"Institutionalize ISGA, core issues can be discussed later " - LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 May 2004, 08:28 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Wednesday categorically told the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government through Norwegian facilitators that the institutionalization of the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) in the northeast province should take place first and that the core issues can be discussed later.
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Solheim's meeting with SL President rescheduled

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 May 2004, 18:49 GMT]
The Norwegian special peace envoy, Mr. Erik Solheim, is to meet Sri Lanka's President, Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge, after holding talks with the leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Kilinochchi Wednesday, State controlled Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) reported in its night news broadcast Tuesday.
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Solheim arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 May 2004, 03:11 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Erik Solheim arrived in Colombo Monday night on a five-day visit. He is scheduled to meet Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge and Prime Minister Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse Tuesday before leaving to Kilinochchi Wednesday to meet the leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), political sources said.
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Solheim to visit Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 May 2004, 17:01 GMT]
The Norwegian special peace envoy to Sri Lanka, Mr. Erik Solheim, is scheduled to arrive in Colombo on May 24. He is expected to hold talks with the President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, and Prime Minister, Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse, the same day regarding peace process, Colombo media sources said.
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JVP holds discussions on peace process with allies

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 May 2004, 18:10 GMT]
The leadership of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a main constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), has been holding intensive discussions with the other constituent political parties of the UPFA on the current position of the peace process, as a prelude to announcing its final stand on the Norwegian brokered peace talks between the UPFA government and the LTTE, JVP sources said Friday.


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SL President urged not to stop relief to IDPs in Jaffna district

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 May 2004, 14:20 GMT]
The Federation of Jaffna District Civil Organizations (FJDCO) Friday condemned the decision of the Government of Sri lanka to curtail the distribution of dry ration relief given to hundreds of thousands of families, a majority of whom are displaced and languishing in refugee camps and welfare centres without employment. The FJDCO has sent an urgent message to Sri lanka's President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, to order that all IDPs and those affected by the war be issued dry ration relief as usual without any reduction, sources said.
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SL President urged to hand over Mannar saltern to co-op

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 May 2004, 18:00 GMT]
Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan, Vanni district parliamentarian, Thursday made an urgent appeal to Sri Lanka's President, Ms.Chandrika Kumaratunge, to take immediate steps to hand over the defunct Mannar saltern to the Mannar Fisheries Co-operative Society to reactivate it. The Mannar saltern has now been under the purview of the Ministry of Enterprises, and Investment Promotion, sources said.
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Solheim to visit Colombo next week

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 May 2004, 12:20 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Erik Solheim is scheduled to arrive in Colombo on May 24. He is expected to hold talks with the President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge and Prime Minister Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse the same day regarding peace process, Colombo media sources said.
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Military officer gets key peace secretariat post

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 May 2004, 13:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga Wednesday appointed Brigadier Sanath Karunaratna, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Sri Lanka army's 51 Division in Jaffna as the Director of Operations of the government peace secretariat, the institution in charge of handling Colombo's negotiations with the Liberation Tigers. Brig. Karunaratna served as the SLA spokesman from 23 June 2000 to 15 January 2003.
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Akashi meets Thamilchelvan in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 May 2004, 11:29 GMT]
Japanese special envoy Mr.Yasushi Akashi had discussions with Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan, head of the LTTE's political divison, on issues related to the planned resumption of the long stalled peace talks between the Tigers and Colombo Tuesday morning in Killinochchi. The hour-long discussion also centred on reconstruction and development in the northeast, LTTE officials said. The meeting took place at the LTTE's peace secretariat in Kilinochchi.
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Akashi to meet LTTE leadership in Kilinochchi Tuesday

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 May 2004, 14:16 GMT]
The Japanese special peace envoy, Mr.Yasushi Akashi, is to meet the leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Tuesday in Kilinochchi. The Japanese Ambassador in Sri Lanka, Mr.Akio Suda, will accompany Mr. Akashi and two other diplomats to Kilinochchi, sources at the Japanese Embassy in Colombo said.
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"SLA establishes new checkpoints in Vavuniya, Mannar"- Selvam

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 May 2004, 11:22 GMT]
Vanni electoral district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan Monday sent an urgent letter to Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge that the establishment of new check points of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in the administrative districts of Mannar and Vavuniya is causing serious apprehension in the minds of the people that the security forces are preparing for renewed military action, TNA sources said.


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Akashi arrives in Colombo to continue peace mission

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 May 2004, 16:01 GMT]
Mr Yasushi Akashi, Special Representative of the Government of Japan, arrived in Colombo Saturday evening around 7.30 p.m. to continue his peace mission in Sri Lanka.T his is his 7th visit to Sri Lanka since he was appointed as the Special Representative in October 2002 to contribute to the peace process in Sri Lanka and his first visit after the election of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government at the recently concluded General Elections.


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CWC, SLMC to decide their future with UNF this weekend

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 May 2004, 17:58 GMT]
The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), major constituents in the United National Front (UNF), are likely to decide their future with the main opposition UNF before May 18th, political sources said
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US diplomat Rocca arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 May 2004, 12:36 GMT]
Ms Christina Rocca, US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs arrived in Colombo Thursday around 4.30 p.m. on a four day visit to hold talks with the President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge and government leaders on issues ranging from the peace process, aid and investments, US embassy sources said.
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Japanese peace envoy Akashi to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 May 2004, 07:58 GMT]
Mr.Yasushi Akashi, special envoy of the Government of Japan is to pay a five-day visit to Sri Lanka commencing from Saturday 15th May to follow up his continued peace mission, said the Japanese Embassy in a press release Thursday.
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‘Talks announcement in a day or two’ – Balasingham

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 May 2004, 06:53 GMT]
Mr. Anton Balasingham, political advisor to the Liberation Tigers, said Thursday that the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka have agreed on most of the fundamental issues related to the resumption of peace talks. Speaking to journalists at the conclusion of a two-hour discussion with Mr. Vidar Helgesen, Norway’s deputy foreign minister, Mr. Balasingham said the LTTE and Colombo would reach a decision in “a day or two” on the time and place for restarting the peace talks. He said Norway would make an announcement about the consensus reached by the two parties in “one or two days”.
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Action demanded on shortage of teachers in North-East

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 May 2004, 18:05 GMT]
The Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union (CTTU) Wednesday urged the North East Provincial Governor, Major General Asoka Jayawardene, to take immediate steps to appoint three thousand Tamil medium teachers to northeast schools which have been affected by acute teacher shortage. Currently about 6000 vacancies for Tamil medium teachers in the northeast schools are not filled. Mr.T.Mahasivam, General Secretary of the CTTU, told the Governor at a discussion held Wednesday at the latter's office Wednesday, sources said.
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US diplomat Rocca to visit Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 May 2004, 17:27 GMT]
Ms. Christina Rocca, US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, is scheduled to arrive in Colombo on a four-day visit Thursday. A visit to Trincomalee is also included in her itinerary, sources at the US Embassy in Colombo said Wednesday.
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SLMC to offer conditional support to minority UPFA government

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 May 2004, 10:09 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) politburo has decided to extend its support to the ruling minority United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government on two conditions-one is to accommodate a Muslim delegation as a separate entity at the upcoming peace talks with the Liberation Tigers and the other is not to abolish the executive presidency as proposed, SLMC general sectary Mr.M.T.Hassan Ali said.


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