Sri Lanka peace talks a travelling circus says President

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2003, 00:05 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga said Tuesday that the peace talks between Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government and the Liberation Tigers are like a travelling circus (Thaninthana natana circus kandayama). She was addressing a function at the President’s House Tuesday evening to honour and assist disabled soldiers and the families of the war dead and missing of the Sri Lankan armed forces.


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'Tamil voters' fundamental rights violated' -- Supreme Court

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 March 2003, 20:15 GMT]
The Supreme Court Tuesday held that the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and the Commissioner of Elections had violated the fundamental rights of the voters in the LTTE held areas of the North-East province by preventing them from casting their votes at the last general elections held in December 2001, legal sources said.
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Japan deepens Sri Lanka peace role

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 March 2003, 11:55 GMT]
Along with hosting the sixth round of direct talks between the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lankan government, Japan this week signaled its determination to play a leading role in bringing peace to the strife-torn island when one of its top diplomats joined Norwegian officials at the negotiating table. Japan’s deepening involvement in the peace process was this week welcomed by the Liberation Tigers.
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Chandrika Kumaratunge meets Muslim delegation

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 March 2003, 11:28 GMT]
The President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge held a two-hour discussion Thursday afternoon at presidential Secretariat with a delegation of Muslim parliamentarians on representation to Muslims in the peace talks now in progress between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The talks were conducted in a cordial atmosphere, Muslim sources said.
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Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister holds talks with LTTE leaders

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 March 2003, 03:13 GMT]
Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Vidar Helgesen met with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Political head, S.P. Thamilchelvan, and Anton Balasingham, LTTE theoretician and leader of LTTE peace delegation, Thursday afternoon at Killinochchi, sources said.


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Norway's Deputy FM holds talks with LTTE leaders

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 March 2003, 12:10 GMT]
Talks between the Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Vidar Helgessen and the leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam began Thursday afternoon at Killinochchi, sources said.


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Protesters in Jaffna burn effigies, condemn Manipay attack

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 February 2003, 17:24 GMT]
Protest demonstrations were held Friday condemning the attack on LTTE women cadres, members of public and journalists at Manipay by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA), aided by members of the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP). Effigies of President Chandrika Kumaratunge and the Jaffna area commander of the SLA, Major General Sarath Fonseka, were taken in processions and burnt down in Jaffna town, Udupiddy junction, Malisanthai junction and Methaikadai junction, sources said.
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Japanese special peace envoy meets Buddhist prelates

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 February 2003, 06:50 GMT]
The Japanese special peace envoy Mr. Yasusi Akashi arrived Colombo Wednesday early morning on a four-day visit. He immediately rushed to Kandy, capital of the central province and held vital discussions with the Mahanayake Theras of Malwatte Chapter Venerable Vipassi and Venerable Palipane Buddharakita Thera, sources said.
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France to send constitutional experts to Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 February 2003, 19:00 GMT]
French foreign minister Dr.Renaud Muselier Wednesday said the people of Jaffna expect a political solution to their conflict with internal self-determination. French minister said this at media briefing Wednesday before leaving Colombo after a three-day visit to Sri Lanka.
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French foreign minister to visit Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 February 2003, 16:54 GMT]
French Foreign Minister Dr. Renaud Muselier Monday met President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge and held a wide ranging discussions on several topics including the present peace process which has completed six rounds of talks towards finding negotiated political settlement for the ethnic conflict, sources said.
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'Peace talks enter crucial stage'- Ranil

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 January 2003, 17:52 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe Friday said in parliament that the peace talks between his government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has entered a crucial stage. Concluding the debate in parliament on his presentation during the aid conference in Oslo, he said his government would not allow the peace talks to be derailed at any cost.


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UNICEF-LTTE agree to work to uplift war affected children

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 January 2003, 17:33 GMT]
The UNICEF and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Friday agreed to work together for the welfare of the war affected children in the northeast after a meeting in Kilinochichi lasting nearly two hours between the UNICEF Executive Director, Ms Carol Bellamy, and LTTE political head Mr.S.P.Thamilselvan, sources said.
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GOSL, LTTE and WB to meet again in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 January 2003, 23:38 GMT]
The delegations of the Government of Sri Lanka, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and World Bank are scheduled to meet Thursday (30.1.2003) in Colombo to hold discussions related to the funds pledged at the donor conference in Oslo, Norway last year. Minister and Cabinet spokesman Professor G.L.Peiris informed this at a press briefing held Wednesday.
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Sri Lanka's PM briefs Chandrika on peace talks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 January 2003, 18:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe Tuesday briefed President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge about the progress of the fourth round peace talks held in Thailand. Minister Mr.Milinda Morogoda associated with the Prime Minister in the talks, government sources said.
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Opposition leader supports UNF-LTTE peace talks

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 January 2003, 13:29 GMT]
Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse, Leader of the Opposition Monday said in Jaffna that he would not oppose the present peace talks now being held between the United National Front government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), sources in Jaffna said. On his first official visit to Jaffna as the leader of the opposition Mr Mahinda Rajapakse declared open the Hindu Vedic Teaching School constructed by the Ministry of Hindu Cultural Affairs.


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Pirapaharan welcomes Japanese envoy, President cancels meeting

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 January 2003, 12:07 GMT]
Leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Velupillai Pirapaharan, sent his greetings through LTTE's political head, ThamilChelvan, to the visiting World bank Vice president, Ms Meiko Nishimizu, Special peace envoy of the Government of Japan, Mr.Yasushi Akashi, World Bank Country Director Mr. Peter Harold and other delegates to the meeting of the Sub Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation (SIHRN) which met in Kilinochchi, Voice of Tigers (VoT), reported in its late night broadcast yesterday.


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Akashi in Sri Lanka to promote peace building

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 January 2003, 11:52 GMT]
Mr. Yasuka Akashi, the Representative of the Government of Japan, is in Sri Lanka from the 15th to 19th to continue his mission of peace building, rehabilitation and reconstruction in Sri Lanka, a press release from the Embassy of Japan said. Mr. Akashi will visit Kilinochi, Matara and Hambantota during his visit and will attend the meeting of Sub-Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN)
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PA parliamentary group meets after Ranil-Chandrika talks

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 January 2003, 19:39 GMT]
President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge convened an urgent meeting of the parliamentary group of the main opposition Peoples Alliance (PA) Saturday afternoon following a discussion between her and the Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe held Friday at the Presidential Secretariat. "The President will consult the United National Front (UNF) government before making any public statement on the peace process," said a statement issued by the Presidential media unit Sunday.
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'Sri Lanka is at a crucial stage' - PM

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 January 2003, 17:50 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe Sunday in his evening address to people of Sri Lanka said, "arguments over security matters should not be allowed to derail the momentum of the peace negotiation. The country has entered a stage that would decide the future of Sri Lanka."
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President meets JVP to discuss security

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 December 2002, 19:25 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge met with a group of JVP members led by Wimal Weerawansa, the party's propaganda secretary, and held a lengthy discussion at the presidential secretariat today, sources said.
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