SLFP to begin work on manifesto

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 October 2005, 00:28 GMT]
The Central Committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Friday appointed a nine-member committee to draft the manifesto for the presidential election at a tensed meeting presided by Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge held at the Presidential House Friday, political sources said. The Manifesto has to be ratified by the Central Committee before it is officially released.
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Thousands attend Jaffna Pongu Thamil rally, seek Army withdrawal

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 September 2005, 14:51 GMT]
An estimated two hundred thousand people attended the Tamil Resurgence celebrations in Jaffna Friday at Jaffna University Grounds, calling for the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to vacate the Tamil homeland and declaring that the Tamils right to self-determination is non-negotiable. Speakers at the rally said the event recognizes the Vavuniya proclamation and condemned the one-sided punitive measures taken by the European Union against the Liberation Tigers.
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US defers Sri Lanka's $40m debt repayment, freeing tsunami funds

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 September 2005, 10:41 GMT]
U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Lunstead and Sri Lankan Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera signed an agreement Friday allowing 2005 funds previously allocated for debt payments, for a total value of $40m, to be used for relief and reconstruction activities in tsunami affected areas, a press release issued by the US embassy in Colombo said, Friday.


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EU Declaration shatters peace hopes - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 September 2005, 09:18 GMT]
Warning that the European Union's declaration will be interpreted by Colombo as providing tacit support to its policies and therefore will likely harden Colombo's views and approach to the peace process, Political Head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, S. P. Thamilchelvan, told TamilNet Wednesday that the announced restriction on receiving LTTE delegations in EU countries, has ruined the trust Tamil people had in the EU, and has caused irreparable damage to prospects for peace.
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Court blocks CID investigation into Rajapakse bank account

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 September 2005, 02:18 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Wednesday issued interim order preventing the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police from conducting investigation into the "Helping Hambantota" Bank Account, legal sources in Colombo said. The Chief Justice made the order when the Fundamental Rights Violation Application filed by Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse, Prime Minister and ruling party presidential candidate came up for inquiry.
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Man reported missing in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 17:32 GMT]
A 30-years-old man, Mr. Karuppaiah Sasikumar, a resident of Kommanthurai, Chenkalady, was reported missing since 22nd of September, sources in Batticaloa said. On Tuesday Sasikumar's parents received a call from persons claiming to belong to the paramilitary Karuna Group who informed the family that the victim was shot and killed by them Friday around 6:30 p.m. and that the body had been buried.
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Tamil businessman kidnapped in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 17:24 GMT]
A 35-years-old Tamil businessman from Vavuniya, Mr. Thirukumar Kalimuthu, 35, who was visiting Colombo on business has been abducted from a lodge on Colombo Dam street. Four unidentified person who entered the lodge Wednesday evening around 2:00 p.m. kidnapped the victim, occupants at the lodge said.
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TNA MPs meet Japanese envoy

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 17:09 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Mr. R.Sampanthan and Mr. Joseph Pararajasingam told the Japanese envoy in Colombo, Mr Akio Suda, Tuesday that International Community must play an unbiased role in advancing the the Sri Lankan peace process and expressed their concern over the stalled peace process between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government, sources in Colombo said.
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India to train Sri Lanka Police

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 12:37 GMT]
Government of India is to spend nearly US$450,000 in training up to 400 Sri Lanka police officers in the areas of crime investigation including cyber crimes and bank frauds, a press release issued by the Sri Lanka Information department Tuesday said.
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UNP will oppose submission of budget before polls

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 10:35 GMT]
The General Secretary of the Opposition United National Party (UNP) Tissa Attanayake has said Monday that his party would strongly oppose the attempt by the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) party to present the annual budget of this year to the Sri Lanka Parliament on the first week of November, political sources in Colombo said.
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Hakim meets EU representatives, raises security issues

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 10:26 GMT]
Leader of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) party, Rauf Hakim, held discussions with the European Union's resident representative in Sri Lanka Walter Wilton at his residence in Colombo Tuesday and has expressed his fears on the security of the minority party leaders during the forthcoming Presidential polls, party sources in Colombo said.
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Retired Commanders denounce JVP Leader's call to disband Security Forces

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 00:52 GMT]
Retired commanders of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces, General S.C.Ranatunge, Air Vice Marshal Harry Gunatilake, Lt.General Dennis Perera and General Hamilton Wanasinghe, Monday in a signed press release condemned the statement made by Mr.Somawanse Amerasinghe, leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) directing the Prime Minister Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse to disband the government security forces no sooner he is elected Executive President of Sri Lanka if the security forces are unable to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.
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Norway grants 23,9 million rupees to Muslim Peace Secretariat

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 September 2005, 08:40 GMT]
The Norwegian government has granted 23,9 million Rupees in support to The Peace Secretariat for Muslims (PSM), according to a press release issued by the Norwegian Embassy in Colombo Monday. The PSM will facilitate dialogue and build consensus among Muslim political parties and interest groups, in order to develop a co-ordinated position for Muslims as input to the implementation of the cease-fire agreement and in future peace negotiations, added the press release.
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Democratic Freedom of Expression under threat in Jaffna - Gajendran MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 September 2005, 08:27 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance Member of Parliament, Mr Selvarajah Gajendran has raised alarm at the detention of a university student and has protested to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission at the "intimidating tactics" of the Sri Lankan armed forces in Jaffna. Arrest of a Jaffna University student, Friday morning, at the "Crossings” at Muhamalai, sparked off a protest by student community. Gajendran MP and hundreds of students from the University of Jaffna rushed to the spot, freed the student and protested to the SLMM officials supervising the activities at the check-point.
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Expect a new war – newspaper

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 September 2005, 02:06 GMT]
Political events in Sri Lanka are overtaking the international efforts to create a lasting peace and it is only a matter of time before the island’s ascending Sinhala nationalist forces trigger a new war, the Tamil Guardian newspaper argued in its editorial this week. “If Sri Lanka is so preoccupied by dubious questions of [LTTE gaining] legitimacy that it is prepared to allow the disintegration of the ceasefire, what hope is there for negotiations on a political solution?” the English language Diaspora publication asked.


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Colombo lacks will, ability to address Tamil National question- TNA

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 September 2005, 01:42 GMT]
Tamil people will be forced to urge the International community to "explicitely endorse the Tamil people's struggle for self-determination," if the Sri Lankan State continues to be intransigent in resolving the Tamil National question, warned Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in a press release issued in Colombo Thursday.
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Tamil youth found dead at Colombo lodge

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 18:42 GMT]
Dead body of Mr. Vivekanandarajah Kandasamy, a 23-years-old Tamil youth from Akkaraipattu in Amparai district, was recovered by Pettah Police from a lodge in Colombo Wednesday evening.
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"Emergency Laws: Death-knell to co-existence" – Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 17:23 GMT]
"The government must end the emergency rule, if it wishes peace to prevail in the country," insisted Mr. R. Sampanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group Wednesday, during the debate in parliament on extending the Emergency Regulations. Sri Lanka Parliament approved the extension of State emergency for another month. It won the approval of 118 members, while 24 voted against.
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Debate on extending State of Emergency begins in SL Parliament

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 08:08 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament began a one day debate Wednesday morning on extending the State of Emergency in the island for another month. The Sri Lankan Government declared State of Emergency on August 13 following the killing of its Foreign Minister Mr.Lakshman Kadirgamar allegedly by a sniper. The parliament convened later to approve the declaration with the support of the ruling party, JVP, JHU, UNP, CWC and NUA, parliamentary sources said.
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Rajapakse, JVP kick off joint election campaign

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 September 2005, 19:26 GMT]
Sri Lanka's premier Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse nominated as the SLFP presidential candidate vowed Tuesday to thwart all attempts by opposing parties with "vested interest" to defeat him in the forthcoming SL presidential polls on November 17. Mr. Rajapakse was addressing his first presidential election rally in Colombo Town Hall ground attended by representatives of political parties extending support to Mr. Rajapakse, including the Sinhala extremist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). However, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) key figures including Mr. Ratnasiri Wickremanayake were absent.
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