Buddhist monks burn Norwegian flag

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 December 2002, 00:22 GMT]
National Bhikkhu Front (Jathika Sanga Sammelanaya- JSS), a Sinhala nationalist organisation of monks with branches in all the Sinhala majority districts of the island and a close ally of the marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) held a demonstration opposite Royal Norwegian Embassy in Colombo demanding the expulsion of Oslo's envoy to Sri Lanka, Mr. Jon Westborg, sources in Colombo said.


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Minister urges UNP-PA to work together for peace

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 December 2002, 17:36 GMT]
Minister of Fisheries, Mr.Mahinda Wijesekara, addressing a seminar Sunday at Devinuwara, a town in deep South, appealed to the United National Front (UNF) government and the main opposition People's Alliance ( PA ) to bury their differences and work together to find a lasting political solution to the ethnic conflict.
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CID commences inquiry into alleged plot to kill President

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 December 2002, 18:20 GMT]
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Wednesday launched a full probe into a news report carried by a Sinhala weekly that a leading politician of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the main opposition People’s Alliance is behind a plot to assassinate President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge, legal sources said.
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'Our choice is between Prosperity and War'- Ranil

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 December 2002, 00:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said that the country has entered a critical stage and people of Sri Lanka have to choose between prosperity and war while addressing the forty eighth annual general meeting of the United National Party (UNP), the main constituent of the United National Front (UNF) government Saturday at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo.
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SLFP questions UNF approach to peace

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 December 2002, 14:29 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) the main constituent of the Sri Lanka opposition the People's Alliance (PA), demanded in a press release that the ruling United National Front (UNF) government should explain to Sri Lankan people different concepts and terms included in the Oslo statement which embodied the agreement between Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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SLMC Leader Rauff Hakim asserts his position

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 December 2002, 14:04 GMT]
"I am still the leader of the Muslims and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress," declared Minister Mr.Rauff Hakim Tuesday at a hurriedly arranged press conference held at party headquarters Darussalam in Colombo on his return from Oslo. Mr.Hakim identified the present situation in the SLMC "as an act of opportunist conspiracy to change the balance of power in parliament."
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Children in Armed Conflict and the United Nations

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 November 2002, 03:21 GMT]
It is estimated that 300,000 children are currently participating in fighting in more than 35 countries. 25 million are uprooted from their homes, while millions more have their lives severely affected by the deprivations of war. Dealing with 'impact of war on children' is high on United Nation's agenda, with an annual Security Council debate, several resolutions addressing the problem and an office of the Secretary General devoted to the topic. Sri Lanka does not figure prominently in the deliberations of the UN, but the outcome of UN decisions has been felt in Sri Lanka.
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PM's meeting with TNA, EPDP, and PLOTE fail to reach consensus

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 November 2002, 16:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe Friday evening held a one hour discussion with delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the leaders of the para military Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) and the Peoples Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) to diffuse the tension now prevails in the Jaffna peninsula following picketing campaign against EPDP presence in Neduntheivu.
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Secretariat formed to manage NE development

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 November 2002, 17:46 GMT]
Setting up of a Secretariat to manage the rehabilitation and development to start functioning on 15 December was discussed at the first meeting of the Sub-Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs of North East (SIHRN) comprising delegations of the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held Monday, 18 November, at the Killinochchi District Secretariat auditorium.
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UNF government briefs Chandrika on Thailand peace talks

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 November 2002, 21:37 GMT]
A senior minister in the United National Front government Friday briefed President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge on the outcome of the second session of the first round of Thailand peace talks. The Presidential Secretariat later confirmed the meeting between President and Minister Milinda Morogoda through a media release.
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Assessing progress of Chemmani investigations

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 November 2002, 18:42 GMT]
Amnesty International said in 1997 that as many as 600 people who "disappeared" in the Jaffna peninsula after the Sri Lankan Army moved into the area in 1996, "died under torture or been deliberately killed." A soldier involved in the crimes alleged that Chemmani was where bodies of those disappeared were clandestinely buried. However, the Chemmani mass grave investigation has become a victim of the judicial limbo common in Sri Lanka when powerful interests are implicated. Ethnic politics and the fallout of an active war have also contributed to the lack of forward movement in the case.
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'Second round peace talks on firm foundation'- Peiris

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 October 2002, 14:33 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government Friday said a firm foundation has been laid for the second round of peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. A Sri Lanka Army Major General will be among the three advisors to the government delegation for the talks scheduled to commence on October 31 at Thailand.
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'Absence of war is not peace'- Chandrika

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 October 2002, 10:32 GMT]
President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge Thursday in her televised speech said that the country is in turmoil although the government is doing maximum possible to implement its part of the ceasefire agreement signed by the Prime Minister and the LTTE leader. She reminded that the absence of war is not peace. She said one party is violating the agreement and that addressing the core issues to the conflict must be made part of the agenda for talks.
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Opposition holds rally in Nugegoda

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 October 2002, 01:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and other constituent parties of People Alliance (PA) today held a public rally in the Nugegoda Juntion, protesting against the United National Front Government (UNF) and to celebrate the rejection by the Supreme Court of the 19th Amendement through which the UNF sought to clip the powers of President Chandrika Kumaratunge.
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SLFP to oppose nineteenth amendment

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 September 2002, 22:10 GMT]
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the main constituent of the chief opposition People’s Alliance (PA) Monday decided to oppose the nineteenth constitutional amendment brought by the United National Front (UNF) government to restrict the presidential powers in dissolving the parliament. "Disciplinary action will be taken against SLFP parliamentarians who speak in favour of nineteenth amendment to the constitution," said former Minister Mangala Samaraweera, parliamentary whip of the SLFP Monday in a press release.
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Constitutional amendment in parliament on September 19

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 September 2002, 20:46 GMT]
The United National Front government Friday said it would table the nineteenth constitutional amendment bill in parliament on September 19. "The debate on the bill which was gazetted last Wednesday midnight will take place in parliament during the second week of October," Constitutional Affairs Minister Professor G.L.Peiris said Friday at a press briefing.
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19th constitutional amendment gazetted

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 September 2002, 05:22 GMT]
The United National Front government Wednesday midnight gazetted its nineteenth constitutional amendment, restricting the powers of the Executive President in dissolving parliament after the completion of one year of its existence. The gazette notification was issued after Cabinet approved the draft bill of the 19th amendment last night, ruling party sources said.
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19th amendment will strengthen parliament- PM

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 September 2002, 15:52 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe Wednesday said that the nineteenth constitutional amendment has the sole objective of strengthening parliament and not to curtail powers of any individual. "The nineteenth amendment will be passed in parliament before the presentation of 2003 budget," said Mr.Wickremasinghe addressing the government parliamentary group meeting Wednesday at the parliamentary complex.
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PA to oppose 19th constitutional amendment

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 September 2002, 18:54 GMT]
The parliamentry group of the Sri Lanka’s main opposition People’s Alliance (PA) Friday decided to oppose the nineteenth constitutional amendment which is to be moved by the United National Front government, restricting the presidential powers to dissolve parliament. However, two leading PA parliamentarians and former ministers Mr.A.H.M.Fowzie and Mr. Richard Pathirana were the notable absentees at the meeting, party sources said.
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TNA tells Chandrika to shun JVP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 September 2002, 19:28 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance Thursday said that President Chandrika Kumaratunge should not take any decisions regarding the peace process on the guidance of the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).”Instead it is essential for her to take decisions in the interests of the country and of finding a permanent and just solution to the ethnic conflict,” said Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the TNA parliamentary group in a statement issued Thursday, welcoming the de-proscription of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
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