CMEV warns of electoral violence

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 January 2004, 12:26 GMT]
The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), in a press released issued in Colombo today said that the CMEV "noted with serious concern a number of factors that threaten the integrity of electoral process," pointing out that the "transfers of police officers in recent months" is an ominous sign and added that "reports of violence in the last two days against supporters of the SLFP-JVP alliance indicates that electoral violence will once again mar the exercise of the franchise, unless political parties take effective action against members who foster and perpetrate violence."
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JVP-SLFP MoU introduces new complexity- Akashi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 January 2004, 07:54 GMT]
"We declined to accept Mr. Akashi’s invitation to participate in Sri Lanka donors’ conference in Colombo tomorrow because there is no political stability and unified leadership of government in Colombo now. Our participation in this circumstance would cause doubts in the minds of the Tamil people," said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, speaking to the press at the conclusion of his meeting with Japan’s special representative to Sri Lanka Thursday in Kilinochchi. Mr. Akashi told presspersons the JVP-SLFP MoU ''introduces a new complexity to Sri Lanka."
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Akashi, Thamilchelvan discuss NE development, peace crisis

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 January 2004, 06:32 GMT]
Mr. Yashushi Akashi, Japan's special representative to Sri Lanka began discussions with Mr. S.P Thamilchelvan, head of the political wing of the Liberation Tigers on development strategies for Northeast and recent political developments in Colombo in Kilinochchi Thursday from 11.30 a.m.
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TNA delegation meets Akashi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 January 2004, 12:05 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Wednesday told the Japanese special peace envoy Mr.Yasushi Akashi that the international community should come forward to help the Tamils in the north east province with an alternative plan to restore normalcy in their lives and to develop their war-ravaged homeland if the political rivalry among Sinhala political leaders stalls the peace process, TNA sources said.


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'Tamils ready to face war'-minister

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 January 2004, 09:08 GMT]
''We are prepared to face a war'' declared Minister Chandrasekeran at the Pongu Thamil rally in Batticaloa Wednesday referring to recent political developments in Colombo. He urged Tamils in all parts of Sri Lanka to unite under one banner.
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NECORD supplies ambulances to Trinco rural hospitals

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 22:59 GMT]
The North East Community Restoration Development (NECORD) project has supplied twenty-one ambulances to rural government hospitals in the northeast province at a cost of about three million rupees. The last consignment of five ambulances was handed recently handed over the provincial ministry of health by the NECORD Tuesday, health officials said.


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JVP leader Amarasinghe returns home

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 18:58 GMT]
Mr.Somawanse Amarasinghe Tuesday evening arrived in Katunayake international airport. Senior leaders of the Sinhala nationalist cum Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Messrs Tilvin Silva, Wimal Weerawanse, Nandana Gunathilaka and others received him, party sources said.


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Two killed in MoU celebration clashes

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 11:57 GMT]
Two men who were putting up flags and festoons to celebrate the signing of the MoU between SLFP and JVP were killed in a grenade attack on them in Senaikkudiyiruppu in the Puttalam district Monday, Police said. Three cars were burnt in the northwestern district in clashes between opposition supporters celebrating the MoU and UNP sympathisers Monday.
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SLFP-JVP MoU slams Sri Lanka’s peace process

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 10:27 GMT]
The memorandum of understanding signed by Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Tuesday slammed the peace process, asserting that it “threatens the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the country, degrading its dignity”. The MoU also lambasted Mr. Wickremesinghe’s government for promoting “crony capitalism, racketeering, corruption and subservience to international financial institutions”.
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SLFP-JVP alliance signed in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 05:10 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna signed an agreement to form a new political alliance called 'United People's Freedom Alliance' at 10.40 a.m Tuesday in Colombo. Speaking after the signing ceremony, JVP Gen. Sec. Mr. Tilvin Silva said that the JVP had formed the alliance to prevent the plan to divide the country. The JVP and the SLFP say that the peace process and the ceasefire agreement between the Liberation Tigers and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s are part of a western backed conspiracy to divide Sri Lanka.
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Akashi arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 02:04 GMT]
Japanese special peace envoy Mr.Yasushi Akashi arrived at Katunayake International Airport in Colombo Monday around midnight for a weeklong stay in Sri Lanka. "We will not interfere in the current political impasses now prevailing in Colombo. It is the duty of the political leaders of of Sri Lanka to find solution to their problem," Mr.Akashi told journalists on his arrival, media sources said.


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SLMC to plan future political strategy

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 January 2004, 16:28 GMT]
Politburo of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), a constituent of the United National Front government will meet on January 23 at its headquarters "Darussalam" in Colombo to plan out its future political strategy in anticipation political developments likely to follow the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), SLMC sources said.


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SL Telecom-Cricket Chairman Thilanga Sumathipala remanded

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 January 2004, 13:24 GMT]
The Colombo Additional Magistrate Mr.Vikum Kaluarachchi Monday ordered remand for the Chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom and Sri Lanka Cricket Mr.Thilanga Sumathipala till January 30. Mr.Thilanga Sumathipala who failed to attend courts on four earlier occasions appeared in court in a wheel chair Monday under tight security, legal sources said.


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Cannot delay basic needs of NE accede donors

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 January 2004, 11:43 GMT]
"It has been accepted at this conference that the people of the northeast cannot wait for their basic needs until a political solution to the ethnic conflict is found," said Mr. Daya Master, the media co-ordinator of the Liberation Tigers speaking to the press at the conclusion of the northeast donor conference Monday. "People in the northeast have many needs. They cannot be expected to wait until there is a solution to the conflict," a Dutch diplomat who took part in the conference said.
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Anura Bandaranaike tipped to become SLFP-JVP alliance leader

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 January 2004, 14:40 GMT]
The prospective leader of the new political alliance to be formed between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party Mr.Anura Bandaranaike said Sunday that "the formation of the new political group would be the beginning of the country's long political journey towards solving Sri Lanka's problems and for ensuring peace and justice for all."


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Plans for Batti-Amparai Pongu Thamil said complete

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 January 2004, 04:23 GMT]
The organizing committee of the Pongu Thamil (Tamil upsurge) event to be held at the Sports grounds of the Eastern University in Vantharumoolai on January 21 has completed its arrangements for the event and sent invitations to Sri Lanka’s President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, and Prime Minister, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, committee sources said.
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Judge extends remand for detained LTTE cadres

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 January 2004, 18:31 GMT]
Eight LTTE cadres including four women cadres who have been detained for allegedly carrying ammunition in their pickup truck on 14 July 2003, had their remand extended till 30 January by the Batticaloa High Court Judge M.H.M.Ajmeer when they appeared in Court Friday, legal sources said.
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Colombo urged to repeal PTA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 January 2004, 18:02 GMT]
A meeting to urge the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and to release detainees arrested under the PTA and held in prison for several years without a court hearing was organized by the Center of Human Rights and Development (CHRD) held at the Conference hall of Batticaloa Public Library Saturday, civil sources said.


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SLA Commander to assist tracing Jaffna disappeared

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 January 2004, 13:39 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army's Jaffna area commander Major General Susil Chandrapala Friday at a discussion assured a delegation of the Jaffna District Missing Person Guardians' Association (MPGA) and the Jaffna District Women's Front (JDWF) that he would provide the necessary support and assistance in tracing the more than persons disappeared in Jaffna district following military operations between1995 and 1997, sources said.
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NE development conference to be held in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 January 2004, 06:11 GMT]
The political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan, is to preside over a high-level development conference at the Kilinochchi Development Secretariat on Monday, January 19, sources said. The representatives of the Sri Lanka donors' summit held in Tokyo in Japan last year are scheduled to meet in Colombo on January 23 to review the present political situation in Colombo, and the Kilinochchi conference will be a prelude to that meeting, the sources said.
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