Tigers escorted SLA troops

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 October 2002, 08:55 GMT]
(News Feature) In a reciprocal gesture to earlier actions by the Sri Lanka Army, cadres of the Liberation Tigers in Batticaloa last Sunday escorted SLA soldiers through areas in which angry Tamil demonstrators had set up road blocks protesting the earlier killings of several civilians by Special Task Force (STF) commandos.
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Sinhala nationalists step up campaign against talks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 October 2002, 20:21 GMT]
The Sinhala Nationalist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP, People’s Liberation Front) vowed Tuesday to bring down Prime Minister Ranil Wicremesinghe’s government and defeat its peace negotiations with the Liberation Tigers. The JVP launched a campaign last week to convince Sinhalese that the peace process is a ruse to divide the island.
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Hartal in northeast

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 October 2002, 09:03 GMT]
Shops remained closed and streets were deserted in all the towns in the northeast as a general shut down ('hartal') was observed in protest at the attacks on Tamil civilians in Trincomalee and Kanchirankuda. Black flags were hoisted on shops, houses and at public places. Burning tyres were seen on main roads, sources in several north-eastern towns said.
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JVP denounces US action against Iraq

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 October 2002, 14:25 GMT]
The Janata Vimukthi Peramuna, the main Sinhala nationalist party in Sri Lanka’s Parliament, demonstrated Monday near the American Embassy in Colombo against US plans to attack Iraq. Police prevented the demonstrators from getting too close to the US Embassy premises. Sinhala and Muslim members of the JVP led by its MPs Mr. Bimal Ratnayaka, Ms. Anjaan Umma and Mr. Vijitha Herath carried placards and shouted slogans denouncing US actions against Iraq. The JVP has been closely linked to President Saddam Hussein’s Baath Socialist Party.
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Protest against privatisation in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 September 2002, 19:44 GMT]
Hundreds of workers of state runs banks and the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation demonstrated Tuesday in downtown Colombo against the United National Front government's plans to privatise the institutions. The demonstration was organised by Ceylon Bank Workers'Union and Sri Lanka insurance Corporation workers Union.
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Army strength not reduced – Defence Minister

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 September 2002, 13:08 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Defence Minister said Tuesday that the Army camps removed from areas in the northeast province under the ceasefire agreement with the Liberation Tigers have been relocated close to their original locations and denied the number of soldiers deployed in Tamil areas had been reduced.
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Confrontational politics bane of Sri Lanka – Ranil

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 September 2002, 19:17 GMT]
"The main reason for the present crisis in Sri Lanka is due to the confrontational politics between the two major political groups in the south," said Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe addressing a mammoth rally held Monday evening at Colombo Town Hall. "Both parties to the conflict should participate in the peace talks scheduled to begin in Thailand next week between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam with full confidence," said the Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe.
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Colombo gets ready for 'People's Power' rally

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 September 2002, 20:22 GMT]
Colombo city has been put on security alert from Sunday night, with more than ten thousand police personnel manning various strategic points, as thousands of supporters the United National Front (UNF) government started arriving to attend a mammoth rally scheduled to be held Monday evening. The UNF government organised this campaign to show its strength and support of the masses for its peace efforts, ruling party sources said.
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Sixth Amendment threat looms over peace talks

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 September 2002, 19:08 GMT]
(Newsfeature) President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s People’s Alliance and the Sinhala nationalist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) vowed Friday to fight the United National Front government for lifting of the ban on the Liberation Tigers. The spokesman for the People’s Alliance Dr. Sarath Amunugama said the party will take legal action and start mass protests against the de-proscription. He was addressing a press conference at the opposition leader’s office in Colombo Friday.
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PA to oppose 19th constitutional amendment

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 September 2002, 18:54 GMT]
The parliamentry group of the Sri Lanka’s main opposition People’s Alliance (PA) Friday decided to oppose the nineteenth constitutional amendment which is to be moved by the United National Front government, restricting the presidential powers to dissolve parliament. However, two leading PA parliamentarians and former ministers Mr.A.H.M.Fowzie and Mr. Richard Pathirana were the notable absentees at the meeting, party sources said.
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TNA tells Chandrika to shun JVP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 September 2002, 19:28 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance Thursday said that President Chandrika Kumaratunge should not take any decisions regarding the peace process on the guidance of the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).”Instead it is essential for her to take decisions in the interests of the country and of finding a permanent and just solution to the ethnic conflict,” said Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the TNA parliamentary group in a statement issued Thursday, welcoming the de-proscription of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
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Sinhala nationalists protest in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 September 2002, 14:27 GMT]
Thousands of Sinhla nationalists, including hundreds of Buddhist monks took to streets in Capital Colombo, Tuesday, protesting against the government's decision to lift the ban on Liberation Tigers. The protestors were blocked by police as they attempted to march towards the Prime Minister's office.
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UNF said to have power to de-proscribe

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 September 2002, 09:52 GMT]
A leading legal luminary has said that the Defence Minister in the United National Front (UNF) government has the authority to issue gazette notification announcing the de-proscription of the ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. "Once the ban on LTTE is lifted the President absolutely has no right to change that decision," said President Counsel Mr. Desmond Fernando referring to the constitutional conflict that has arisen following the President's remarks that she would oppose de-proscription.
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Opposition split as confidence vote postponed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 August 2002, 19:21 GMT]
Sri Lanka's opposition parties were divided Thursday on the postponement of the debate on the vote of confidence in the United National Front government. The Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna protested the decision while the main opposition Peoples Alliance (PA) had requested the delay, to enable twenty more PA parliamentarians to attend.
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UNF to move confidence vote in parliament

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 August 2002, 15:42 GMT]
The United National Front Wednesday decided to move a vote of confidence on the government led by Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe in parliament next week. The motion will be taken up for debate on August 29. A decision to this effect was taken at the meeting of leaders of all political parties represented in parliament, Minister W.M.J. Lokubandara, leader of the House said Wednesday.
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Unions demand halt to privatisation moves

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 August 2002, 20:20 GMT]
Hundreds workers from state owned banks, insurance and petroleum corporations and members of trade unions aligned to the Sinhala nationalist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) demonstrated Tuesday against the United Front Government's plans to privatise public institutions that have become a heavy burden on the island's cash strapped economy. The demonstration at Lipton Circus, a busy intersection in the heart of the city, was organised by the JVP backed All Ceylon Trade Union Federation.
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'Released Tamil youths harassed by Police' -Selvam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 August 2002, 18:21 GMT]
"I wish to bring to the notice of the Defence Minister that the Tamil youths released from prisons are being harassed by the Police. These youths find in difficult to live in peace in their homes due to unwanted interference by the Police," said Vanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan, Tuesday, in parliament participating in the second day debate on the no-confidence motion against the Interior Minister moved by the opposition.
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TNA accuses 'PA playing dual role'

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 August 2002, 21:46 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Monday accused the main opposition People’s Alliance playing a dual role regarding the present peace process brokered by the Norwegians. "The People’s Alliance should come forward to tell its clear stand on the peace process now being taken forward by the United National Front government," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance parliamentary group participating in the debate of no confidence motion against the Interior Minister John Amaratunge.
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PA-JVP anti-peace moves criticised

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 August 2002, 23:13 GMT]
"People's Alliance (PA) and the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) are working together to derail the peace process. Peace loving people of the country should not allow these elements to succeed," said Media Minister Mr.Imtiaz Bakeer Markar when addressing a gathering Friday in Trincomalee, after opening the newly built Rs.112 million Post Office complex.
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Sri Lanka opposition exhorts rejection of cease-fire deal

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 July 2002, 18:06 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition parties and several Sinhala nationalist groups held a large public rally of more than five thousand in Colombo Tuesday, condemning peace negotiations between Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesighe's government and the Liberation Tigers as a conspiracy to divide the island. The main speakers at the rally exhorted the Sinhala people to reject the cease-fire agreement between Colombo and the LTTE.
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