CWC said still undecided on support to UPFA

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 June 2004, 14:57 GMT]
The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), a constituent of the main opposition United National Front (UNF), is still undecided on extending support to the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance, sources in Colombo said. Meanwhile, the Presidential Secretariat Friday denied media reports that talks were held Thursday between the President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, and CWC leader Mr. Arumugam Thondaman. The media reports said that the talks had ended in failure.
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NECORD opens school building in Muslim Vidiyalayam

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 June 2004, 19:17 GMT]
Dr Roland F.Steurer, Director of German Development Co-operation (GTZ) based in Colombo Tuesday declared open a school building constructed at a cost of about 10 million rupees by the North East Community Restoration Development (NECORD) project in Sithoor Muslim Vidiyalayam in Iqbal Nagar, sources said. Iqbal Nagar is located about eight km off north of Trincomalee town along Uppuveli-Kuchchaveli road.
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FMM urges government to arrest killers of Nadesan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 June 2004, 17:33 GMT]
"The Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) should take prompt action to bring the culprits who had been responsible for the brutal killing of a senior Tamil journalist Mr. Iyathurai Nadesan to book", Mr.Sunanda Desapriya, leading activist of the Free Media Movement (FMM) in Colombo Thursday appealed when delivering funeral oration on behalf of the Southern journalists Thursday at Nelliyady Madhya Maha Vidiyalayam where remains of Mr.Nadesan were kept for last respects before being removed to Alankattai cemetery for cremation, sources said.
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Pattern of intimidation and murder to silence independent Tamil journalists

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 June 2004, 11:50 GMT]
“Nadesan had been harassed and threatened before his death because he had criticized the government and security forces, according to CPJ research”, the New York based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a statement condemning the murder of the veteran Tamil journalist in Batticaloa on Sri Lanka’s east coast. Meanwhile Mr. Nadesan’s colleagues in the east demanded investigations into “the pattern of intimidation and murder to silence Tamil journalists”.
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Donors warn Sri Lanka on peace process, economic reforms

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 June 2004, 11:06 GMT]
Following their meeting in Brussels Tuesday, the co-chairs of aid donors to Sri Lanka issued a statement warning the Colombo government that there should be "no drift and no delay in resuming and taking forward the peace process" and pointing out that "the peace process and the development process are mutually reinforcing and interlinked." The co-chairs called for "the establishment of effective delivery mechanisms for donor-financed development activities in the North and East."
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'Committee to sort out differences in UPFA'

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 June 2004, 18:31 GMT]
The leaders of Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the two major constituents of ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), Tuesday night agreed at a discussion to appoint a committee to sort out the differences that have arisen in implementing the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two parties, sources said.
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Ruling Alliance facing crisis?

[TamilNet, Monday, 31 May 2004, 03:14 GMT]
Media reports from Colombo indicated cracks appearing within the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), as the marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), one of the mainconstituents of UPFA, sent a written communique to Sri Lanka's President Ms Kumaratunge accusing her of violating the MoU signed between the JVP and SLFP.


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CWC to join ruling UPFA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 May 2004, 17:46 GMT]
The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), a constituent of the main opposition United national Front (UNF), is likely to join the ruling minority United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA). The party high command is waiting for the arrival of its President Mr.Arumugan Thondaman Wednesday who is now India to finalize the talks between the CWC and UPFA, CWC sources said.


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SLMC high command sacks three parliamentarians

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 May 2004, 17:29 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) High Command Sunday evening expelled four of its leading members including three dissident parliamentarians Messrs Risard Badiudin, Najeeb Abdul Majeed and Hussain Baila from the ordinary membership of the party with immediate effect for working against party policies and its leadership, SLMC in a press release said.


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Poaching by Indian fishermen discussed at conference

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 May 2004, 17:48 GMT]
Fishermen from the North-East met with their counterparts from South India at a two-day conference in Colombo on Thursday and Friday to discuss the poaching by Indian fishermen and other problems faced by them. The National Fishermen’s Cooperative Council of Sri Lanka organized the conference.
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Solheim meets Rajapakse, Hakeem

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 May 2004, 16:42 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy, Mr.Erik Solheim, Friday met with the Prime Minister, Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse, and the leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Mr.Rauff Hakeem, and discussed the latest developments that have arisen in finding a consensus in resuming the stalled peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, political sources said.
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Solheim meets Kumaratunge, sides no closer to agreement

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 May 2004, 01:42 GMT]
Sri Lanka President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge Thursday evening held two hour long discussion with the visiting Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Erik Solheim on the prospects of holding peace talks. Sri Lanka Government and the Liberation Tigers are not close to an agreement on the time and modality of resuming the peace process, political sources in Colombo said.
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SL President appoints deputy ministers for foreign affairs, defense

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 May 2004, 08:35 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge in a surprise move Wednesday appointed Professor Visva Warnapala Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs. Mr.Ratnasiri Wickremanayake was also given the additional post as the Deputy Minister of Defense as already speculated in the political circles, sources in Colombo said.
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"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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US condition to LTTE to lay down arms unacceptable - Sinhala journalist

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 May 2004, 07:45 GMT]
''The condition laid by the US government for the LTTE to lay down arms is not acceptable. The question of handing over arms would cease automatically when an acceptable political solution to the Tamil people is found through talks, accepting the self determination of Tamils and their traditional homeland concept,'' said Mr.Ranath Kumarasinghe, Feature Editor of Haraya, a Sinhala political paper, addressing a seminar on Peace and Media Saturday evening held at Trincomalee Town Hall.
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Colombo conference to decide on poaching in northern sea

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 May 2004, 07:43 GMT]
A top level conference is scheduled to be held in Colombo in the office of Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on May 27th and 28th to explore the possibilities of stopping poaching in Sri Lankan northern territorial waters. Earlier this conference was to be held in Jaffna but later it has been shifted to Colombo, fisheries sources said.
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PAFFREL to set up citizens committees in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 May 2004, 18:23 GMT]
People's Action for Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL), a Colombo based election monitoring group said it plans to start citizens committees in Jaffna-Manipay, Pt. Pedro-Karaveddy and Kopay for addressing local social problems and issues.
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