Minister urges UNP-PA to work together for peace

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 December 2002, 17:36 GMT]
Minister of Fisheries, Mr.Mahinda Wijesekara, addressing a seminar Sunday at Devinuwara, a town in deep South, appealed to the United National Front (UNF) government and the main opposition People's Alliance ( PA ) to bury their differences and work together to find a lasting political solution to the ethnic conflict.
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Shelter lacking for victims of floods in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 December 2002, 18:42 GMT]
The floods during the past few days in the Kilinochchi district have destroyed 46 homes in the Anaivilunthan area and residents have sought refuge in the only school in the area, but as the roof of the school has been damaged they are without proper shelter, officials in Kilinochchi said.
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CID commences inquiry into alleged plot to kill President

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 December 2002, 18:20 GMT]
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Wednesday launched a full probe into a news report carried by a Sinhala weekly that a leading politician of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the main opposition People’s Alliance is behind a plot to assassinate President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge, legal sources said.
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LTTE, GOSL reach exploratory agreement

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 December 2002, 12:04 GMT]
The government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam reached an exploratory agreement Thursday to “explore a solution to end the island’s conflict founded on the principle of internal self determination in areas of historical habitation of the Tamil speaking peoples, based on a federal structure within a united Sri Lanka”. “Sri Lanka needs a new constitution that would radically transform its polity," said Chief negotiator of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. Anton Balasingham, addressing a joint press conference Thursday morning at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Oslo.
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Picketing in Nedunthivu enters nineteenth day

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 December 2002, 16:26 GMT]
The picketing campaign by the villagers against the presence of para military members of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) in Nedunthivu (Delft Island) in Jaffna entered nineteenth day Wednesday. The protesters demand immediate withdrawal of armed EPDP members from their village, sources said.
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LTTE police stations 'not a new phenomena' - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 December 2002, 15:26 GMT]
The LTTE's Police and law and order systems would not extend into areas controlled by the Sri Lankan government while continuing to maintain law and order in Tiger-controlled areas, Mr. Anton Balasingham, the movement's Chief Negotiator and political advisor told reporters in Oslo Tuesday. He was speaking at a press conference held during lunch on the second day of the third round of peace talks between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government.
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SLMC Leader Rauff Hakim asserts his position

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 December 2002, 14:04 GMT]
"I am still the leader of the Muslims and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress," declared Minister Mr.Rauff Hakim Tuesday at a hurriedly arranged press conference held at party headquarters Darussalam in Colombo on his return from Oslo. Mr.Hakim identified the present situation in the SLMC "as an act of opportunist conspiracy to change the balance of power in parliament."
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Children in Armed Conflict and the United Nations

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 November 2002, 03:21 GMT]
It is estimated that 300,000 children are currently participating in fighting in more than 35 countries. 25 million are uprooted from their homes, while millions more have their lives severely affected by the deprivations of war. Dealing with 'impact of war on children' is high on United Nation's agenda, with an annual Security Council debate, several resolutions addressing the problem and an office of the Secretary General devoted to the topic. Sri Lanka does not figure prominently in the deliberations of the UN, but the outcome of UN decisions has been felt in Sri Lanka.
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US calls to renounce violence, says ready to play its part

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 November 2002, 21:06 GMT]
Richard Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State, US, the highest ranking American official to visit Sri Lanka since the start of the conflict, said that his country will continue to support programs that promote peace and good governance in his address at the Oslo donor conference, 25 November. He called on the LTTE to renounce violence and secession. The presence of Secretary Armitage during Anton Balasingham's address later in the day sent a strong message of recognition of LTTE's growing legitimacy, analysts said.
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'International support vital to sustain peace' - Ranil

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 November 2002, 12:42 GMT]
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, speaking at the opening session of the Oslo support meeting 25 November appealed to the International community to help Sri Lanka rebuild the economy devastated by war. "Without continuing international support and help with resources to build the peace dividend, the momentum for peace could be retarded. With the re-creation of opportunities for growth politicians and negotiators alike will be driven to stabilize and advance the peace," said Mr. Wickremesinghe.
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PM's meeting with TNA, EPDP, and PLOTE fail to reach consensus

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 November 2002, 16:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe Friday evening held a one hour discussion with delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the leaders of the para military Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) and the Peoples Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) to diffuse the tension now prevails in the Jaffna peninsula following picketing campaign against EPDP presence in Neduntheivu.
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PA slams international aid conference

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 November 2002, 12:03 GMT]
(News Feature) As Norway confirmed the participation of US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, British Secretary of State for International Development Claire Short and European Union Commissioner Margot Wallstrom at a high level aid conference for Sri Lanka to be held in Oslo on November 25, the main Sri Lankan opposition party Friday condemned the event as "rewarding terrorism."
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UNF government briefs Chandrika on Thailand peace talks

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 November 2002, 21:37 GMT]
A senior minister in the United National Front government Friday briefed President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge on the outcome of the second session of the first round of Thailand peace talks. The Presidential Secretariat later confirmed the meeting between President and Minister Milinda Morogoda through a media release.
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Insurrection fears as JVP commemorates dead

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 November 2002, 22:25 GMT]
The Janata Vimukthi Peramuna, the third largest party in Sri Lanka’s Parliament, Wednesday commemorated in Colombo its founder leader Mr. Rohana Wijeweera and party cadres who were killed by the Sri Lankan armed forces during two unsuccessful but bloody insurrections in 1971 and 89 to capture state power.
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SLA asked for EPDP weapons over journalist's murder

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 November 2002, 19:13 GMT]
The Jaffna Magistrate Monday directed the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army to hand over to court all firearms received from the paramilitary group EPDP under the provisions of the Ceasefire Agreement between the Liberation Tigers and Colombo to identify the weapon allegedly used for murdering journalist Mr. Mylvaganam Nimalarajan on 19th October 2000.
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Mannar Co-op council seeks building from SLA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 November 2002, 13:09 GMT]
The District Co-operative Council of Mannar has requested Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence to return a two-story building at the entrance to the northwestern town, occupied by the Sri Lankan armed forces from 1990, officials said. The building for long functioned as the SLA’s office for issuing permits to civilians for entering and staying in the Mannar Island. The building’s upper floor was used by the SLA for interrogating and detaining civilians arrested on suspicion and during cordon and search operations.
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'No time frame for talks'

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 November 2002, 22:04 GMT]
(News Feature) Whilst hailing the success of the second round of talks between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers in Thailand last week as "exceeding expectations," Norwegian facilitators echoed the views of both sides' chief negotiators in saying the peace process could not be time bound.
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Left PA government because Kumaratunga was bent on war - Minister

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 October 2002, 17:10 GMT]
“Prof. G.L Pieris, Mr. S. B Dissanayaka and I left People’s Alliance government last year because President Chandrika Kumaratunga was bent on war and detested peace. We could have been ministers in the PA government until 2005. But had we remained in the PA regime for the full term of the Parliament elected in 2000, war would have continued in this country. It is in this context that we left the PA and helped form a new government. The war came to an end because of this government,” said Sri Lanka’s Minister for Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Mr. Mahinda Wijesekera.
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'Second round peace talks on firm foundation'- Peiris

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 October 2002, 14:33 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government Friday said a firm foundation has been laid for the second round of peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. A Sri Lanka Army Major General will be among the three advisors to the government delegation for the talks scheduled to commence on October 31 at Thailand.
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'Absence of war is not peace'- Chandrika

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 October 2002, 10:32 GMT]
President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge Thursday in her televised speech said that the country is in turmoil although the government is doing maximum possible to implement its part of the ceasefire agreement signed by the Prime Minister and the LTTE leader. She reminded that the absence of war is not peace. She said one party is violating the agreement and that addressing the core issues to the conflict must be made part of the agenda for talks.
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