Sri Lanka's Rights violations dominate TNA's European talks

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 August 2007, 18:57 GMT]
Senior members of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) after concluding their month long visit to European capitals to meet with top Government officials, said in a press release issued Wednesday, that the meetings focussed on the "horrendous human rights situation" in Sri Lanka, the "retrogressive movement in regard to the political process," and the Sri Lanka Government's attempt to "impose a military solution" to the Tamil National conflict.
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Black July emblematic of Sinhala rule - paper

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 July 2007, 05:38 GMT]
In nearly a quarter century of conflict since the state-sponsored anti-Tamil riots of July 1983, despite the tens of thousands of lives that have been lost in the conflict, “there has not been an iota of change in the Sinhala leadership’s thinking – nor, for that matter, in the sentiments of the international community [on the ethnic question],” the Tamil Guardian newspaper argued in its editorial this week. Comparing the regimes of Presidents Junius Jayawardene, Chandrika Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapakse, the paper contends: “Black July is not just a historical event. Rather, it is an emblematic act of Sinhala rule."
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Japan's aid not conducive to peace in Sri Lanka - Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 July 2007, 19:38 GMT]
R. Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), has said that the decision by Sri Lanka's major donor country Japan, to continue economic aid to Sri Lanka, will soften the International pressure on the SL government to seek a political solution and strengthen Colombo to pursue the military option. Pointing out Sri Lanka President's categorical statement that there would be no change in his policy on a "unitary structure of a government" with the "district as the unit of devolution," Mr. Sampanthan dismissed the efforts of All Party Representatives Committee (APRC) as "no more than a mere pretense" to show some action is being taken towards political solution.
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SLFP political package, not of APRC - Tissa Vitarane

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 April 2007, 09:45 GMT]
The proposed devolution proposals to be submitted by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) will not be of the United Peoples' Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government or of the All Party Representative Council (APRC). Devolution proposals would be submitted by SLFP, said Tissa Vitarane, Chairman of the APRC. Mr. Vitarane's comment came in the wake of reports that the SLFP, main constituent of the UPFA is to submit its political proposals to the APRC during the first week of May. APRC would formulate a political package based on recommendations submitted by all political parties, he added.
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‘Mahinda Chinthana’ to be basis for government’s proposal

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 April 2007, 23:41 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s government will present its devolution proposals on May 1, the ruling SLFP’s General Secretary and Agriculture Minister, Maithripala Sirisena, was quoted by state media as saying Friday. The government’s proposals will be based on Mahinda Chinthana, the hardline Sinhala nationalist manifesto on which President Mahinda Rajapakse was elected in November 2005, the Daily News quoted him as saying. “Mahinda Chinthana accepts the devolution of power within one country and the proposals will be entirely based on Mahinda Chinthana and formulated within Mahinda Chinthana,” Mr. Sirisena said.


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SL parliament begins debate on extending State of Emergency

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 April 2007, 09:53 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Thursday morning tabled a motion seeking its approval for the extension of the State of Emergency for another month. Speaking on the motion Mr.Joseph Michael Perera, chief Whip of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) announced that his party has decided abstain from voting when the Speaker called for division, parliamentary sources said.


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Panchayat Raj brought back in Rajapakse deliberations

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 April 2007, 16:38 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa, while on his visit to the 14th SAARC Summit being held at New Delhi had discussions with Mr. Mani Shanakar Ayyar, Indian Central Government Minister on Panchayat Raj system Sunday at the Maurya Sheraton Hotel in New Delhi, a press release from the Presidential office said. In October 2006, when the inclusion of the Indian third tier administrative model was first brought up and touted as “ray of hope” to solve Sri Lanka’s “domestic problems,” Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian dismissed the concept saying "It is foolish to think Panchayat scheme will satisfy Tamil people."
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US responds to LTTE airstrike

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 April 2007, 08:37 GMT]
Asked for the United States’ reaction to the LTTE airstrike on the military airbase at Katunayake last Monday, the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Robert O’ Blake said: “The LTTE’s successful deployment of an offensive air capability is a matter of great concern.” He told Sri Lanka’s state-owned Daily News: “We do not believe there can be a military solution to this conflict. Rather, both sides should cease hostilities so talks can take place on a negotiated settlement.” He also said that the US “does not perceive a specific threat to our citizens who intend to travel to the tourist areas.”
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UNP, LSSP oppose referendum move to scrap CFA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 April 2007, 16:49 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) and Chairman of the All Party Representatives Council (APRC) Tissa Vitarane have voiced their opposition for the proposal to hold a referendum to nullify the ceasefire agreement (CFA) signed by Ranil Wickremasinghe, the then Prime Minister and Velupillai Pirapaharan, Leader of the LTTE on 22 February 2002, media sources said.


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JVP boycott of APRC helps LTTE- Vitarane

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 April 2007, 00:19 GMT]
Science and Technology Minister Tissa Vitarane, chairman of the All Party Representatives' Committee (APRC) appointed by Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse in June 2006 to work out a political package to find a lasting political solution, said Saturday that the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) is helping the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by not participating and submitting its political proposals to the APRC to solve the ethnic conflict.


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JHU decides against submitting proposal to APRC

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 February 2007, 21:25 GMT]
Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), all monks' party said Monday that it will not table its proposals to the All Party Representatives Committee (APRC) to find a political solution to the ethnic conflict, political sources in Colombo said. JHU reasoned that Mahinda Chinthanaya mandates a solution on the basis of unitary concept of constitution and therefore no alternate proposals are necessary.
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UNP demands SLFP to finalize political proposal

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 February 2007, 22:21 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) Tuesday told the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government to table its political package to solve the ethnic conflict before March 15. "UNP will not participate in the All Party Representatives Committee (APRC) or its advisory panel if the SLFP fails to do so within the time frame," a UNP spokesman told media persons in Colombo.
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Remove Tissa Vitarane from cabinet- JVP

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 February 2007, 11:51 GMT]
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), marxist, extreme Sinhala nationalist party, said Minister Tissa Vitarane who advocates devolution of power contrary to the provisions in the "Mahinda Chinthanaya" should be removed from the cabinet first if Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse is sincere in preserving law and order, media sources in Colombo said.
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UNP decides to boycott APRC

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 February 2007, 16:20 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) has decided not to participate in the future deliberations of the All Parties Representatives Committee (APRC). This APRC was appointed by the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse last year to work out a common programme reaching consensus among southern political parties to find a political solution to the Tamil national question through peaceful means.
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US urges south to form basis for renewed talks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 January 2007, 12:57 GMT]
"Attacks that deliberately target civilians are clear acts of terrorism," said US Embassy in a press statement Tuesday, condemning the attacks on civilian buses and stated that the "on going violence in Vakarai" has caused significant hardship to civilians. The US has urged the SLFP, UNP and the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) to "accelerate their concentration of the power sharing proposal" that can form the basis for renewed peace talks.
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UNP to submit fifth proposal to APRC

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 January 2007, 17:57 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) is expected to submit its own political proposals to the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) when it meets on January 8 in the parliamentary complex, political source in Colombo said. This is in response to a decision taken by the Experts Committee of the APRC on Thursday to stop all further discussions on its recommendations until all political parties participating in the APRC submit their political proposals to end the ethnic conflict.
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UNP to attend next APRC-Wickremasinghe

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 December 2006, 13:14 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) is expected to attend the next meeting of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC), which is scheduled to meet in the second week of January, Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, leader of the UNP, said Friday.


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Wickremasinghe to brief Rajapakse on US visit

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 December 2006, 07:17 GMT]
Ranil Wickremasinghe, the leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP), returned to Sri Lanka Sunday after a week's visit to United States of America (USA) at the latter's invitation, sources in Colombo said. During his stay in Washington he held discussions with Political Affairs Secretary, Nicholas Burns, Assistant Secretary of Central and South Asian Affairs of the US government, Richard Boucher, and former US Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, regarding the current political and security situation in Sri Lanka.
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Leaked Expert panel's reports trigger controversy

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 December 2006, 13:19 GMT]
The 17-member panel of "Legal/Constitutional Experts" tasked by Sri Lanka' president Mahinda Rajapakse to aid the sub committee on Constitutional Reforms to formulate proposals for constitutional changes, in June 2006, failed to agree to produce a single set of recommendations, and instead produced four separate, competing reports which were leaked to the media. The exercise widely believed by the Tamils and noted Think-tanks in Colombo, as a project by Colombo to buy time while engaginng in military offensives in the East, has triggered controversy in ruling circles, as Colombo attempted to distance itself from recommendations in the main reports.
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APRC to continue without JVP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 December 2006, 10:58 GMT]
All Parties Representative Committee (APRC) would continue to meet to formulate a political consensus in finding a solution to the ethnic conflict. The withdrawal of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) would not deter the functioning of the APRC, said Minister Tissa Vitarane, Chairman of the APRC Wednesday.
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