JVP: party on the path to power- Taraki

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 June 2005, 09:49 GMT]
In an Opinion column that appeared in Colombo weekly, Midweek Mirror of Wednesday, January 15, 1998, popular journalist and military analyst, late Dharmaretnam Sivaram wrote on the rising popularity of the Sinhala Nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) among the masses of Sinhala South and of JVP's imminent rise to be a strong contender as a ruling party in the democratic electoral politics of Sri Lanka. This feature reproduces the full text of the article.
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Civil group fights against Upper Kotmale Hydro Project

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 June 2005, 05:10 GMT]
Mr E Thambiah, an opponent of the Upper Kotmale hydropower scheme and organizer of People's Campaign Against Upper Kotmale Project (PCAUKP), a countrywide grassroots organization with members from all communities, recently spoke to TamilNet on the reasons for their campaign to stop the project. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), however, believes that the project is necessary to fuel economic growth of Sri Lanka.
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Gurunagar mourns its two youths, observes Hartal

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 June 2005, 17:16 GMT]
General shut down was observed Saturday in Gurunagar, a coastal suburb of the Jaffna town condemning the killing of two youths of the area Mr.Francis Renecial (25) and his cousin Mr.Devadas Emmanuel (26) in Colombo near Ponnambalavanes- warar Temple on June 5th by unidentified men. Gurunagar residents and relatives of the dead demanded a judicial inquiry into the killings.
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ICRC briefs press on post-tsunami effort

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 June 2005, 16:33 GMT]
Mr.Patrick Walder, Head of Sub-delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that during the last several months the ICRC been been working with tsunami victims and affected families, and has considerably increased its presence in the Trincomalee district. ICRC has also been implementing humanitarian assistance programme for tsunami victims, he said briefing the Trincomalee based media persons Wednesday at the Sri Shanmuga Boy's Home located along the Inner Harbour Road, Trincomalee.


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Monks march against Joint Mechanism

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 June 2005, 12:38 GMT]
More than 500 monks belonging to extreme nationalist Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), party members and JHU parliamentarians held a protest campaign against the Joint Mechanism (JM) Friday evening at 4pm, sources in Colombo said. The protesters started the campaign near the Colombo Viharamahadevi park and marched through Maradana, and Pettah, and stopped in front of Sri Lanka President's house shouting slogans against the Joint Mechanism proposal before continuing their march.
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India to cooperate on defence, invest in energy, medical sectors

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 June 2005, 11:21 GMT]
Noting the excellent state of bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka and the closer integration of the two economies, a joint press release issued in Colombo Friday after the 6th session of the Sri Lanka-India Joint Commission said that a Joint Working Group of Fisheries will be established and announced that India will extend its credit line, invest in power and energy sectors and offer defence assistance.
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Sri Lanka will accept India's Air Defence System- Kadirgamar

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 June 2005, 10:41 GMT]
"[India's Air Defence system] is very much under discussion. We will accept it. We are looking into means how it could be done," said Minister Kadirgamar at the joint press briefing at the Foreign Ministry office in Colombo Friday. Mr Natwar Singh, India's Foreign Minister concurred "Defence cooperation agreement is in the process of being finalised, we are going through some procedures." Senior Foreign Ministry officials of both countries were present at the briefing which was held soon after the 6th session of the Sri Lanka -India Joint Commission in Colombo.
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JVP issues ultimatum for coalition break-up

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 June 2005, 05:53 GMT]
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the main political ally of ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government, informed on Friday at a press conference in Colombo that it will leave the UPFA coalition on 16th of June unless President Chandrika Kumaratunga gives up the idea of signing a Joint Mechanism with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) before June 15th midnight. The announcement was made by the JVP leader, Mr Somavanse Amarasinghe at Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in Colombo. The JVP has 39 seats in the 225-seat Parliament of Sri Lanka.
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Japanese students hold Sivaram memorial

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 June 2005, 00:06 GMT]
Students at a Tokyo university where Tamil political columnist and military analyst Dharmeratnam Sivaram was scheduled to speak shortly before he was abducted and murdered by unidentified gunmen in Colombo on April 28 held a memorial Tuesday this week.
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Buddhist High Priests issue ultimatum for abrogating JM

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 June 2005, 17:56 GMT]
High priests (Mahanayaka Theras) of all four Buddhist Chapters of Maha Sangha gave a 24-hour ultimatum to Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunge to make a clear statement on whether she intends to abrogate the Joint Mechanism proposal, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), an extremist party of Buddhist monks said in a press release issued Thursday night in Colombo, sources said. Buddhist prelates who reach the position of Mahanayake Theras play a vital role in the thinking of the Government in power.
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Indian FM Natwar Singh arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 June 2005, 13:22 GMT]
Mr. K.Natwar Singh, Indian External Affairs Minister, arrived in Colombo Thursday evening to attend the sixth session of the Indo-Sri Lanka Joint Commission scheduled to begin Friday. He told the press at the airport on his arrival that diplomatic relations between India and Sri Lanka will play a vital role in strengthening regional peace and stability.
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Civilian killed in gunfire at Chenkalady market

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 June 2005, 08:08 GMT]
A 40 year old civilian, Mr. Thadchanamoorthy Karunamoorthy, was killed on the spot as Sri Lankan Army soldiers returned fire on gunmen who shot at an EPDP cadre Thursday morning around 10.30 AM, according to eyewitnesses in Chenkalady market. The EPDP cadre, Mr. Tharmaratnam Elamaran Ravi, 30, who was in-charge of the Chenkalady EPDP office, and an SLA corporal Mr. Piremathilake, 35, were wounded in the attack by the gunmen.
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Japanese Minister to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 June 2005, 13:58 GMT]
Japanese Senior Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ichiro Aisawa, is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka for bilateral talks and to discuss post-tsuanmi relief matters, said a press release from Embassy of Japan, issued in Colombo Wednesday.
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Indian External Affairs Minister to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 June 2005, 13:51 GMT]
Mr. K. Natwar Singh, the External Affairs Minister of India will lead his country's delegation to the 6th session of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission. He will arrive in Colombo on Thursday, 9 June, the Srilankan Government Information Department said in a press release, Wednesday.
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Bikkhu Front begins fast in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 June 2005, 09:53 GMT]
National Bhikku Front (NBF) Wednesday morning started a fast unto death campaign in front of Fort Railway Station, Colombo, protesting against the signing of Joint Mechanism proposal between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The proposal spells out administrative and funds disbursement arrangement for rehabilitation and reconstruction of tsunami destroyed coastal areas in the Northeast province.


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Archaeologists enter Omanthai statue dispute

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 June 2005, 18:08 GMT]
The controversy over the Buddha statue installed by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in the historic Pillaiyar Temple premises in Omanthai, a strategic point located at the southern border of LTTE held Vanni region, took a perplexing turn when a group of three archaeologists visited the site on the direction of Sri Lanka government authorities in Colombo to investigate "archaeological findings" in the area. The group was given police protection, sources said.


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Samaraweera resigns from Media Minister post

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 June 2005, 14:46 GMT]
Mr.Mangala Samaraweera Tuesday gave up his Media Ministry portfolio, but continued to remain as Minister of Ports and Aviation, political sources in Colombo said. Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge has accepted Mr.Samaraweera's resignation sent on Tuesday, ruling party sources said.
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Japanese diplomacy boosts JVP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 June 2005, 14:27 GMT]
Leaders of Sri Lanka’s ultra-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Perumana (JVP) wound up a ten day visit to Japan last week, having had a strong of meetings with top officials, former prime ministers and no less than four conferences with Yasushi Akashi, Japan’s Peace Envoy to Sri Lanka, sources said. JVP leader Somawanse Amarasinghe and his delegation were invited to Japan with a view to persuading them to cease their resistance to the internationally-backed peace process in Sri Lanka, but, the diplomatic initiative failed, as the party remains adamantly opposed to the joint mechanism, the sources said.
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Colombo's transport refusal endangers CFA- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 June 2005, 08:52 GMT]
"Serious crisis has developed over Sri Lanka Government's continuing refusal to provide travel security to our military commanders across Government controlled areas forcing us to plan our own armed escort. We have pointed out to the Norwegian facilitators to urgently seek the response from Colombo on this matter. Failure to resolve this issue will call into question the continued observation of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA)," said Thamilchelvan in a press briefing to reporters in Kilinochchi, after meeting with Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar and Mr. Wagn Winkel, acting Head of the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Kilinochchi Tuesday morning.
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JHU MPs fast against Joint Mechanism

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 June 2005, 16:24 GMT]
Monks belonging to Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), ultra-Sinhala nationalist party of Buddhist monks, began fast unto death in front of the historic Dalada Maligawa in the hill town of Kandy, demanding the government of Sri Lanka to reject signing the Joint Mechanism, the proposed agreement with the Liberation Tigers regarding the rehabilitation and reconstruction of tsunami destroyed coastal areas in the Northeast province, sources in Kandy said.
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