LTTE delegation returns from Geneva

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 March 2006, 10:55 GMT]
Members of the Liberation Tigers delegation which took part in the Geneva talks held on 22-23rd February returned to Kilinochchi at 3 p.pm. Tuesday on a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopter, media sources in Kilinochchi said. Head of LTTE Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan, Head of Tamileelam Police P Nadesan, Col Jeyam and LTTE Peace Secretariat's Ilanthirayan were flown to Kilinochchi while the other members will be taking the land route accompanied by members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) sources added.
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JVP demands expulsion of Norway from peace process

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 March 2006, 09:15 GMT]
Wimal Weerawanse, Propaganda Secretary and Parliamentary Group Leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Permuna (JVP), Sri Lanka's powerful Sinhala nationalist "marxist" party, demanded during Tuesday's parliamentary session that Norway be stripped of its facilitator role in Sri Lanka. Accusing Norway of attempting to hold on to its facilitator role for two more years to provide diplomatic status to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and assisting LTTE towards earning international recognition for its Declaration of Independence (UDI) for Tamil Eelam, the JVP's propaganda secretary demanded immediate expulsion of Norway from the peace process, parliamentary sources said.
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JHU, JVP reject Geneva agreement in All Party Conference

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 March 2006, 11:38 GMT]
Sinhala extremist parties, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), during the All Party Conference (APC) held Monday at the Old Parliamentary building in Colombo submitted separate memoranda rejecting the agreement made between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers in the talks held in Geneva on 22-23rd February, parlilamentary sources said.
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EU Election Observation Mission chief visits Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 March 2006, 06:33 GMT]
John Cushnahan, the chief of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Sri Lanka will arrive in Colombo on Monday to present the full and final report on the 2005 Presidential election. A press release issued by the EU organisation said "the report will make a number of major recommendations for strengthening the electoral process in Sri Lanka." Mr. Cushnahan will meet President Mahinda Rajapakse, the UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, and the leaders of Sri Lanka’s other main political parties.
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Tsunami affected NorthEast teachers to receive help from INGO

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 March 2006, 20:44 GMT]
Education International (EI) funded compensation scheme for NorthEast teachers affected by tsunami was inaugurated by the Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union (CTTU) in an event held Sunday in Trincomalee Vikneswara Maha Vidiyalayam, education officials said. EI has allocated 3.2 million rupees through the Sri Lanka Teachers Tsunami Rehabilitation Project for the North East for the benefit of nearly 1655 teacher-families affected by tsunami, CTTU General Secretary Mr.T.Mahasivam said.
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Vaiko, Jayalalitha form alliance

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 March 2006, 18:07 GMT]
Leader of MDMK, Vaiko, and Leader of AIADM and TamilNadu Chief Minister, Jayalalitha Jayaram, formed an alliance signing an agreement that allows Vaiko's MDMK to contest in 35 of the 234 Assembly seats in the forthcoming Assembly elections in TamilNadu, media reports from TamilNadu said.
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UPFA to choose heads of local councils after polls

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 March 2006, 01:31 GMT]
The ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has decided to declare the names of candidates for the posts of Mayor and Chairman of local authorities after UPFA captures power in the forthcoming poll on March 30. However, Mr.Vasudeva Nanayakara, veteran trade unionist and a leading member of the left movement in the island has been named as the Mayoral candidate for the Colombo Municipal Council, UPFA sources said.
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UPFA candidates urged not to criticize JHU, JVP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 March 2006, 00:14 GMT]
The ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) leadership has instructed its candidates contesting the forthcoming local council elections not to criticize the policies of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the all monks' party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), said Mr.Mathiripala Sirisena, Minister and the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the UPFA addressing a conference held recently in Colombo, sources said. "UPFA candidates should confine their electioneering to unveil their plans to develop their respective local authorities when they win," he added.
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Colombo should demonstrate CFA obligations - Thamilchelvan in Oslo

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 March 2006, 18:48 GMT]
"It is time for Colombo to prove demonstrated commitment to February 2002 Ceasefire Agreement," said LTTE's Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan, who met Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jonas Gahre in Oslo Friday. Speaking to TamilNet following his meeting with the Norwegian FM, Political Head of the LTTE expressed dismay over the controversial statements made by Sri Lanka peace delegation seeking to weaken the the Ceasefire Agreement, the sole foundation of continued peace- engagement.
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Japan provides US$185m development loan to Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 March 2006, 11:58 GMT]
Japanese Government Thursday announced a new package of loan of US$185 million (Yen 21,560m) for three projects, Galle Port Development (US$125m)), Infrastructure Development of Eastern Province (US$38m), and Tourism Resources Improvement (US$22m). This 37th yen brings the total loan provided by Japan to Sri Lanka in the last 14 months to $370m.
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Rajapakse to hold All Party Conference

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 March 2006, 11:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse is planning to hold the All Party Conference (APC), on March 6 Monday to brief the leaders of all registered political parties represented in the current parliament on the outcome of the Geneva peace talks, political sources in Colombo said. He will also brief the leaders on the matters to be discussed at the next round of talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).


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New Ambassadors present credentials to SL President

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 March 2006, 12:29 GMT]
New Ambassadors from Colombia, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, State of Palestine and Panama presented their credentials to Sri Lanka's President Mr.Mahinda Rajapaksa at Presidential Secretariat Wednesday morning, diplomatic sources in Colombo said.


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Ashraff to brief Muslim leaders on Geneva talks

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 March 2006, 10:27 GMT]
Ms Ferial Ashraff, Minister and the leader of the National Unity Alliance (NUA), one of the constituent parties in the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), is to hold a meeting with Muslim leaders this week in Colombo to decide on a plan of action to draw the focus of the Government and LTTE to the problems related to Muslim community and to include a separate delegation in the future peace talks, sources said.
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Colombo misleads public on CFA amendments- UNP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 March 2006, 03:21 GMT]
"Sri Lanka delegation to the Geneva talks has claimed that they were sucessful in amending the Cease Fire Agreement. If so the Sri Lanka Government has an obligation to disclose to the people the details of these amendments," said Colombo district parliamentarian of the United National Party (UNP), Bandula Gunawardene, in a press meet held in Colombo Wednesday.
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Sri Lanka should ignore Geneva Agreement- JHU

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 March 2006, 01:30 GMT]
"Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) has to be amended urgently. Sri Lanka Government delegation to the next round of talks in Geneva should strictly adhere to the principles promulgated in Mahinda Chintanaya," said Ven. Ellawala Medananda Thero, the leader of Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), the all monks Buddhist nationalist party, in a press meet held at the Buddhist Centre in Colombo Tuesday afternoon, sources said.
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Jaffna fishermen's woes discussed in SLN, civil society meet

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 March 2006, 00:54 GMT]
A meeting between Northern Region Commander of Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Major General Chandrasiri and a delegation of civil society members held at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Kankesanthurai command of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) to explore solutions to hardships faced by fishermen in Jaffna district, ended inconclusively, sources in Jaffna said. Maj.Gen Chandrasiri told the civil society delegation that responses will be provided within two weeks after consultations with higher authorities in Colombo.
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SL President to meet JVP, JHU separately before APC

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 March 2006, 00:31 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse is planning to meet the leaders of the Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and all monks' party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) separately before holding the All Party Conference (APC) to brief the outcome of the Geneva peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), political sources in Colombo said.
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JVP wants to win local councils before national elections

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 February 2006, 10:53 GMT]
"Mahinda Rajapakse Government has deviated from finding a solution to the conflict within the unitary constitution of Sri Lanka and our reasons for defeating the Ranil Wickremesinghe Government are not bearing any results. Mr Rajapakse has failed to fulfil the promises given to us before the Presidential elections," said Propaganda Secretary of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP and parliamentarian Mr Wimal Weerawanse addressing a rally in Kataragama, southern area in Sri Lanka in support of local council candidates of JVP Monday, political sources in Colombo said.
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Balasingham rejects Sri Lanka’s "amendment" concept as absurd

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 February 2006, 10:42 GMT]
Anton Balasingham, the chief negotiator and political strategist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), rejected outright the Sri Lanka government’s claim that the joint communiqué, issued after the Geneva talks, amounted to an amendment to the original Ceasefire Agreement. "This bizarre interpretation given by the President’s counsel, Mr H.L. De Silva is ridiculous and preposterous and totally unacceptable to the LTTE", Mr Balasingham told TamilNet when queried about the issue.
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Paramilitary operatives: ultimate victims of covert warfare?

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 February 2006, 22:41 GMT]
Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) met in Geneva Wednesday and Thursday and reconfirmed their commitment to honour and uphold the February 2002 Ceasefire Agreement (CFA). The issue of paramilitary groups figured prominently in the discussions and the GoSL delegation undertook a commitment: that no armed group or person other than its security forces will carry arms or conduct armed operations in GoSL controlled territory.
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