JVP protesters march in thousands against Co-Chairs, Norway

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 October 2006, 21:55 GMT]
Thousands of Sinahala nationalist protesters marched against Co-Chairs involvement and Norwegian facilitation in the Sri Lankan peace process Wednesday evening in Colombo. The Sinhala nationalist party, the JVP, launched the protest campaign under a coalition named "Joint Front for Protection of Nation" that comprised 12 pro JVP trade unions, University Students Association and National Bhikku Front.
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Claymore mine recovered in Wellawatte

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 October 2006, 12:01 GMT]
A Claymore mine found along a road in Wellawatte area in Colombo was recovered Wednesday morning. The Police rushed to the site on receipt of information and recovered the Claymore mine concealed in a heap of rubbish on one side of the road, military sources said in Colombo.
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SLAF Kfir jets bomb Vadamaradchi East

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 October 2006, 04:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir bombers flew over Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled Kudarappu in Vadamaradchi East and dropped at least nine bombs in the area around 9:15 a.m. Wednesday. Four Tsunami reconstructed houses were destroyed in the bombardment, according to residents.
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IPU Secretary General to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 October 2006, 03:17 GMT]
A delegation from the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU), a worldwide organization of parliamentarians working for peace and co-operation, led by its Secretary General Mr.Anders B.Johnsson, is to arrive Wednesday in Colombo following an invitation by President Mahinda Rajapakse, poitical sources in Colombo said. The IPU delegation will assist in helping to forge national consensus in among political parties in Sri Lanka in resolving the ethnic question, sources said.
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SLFP, UNP hold third round of talks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 October 2006, 11:30 GMT]
Third round of talks between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) were held in the Jayewardenepura parliamentary complex Tuesday morning, political sources in Colombo said. Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake led the SLFP delegation and Karu Jayasuriya, Deputy Leader of UNP led the UNP team.
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TNA continues sit-in-protest in Sri Lanka's parliament

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 October 2006, 11:27 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians continued their sit-in-protest in the well of the Sri Lanka's parliament Tuesday for the fourth day demanding the immediate lifting of economic embargo on the Jaffna peninsula, and the re-opening of the A-9 landroute to Jaffna. Normal business of the parliament was conducted without any interruption, parliamentary sources in Colombo said.
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SLAF bombs Vanni as Special Envoy meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 October 2006, 11:07 GMT]
Three Kfir jet bombers of Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) flew over Vanni and attacked Pooneryn as Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer met the Liberation Tigers Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan in Kilinochchi to discuss the modalities for creating a conducive environment for talks, LTTE sources in Kilinochchi said. Mr. Thamilchelvan told media after the meeting that Colombo was continuously engaged in "offensive aggression," despite the assurances given to the Norwegian facilitators following the call by the Co-Chairs to cease all violence. Tigers were still extending support to unconditional talks as urged by the International Community, the LTTE political head told TamilNet.
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JVP to protest, calls for ouster of Norway

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 October 2006, 03:33 GMT]
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), marxist coalition partner of ruling alliance, is to hold a protest rally Wednesday 4:00 p.m. calling for the ouster of Norway from Sri Lanka's peace process, and demanding the Government of Sri Lanka to withdraw from the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA), political sources from Colombo said.
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12 Tamils arrested in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 October 2006, 02:55 GMT]
Twelve Tamils were arrested in Colombo suburbs of Dehiwela, Bambalapitya, and Colpetty during a search conducted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and Sri Lanka Police Monday afternoon lasting four hours, sources in Colombo said.
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Norwegian special envoy meets GoSL

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 October 2006, 09:53 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Jon Hanssen Bauer who is in Colombo on a four-day visit Monday morning met with Minister Nimal Sripala de Silva who led the government delegation that attended the Geneva peace talks held in February in Geneva under the direction of President Mahinda Rajapakse. The discussion which lasted for half an hour between them centred on taking forward the peace process between the warring parties.
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Norwegian peace envoy arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 October 2006, 17:43 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Jon Hanssen Bauer arrived in Colombo accompanied by Norwegian foreign ministry officials Sunday afternoon by Sri Lankan Airlines flight, sources in Colombo said.
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IPU assistance sought to forge consensus between SLFP, UNP

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 October 2006, 12:10 GMT]
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), a worldwide organization of parliamentarians working for peace and co-operation with its Secretariat based in Geneva, has been invited to assist in forging a consensus among political parties in the south, especially between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government and the main opposition United National Party (UNP), said Mr.Mahinda Samarasinghe, Disaster Manager Minister to the press in Colombo Sunday.
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Former RAW chief protests India’s ‘ambivalence’ over LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 October 2006, 11:41 GMT]
India’s former spy chief has criticised Delhi for not engaging with the both the Liberation Tigers and Sri Lanka’s government to prevent the slide into conflict. "India's inability to fully comprehend the ground realities in Sri Lanka and, hamstrung by the past, its reluctance to do business with LTTE to help evolve an equitable settlement may prove to be a monumental foreign policy blunder,” J.K. Sinha, former head of India’s external intelligence agency said.
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Sea-mines recovered in Kalpity coast

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 October 2006, 11:38 GMT]
Two sea- mines, each weighing 20 kg., were recovered from the coastal area Kandakuli in Kalpity division in Chilaw district Sunday morning. These sea-mines were reportedly washed ashore on the beach, military sources said in Colombo quoting Kalpity Police.
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SLA ban on building materials to Vaharai stays- Basil Rajapakse

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 September 2006, 17:00 GMT]
Basil Rajapakse, brother and Senior Advisor to Sri Lanka's President Mr Mahinda Rajapakse, informed a delegation of Batticaloa District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians that no building materials can be transported into LTTE-held Vaharai area north of Batticaloa until further notice, during a meeting held at the office the Srilankan President Friday at 11.00 a.m., sources in Colombo said.
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JVP told not to interfere with SLFP-UNP talks

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 September 2006, 14:04 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) Saturday appealed to the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a Marxist, Sinhala Nationalist party, not to interfere with the progress made by the two main political parties UNP and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), in reaching a consensus in solving the ethnic crisis, sources said.


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3 men abducted in Colombo, killed in Valaichchenai, 1 decapitated

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 September 2006, 12:49 GMT]
Three Tamil men who were abducted in Colombo Wednesday, were found shot and knifed to death in Valaichchenai, 30 km north of Batticaloa, Thursday night. One of the victims was decapitated, two shot and killed Thursday night around 11:30 p.m. The decapitated man, a former cadre of the paramilitary group EPDP, had left the group two years ago, opposing the activities of the group. A white-van squad had visited the families of the victims earlier in the day.
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Colombo said considering alternate land route to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 September 2006, 19:56 GMT]
Anura Priyadharsana Yapa, Minister of Media and Information, said Thursday the Sri Lanka Government is considering an alternate land route for Jaffna district instead of re-opening the A9 highway which is closed after fighting broke out in August between the government troops and the LTTE. However Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Thursday announced that its parliamentarians would continue their sit-in-protest in Sri Lanka's parliament until the government re-opens the A9 highway and lifts the economic embargo on Northeast.
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131 individuals slain in Jaffna in 2 months

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 September 2006, 15:02 GMT]
Jaffna office of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC), in a report submitted to it's Colombo Head office this week said 131 individuals have fallen victims for individual killings apart from the deaths caused by shelling and other acts of war. The SLHRC report listed, 87 residents as forcibly disappeared in the months of August and September, 50 in August and 37 until Monday this week. 44 Tamil civilians have been reported missing after arrest by the Sri Lankan armed forces in the months of August and September in Jaffna district.
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Problems faced by Jaffna population after A9 landroute closure discussed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 September 2006, 13:05 GMT]
Current acute problems facing the population of the Jaffna district since the closure of A9 landroute were came in for scrutiny at a conference held Wednesday morning at Kadduvan in Palaly High Security Zone in the peninsula. Major General Chandrasekara, Jaffna Military Commanding Officer presided and attended by a team of government high officials sent from Colombo. K.Ganesh, Jaffna Government Agent and heads of government departments in the district also participated. Government officials serving in the district were taken to Kadduvan in covered vehicles and were subjected to severe checks.
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