story >>

JVP proposals ‘do not reflect ground realities’

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 May 2005, 10:46 GMT]
The ultra-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Perumana (JVP)’s proposals for an alternative to a joint mechanism with the Liberation Tigers to distributed international tsunami-related aid were not acceptable to Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga, as they did not reflect the ground realities in the Northeast, the Daily Mirror reported Friday.
Full story >>

India to refit Navy flagship at no cost

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 May 2005, 21:06 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) said an Indian naval delegation consisting of top engineers and architects is visiting the island to discuss the refitting of the SLN flagship ‘Sayura.’ The ship is to be refitted in a naval dockyard in India, the SLN said.
Full story >>

Attorney General to join Trinco fray

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 May 2005, 20:57 GMT]
The support of the Attorney General should be sought by the Special Commissioner of the Trincomalee Urban Council (UC) to implement a court order to temporarily remove a controversial Buddha statue and other unlawful religious structures in the eastern port town, officials decided Wednesday. The reason for the AG’s involvement was not clear, sources said.
Full story >>

Sri Lanka blames ‘outside forces, extremists’ for Trinco tension

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 May 2005, 20:46 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government Wednesday expressed its concern over the tense situation in Trincomalee due to the controversial Buddha statue and stated that it is “committed to arriving at a solution that would be just and fair by all concerned and in conformity of the law.” The government blamed “outside forces” and “extremist elements” for the tension.
Full story >>

Security beefed up as Trinco prepares for Vesak celebrations

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 May 2005, 16:23 GMT]
The Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples' Forum (TDTPF) suspended the Hartal (General shutdown) as Trincomalee town Sunday struggled towards normalcy after tension-filled five days triggered by the erection of controversial Buddha statue. As Trincomalee residents await the final decision from Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge on the statue removal issue, the temporary normaly facilitates the Buddhists in the east port town to observe Vesak celebration Monday and Tuesday in a peaceful atmosphere, sources said.
Full story >>

Blackmail curbed JVP’s fervour - paper

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 May 2005, 14:02 GMT]
The abrupt climb down by the Janatha Vimukthi Perumana (JVP) over its threat to exit President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s coalition government if it signed a joint mechanism with the Tamil Tigers was prompted by unofficial threats of JVP leaders being arrested on the basis of recently gathered evidence about their activities, The Sunday Leader newspaper said this week.
Full story >>

Sri Lanka’s commanders report on Trinco

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 May 2005, 13:16 GMT]
Senior commanders of Sri Lanka’s security forces met Sunday with President Chandrika Kumaratunga to discuss the communal tension in Trincomalee, officials said. The Defense Secretary, the three Service Commanders and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) had visited the Trincomalee district Saturday at the request of the President and briefed her on the civil unrest there.
Full story >>

Trinco hartal suspended pending President's decision

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 May 2005, 13:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge will make a decision on the demand to remove the controversial Buddha statue which was erected overnight on May 15 in a land close to the Trincomalee bus stand and used for parking three wheelers, said Major General (retd) Asoka Jayawardene, Defence Ministry Secretary at the conclusion of four hours of discussions he held with several representatives of civil groups in the Sri Lanka naval headquarters located inside Trincomalee Dockyard, sources said.
Full story >>

JVP again blasts joint mechanism, JHU warns - paper

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 May 2005, 14:55 GMT]
The Janatha Vimukthi Perumana (JVP) strongly and totally rejected the joint mechanism between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE - charging it would be unconstitutional, undemocratic and create chaos not only in the country but in the whole South Asian region, the Daily Mirror reported. The hardline monks party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), has “vowed to do everything possible to stop the government from signing the joint mechanism,” the paper said.
Full story >>

Sri Lanka's President invites JVP, CWC for talks

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 May 2005, 12:12 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga has invited two members of her ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) - the Janatha Vimukthi Perumana (JVP) and Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) - for talks at her official residence Thursday, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported. The meeting comes as the JVP seemed to back away from its confrontationist course with President Kumaratunga on thedonor-backed notion of sharing aid with the LTTE and amid speculation the matter had created a rift within the Marxist-cum-ultranationalist party.
Full story >>

Has Kumaratunga tamed the JVP?

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 May 2005, 23:30 GMT]
Piqued by President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s criticism of its vehement opposition to sharing aid with the Liberation Tigers, yet wary of being portrayed as the prime obstacle to desperately needed international assistance, the ultra-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Perumana (JVP) Wednesday put a brave face on its humiliation Monday. In a stark departure from its trademark fiery rhetoric, the Marxist party’s politburo was muted, conciliatory and almost philosophical.


Full story >>

Balasingham urges action on aid

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 May 2005, 16:37 GMT]
Norwegian diplomats met on Wednesday with the Liberation Tigers’ Chief Negotiator and political advisor, Mr. Anton Balasingham, to discuss current developments in Oslo’s peace initiative in Sri Lanka, sources close to the LTTE in London said. Mr. Balasingham had welcomed the donor community’s commitment to a joint mechanism between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE for aid distribution, but called for an agreement to be finalised and signed, they said.
Full story >>

SL parliament to hold one-day debate on peace process

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 May 2005, 15:59 GMT]
Leaders of political parties represented in Sri Lanka's parliament, during a meetging held Monday in the Speaker's Chamber,decided to hold a full day debate on the stalled peace process on Friday on a request made by Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), parliamentary sources in Colombo said. Mr.Sampanthan will open the debate.


Full story >>

Donors pledge $3bn, push peace process

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 May 2005, 16:19 GMT]
International donors wrapped up a key conference for Sri Lanka pledging $3bn in aid, but stressing the importance of progress in resolving the island’s protracted ethnic conflict to pave the way for its disbursement, press reports and officials said. The onus is on Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who has promised donors she would overcome Sinhala nationalist opposition to negotiate and sign a joint mechanism with the LTTE, to deliver. But amid escalating Sinhala right wing pressure, Tamil optimism is tempered by deep sceptism
Full story >>

Donors meet in Kandy

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 May 2005, 11:44 GMT]
International donors met Monday at a key conference to discuss post-tsunami and post-conflict assistance for Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan Development Forum (SLDF), meeting in central hill country town of Kandy will deliberate for two days.
Full story >>

Commitment to shed political divisions, prerequisite for peace- NPC

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 May 2005, 16:52 GMT]
Commenting on the forthcoming donor forum meeting in Kandy, National Peace Council (NPC), in a press release issued in Colombo Sunday said, "...there is little the donor community could do for us in ensuring recovery from the tsunami, long term sustainable economic growth and a political solution to the ethnic conflict in the absence of internal commitment to shedding political divisions in rebuilding the country for the common good."
Full story >>

Lack of normalcy eclipsed by joint mechanism debate - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 May 2005, 13:26 GMT]
The serious lack of normalcy in the Tamil areas due to continuing military occupation and restrictions on civilians’ livelihoods, even three years after the mutual ceasefire agreement was signed, is leading to severe frustrations amongst the people, the head of the Liberation Tiger’s political wing, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan told Norwegian diplomats Friday. The extraordinary focus on a post-tsunami aid management mechanism is masking the severity of the obstructions to rehabilitation work and the day-to-day difficulties faced by ordinary people, Mr. Thamilchelvan told Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Hans Brattskar, when they met in Kilinochchi.
Full story >>

Joint Mechanism concerns linger as Donor Group readies for Kandy meet

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 May 2005, 17:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka Development Forum (SLDF), the aid review meeting where multilateral lenders and officials Sri Lanka Government meet to firm up on aid pledges, "will focus on the post-tsunami recovery and reconstruction process and the overall method and development strategies of Sri Lanka," said Dr.Sarath Amunugama, Minister of Finance and Planning in the invitation to participants to the Forum. Leaders of political parties represented in parliament have also been invited for the inaugural session, which is to be held on May 16 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Full story >>