EU missions in jeopardy, if Colombo ignores recommendations- Cushnahan

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 October 2005, 11:37 GMT]
Mr John Cushnahan, head of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Sri Lanka warned Friday if the Sri Lankan government did not implement its recommendations it had made during its three previous missions to Sri Lanka, the EU is likely to reject any future requests from Sri Lanka for election observation, during a packed press conference in Trans Asia Hotel in Colombo.


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Maharouf appointed NEPC Agriculture Secretary

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 October 2005, 23:33 GMT]
Mr. A.R.M.Maharouf, an experienced agronomist and Director at Socio-Economics and Planning Centre (SEPC), was appointed Secretary to the North East Provincial Ministry of Agriculture and Land with effect from October 26 by North East Provincial Governor Mr.Tyronne Fernando, at an event held at the provincial secretariat in Trincomalee town Wednesday evening.
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SLBC news director assaulted by chairman's security guards

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 October 2005, 18:05 GMT]
The Free Media Movement (FMM) on Thursday condemned the physical assault on Mr. Raja Katugampola, news director of the state-controlled Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), by the SLBC chairman's private security guards. The assault took place Wednesday in the chairman's office. Mr. Katugampola was later admitted to the National Hospital in Colombo.
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Dhammaloka Thera extends support to Wickremasinghe

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 October 2005, 15:20 GMT]
Venerable Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera, the former General Secretary of the Sinhala extremist Buddhist Monks party opposed to the Cease Fire Agreement and the Post-Tsunami Jonit Mechanism deal, has extended his personal support as an independent parliamentarian to the Sri Lankan opposition leader and the presidential candidate, Mr. Ranil Wickramsinghe Thursday. Dhammaloka Thera said that he has signed an agreement of 13 proposals with Wickremesinghe on safeguarding the state religion Buddhism, and addressing to several key issues in the country. He informed about his decision to support Wickramsinghe at a press briefing held at the J. R. Jeyawardene Centre in Colombo.
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Wickremasinghe challenges Rajapakse on CFA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 October 2005, 00:16 GMT]
Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, United National Party presidential candidate challenged his rival Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse to cancel the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) by giving fifteen days' notice to the Norwegian government instead of accusing him (Ranil) for signing the CFA. Mr Wickremasinghe issued the challenge when he addressed an election rally in Elpitiya, south of Colombo Tuesday evening, sources said.
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Gopi released, Court denies protection

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 October 2005, 00:01 GMT]
Ms Sarojini Kusala Weerawardene, Colombo Chief Magistrate Wednesday ordered the release of Mr.Kathiramalai Vaitheehan alias Gopi alias Veerapandiyan who was remanded on reports from the Jaffna police that he was involved in the abduction and murder of Mr. Charles Wijewardene, Jaffna Senior Superintendent of Police, at Inuvil in Jaffna district on 4th August 2005, legal sources said.
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European Commission to monitor SL presidential poll

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 October 2005, 17:06 GMT]
Following an invitation from the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) the European Commission is sending a European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission (EOM) for the presidential election scheduled to take place on November 17th. The EU EOM will be led by Mr.John Cushnahan, member of the European parliament, said a press release of the EU.


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Media speculation on cause of UAV crash rebuffed

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 October 2005, 00:05 GMT]
Media reports that the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) belonging to Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) that came down in Vanni on 19 October was downed either by radar-guided gun or by an air-borne attack by the Liberation Tigers were mere speculations not backed up by concrete evidence, experts contacted by TamilNet said. A Virginia (US) based science journalist who covers UAV developments, rebuffed a report that quoted a Sri Lanka Air Force official as saying: "engine failure, generator failure and communications failure warning messages appearing simultaneously at Ground control indicated sudden destruction of the UAV caused by enemy action."
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CTTU to meet Education Secretary, postpones strike

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 October 2005, 11:08 GMT]
The Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union (CTTU) Sunday announced that it has postponed the strike scheduled to commence on Monday 24 October as Dr. Tara de Mel, Secretary of Education, has agreed to meet a four member CTTU delegation at the Colombo Education Ministry on Wednesday 26th October, CTTU General Secretary Mr.T.Mahasivam said.
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ITRO warns peace building disrupted by smears, attacks

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 October 2005, 11:37 GMT]
The International Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (ITRO) has written to Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga protesting her government’s role in a propaganda campaign against its organisation and physical intimidation of its aid workers.
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Sri Lankan UAV comes down in Vanni

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 October 2005, 10:01 GMT]
An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) launched from the Joseph camp in Vavuniya for surveillance mission into the Liberation Tigers controlled area has come down in Vanni Wednesday afternoon, sources in Kilinochchi said. A UAV was seen coming down in Vignanikulam between 9th Mile and Karappukuththi, around 20 km northeast of Omanthai, according to civilian sources in Vanni. Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) sources in Colombo also confirmed that an UAV was missing.
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Rajapakse manifesto released

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 October 2005, 10:52 GMT]
Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse, presidential candidate of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) released his manifesto at an event held in the BMICH at an event held Tuesday morning in the Bandaranaike International Memorial Conference Hall (BMICH). The manifesto said that an ultimate solution to the ethnic crisis could only be reached through negotiations and not through war and that a settlement based on a unitary state is the basis to the ethnic crisis.


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Policeman shot dead in Puttalam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 October 2005, 06:24 GMT]
Two motorbike-riding gunmen, stopped by the Sri Lankan police Monday night at a checkpoint in Puttalam, shot and killed a police constable and escaped leaving behind their motorbike 50 meters away from the ckeckpoint. The incident took place in front of a Mariyamman temple on Puttalam -Mannar road around 8:00 p.m. Monday.
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Armed men enter Colombo weekly press, set fire, warn employees

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 October 2005, 07:47 GMT]
A group of seven unidentified men, armed with batons and swords, entered the printing press of the English weekly, the Sunday Leader, published from Colombo at around 8:00 p.m. on Sunday and threatened the employees. The intruders set fire to bundles of papers. The editor of the weekly Mr. Lasantha Wickramathunga said that the manger of the press was assaulted was warned of dire consequences if he continued to print the paper. The Sunday Leader has been a critical voice towards the governments in Colombo from the time the paper started publication in the mid 90s.
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33,000 monitors to be on duty on SL presidential poll day

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 October 2005, 06:09 GMT]
About 33 000 international and local monitors are to be deployed on the presidential election day in all parts of the Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, the Centre For Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) is holding discussion with the Department of Election to request international monitors of SAARC countries, sources said.
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"Tin bomb" diffused in Colombo

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 October 2005, 08:08 GMT]
A "tin bomb" was discovered and diffused by the Sri Lanka Army soldiers on Ferguson Road, Colombo-15, Sunday morning, police said. The detonator of the bomb, with a 50 meters long wire, was disconnected by the bomb squad of the Sri Lanka Army, relocated to Modera beach and exploded. The incident took place around 8:30 a.m. Sunday.


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Military and LTTE in ‘subversive war’ – Oslo envoy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 October 2005, 14:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s military and the Liberation Tigers are locked in a ‘subversive war,’ visiting Norwegian envoy Major Gen. (retd) Trond Furuhovde said Friday, calling on both sides to exercise restraint.


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Monitors should adopt a pro-active role, says LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 October 2005, 08:53 GMT]
In a letter addressed to the Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Mr. Hagrup Haukland on Friday, LTTE's Political Head Mr. Thamilchelvan alluded that the Scandinavian cease fire monitors in the island should adopt a proactive role by intervening in matters that pose serious challenges to the mandate vested with the role of the SLMM. Accusing Colombo and the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for operating with a "political agenda" to disrupt the Cease Fire Agreement and the peace process at large, the letter referred to the recent attacks on the LTTE in the east and the spate of killings of Tamil academics in Jaffna.
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Court orders final police report on Sivaram murder

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 October 2005, 10:48 GMT]
Ms Champa Janaki Rajaratne, Kaduwela Magistrate Tuesday directed the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) of the Sri Lanka Police to submit full report on the investigation held into the murder of popular Journalist and senior editor at TamilNet, Mr Dharmaretnam Sivaram, with out any excuse on the next date, October 25. The only suspect Mr. Sriskandarajah arrested in connection with the murder was not brought to courts Tuesday when the case was taken for further inquiry, legal sources said.
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Sniper-rifle, ammunition found under bridge in Chilaw

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 October 2005, 12:56 GMT]
Police in Chilaw recovered a parcel containing sniper rifle, several other arms and ammunition under a bridge in the Maha Oya area around 8:30 am Monday after receiving a tip-off from a civilian, police sources said.
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