Build coalition to support serious peace, Schaffer tells Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 July 2006, 11:10 GMT]
"The most fundamental challenge for the Sri Lankan government is to maintain, or perhaps establish, a political coalition that will support a serious peace process. To get the LTTE to the table, it will need to persuade the LTTE that eventual peace talks would be worthwhile," said Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank, in a report released Wednesday. Former Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Teresita Schaffer, is the Director of South Asia programs at CSIS.
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Emergency extended for another month

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 July 2006, 17:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Thursday extended the State of Emergency for another month with a majority of 85 votes. 102 parliamentarians of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UNP), Sinhala Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP and all monks party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) voted for the motion seeking the extension of the State of Emergency.
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SL parliament observes one-minute silence to Tamil civilians

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 June 2006, 10:08 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Parliament Wednesday observed a one minute silence for those Tamil civilians killed by State armed forces and paramilitary groups working with them. Parliamentarians of all political parties including the Sinhala Nationalist Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the all monks party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) stood for one minute and observed silence, parliamentary sources said.
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JVP planning to protest in Norway

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 June 2006, 11:30 GMT]
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the extreme Sinhala Nationalist party that espouses radical marxism, in a memorandum issued Tuesday in Colombo, said that they are planning to hold a demonstration in Norway protesting against the Norwegian Government. JVP Parliamentarian, Mr Vasantha Samarasinghe who is currently on a visit to Norway will co-ordinate the protest rally calling on the Sinhala diaspora community in Norway to join in the protest, the memorandum further said.
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SL Parliament extends Emergency Regulations

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 June 2006, 17:04 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Wednesday adopted a motion extending the State of Emergency for another month with a majority of 84 votes. 102 parliamentarians voted for the motion and 18 voted against The main opposition the United National Party (UNP), the Sinhala nationalist cum Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, (JVP), all monks party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) voted with the ruling party United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), sources said.
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Claymore attack in Colombo, a covert act by Sri Lankan MI - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 June 2006, 08:02 GMT]
"The Claymore attack in Colombo targeting a civilian bus Tuesday morning, is part of a Sri Lankan Military Intelligence (MI) designed covert programme to discredit the Tigers," LTTE's Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan, charged Wednesday, when asked to comment on Sri Lankan reaction to the Claymore attack that targeted a civilian bus near Welisara Sri Lanka Navy camp Tuesday. The "covert programme" by the Sri Lankan MI also seeks to antogonize the Sinhala population against the Tamil people, Mr. Thamilchelvan further said from Norway's capital Oslo.
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20 local authorities go to polls Saturday

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 May 2006, 19:02 GMT]
Four Municipal Councils, Colombo and Gampaha in the Western Province, Galle in Southern Province and Kalmunai in the Eastern Province along with three urban councils and thirteen Pradesiya Saba in the country, altogether twenty local government institutions, will go to polls Saturday. About 1.1 million voters are qualified to cast their franchise in this poll to elect 312 councilors, election department sources said.
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Colombo May Day rallies, meetings called off

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 April 2006, 18:39 GMT]
Sri Lanka Defence Ministry officials, citing security concerns, have issued directions to parties to cancel all May Day public events, sources from Colombo said. Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) event scheduled to be held at the Galle Face Green, United National Party's (UNP's) procession from Galle Road to Colombo Municipal Council premises, and United Peoples Front (UPF) meeting at the Sugathadasa Stadium, and several other events are affected by the Defence ministry directive.
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CFA teaches belated political lesson to UPFA, says UNP MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 April 2006, 21:01 GMT]
United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian Dr. Jayalath Jayawardene, addressing a UNP press conference Wednesday in Colombo said that those in power in Sri Lanka today are facing the political reality and learning a hard lesson that proper implementation of the Cease Fire Agreement is a critical prerequisite if efforts to find solutions to the national problem are to make progress.
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Annai Poopathy, a supreme model for Tamils- Ilamparithi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 April 2006, 14:15 GMT]
"Annai Poopathy who sacrificed her life, in a fast-to-death protest in March 1988 protesting against the Indian peace keeping forces (IPKF) and supporting the Tamils liberation struggle, is an example for all Tamils to emulate. In all key events, like the local council elections, we have to tell the world that we Tamils stand determined and united in achieving our just aspirations," said S. Ilamparithi, Jaffna district head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam LTTE political wing, presiding at the 18th anniversary memorial celebration held Saturday 10 a.m, at Palai Maha Vidyalayam.


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JHU seeking political partner?

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 April 2006, 13:02 GMT]
Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), the all monk, extremist Buddhist Sinhala nationalist party, routed in the local council elections polling less than one percent, is to join a political party with similar political policies, sources in Colombo said. However, Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe, JHU media spokesman, rejected this news as pure speculation, sources added.
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JVP Kegalle office attacked, three injured

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 April 2006, 12:24 GMT]
Janatha Vimukthi Peramunai (JVP), the marxist Sinhala national party's Kegalle office was attacked and three JVP members injured Saturday evening by a group alleged tobe belonging to United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), said JVP sources.
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ITAK victory in Trinco proves NorthEast homeland for Tamils- TNA

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 March 2006, 20:19 GMT]
The victory of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) in the election for the Trincomalee Urban Council and Trincomalee Town and Gravets Pradesiya Sabah have strengthened the concept that the NorthEast province is the homeland for Tamil speaking people, said Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham, Trincomalee district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Friday evening after the counting of votes came to a close in the local councils held on Thursday.
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UPFA victory should pave way for progress in peace- TNA

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 March 2006, 12:33 GMT]
"Local electoral rout of Sinhala extremist parties, the marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), and Buddhist monks party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) is a clear mandate to Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse to take immediate steps to move peace process forward. Urgently, the Unitary Constitution and rejection of concepts of Tamil Homeland should be removed from "Mahinda Chintanaya," and replaced with concepts supporting Tamils right to self-determination," said Sivajilingam, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian commenting on the unfolding local election results giving UPFA huge victory and ITAK demonstrating its support base in the East.
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SL Government needs support of JVP, JHU- Rajapakse

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 March 2006, 02:08 GMT]
Support of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) is vital for continued smooth functioning of the Sri Lanka Government, said Sri Lanka's President, Mahinda Rajapakse, speaking at the Gampaha district Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) meeting held in Viyangoda Wednesday afternoon, SLFP sources from Colombo said.
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Sinhala nationalist extremists obstacle to peace – Balasingham

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 March 2006, 20:21 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers will view any further attacks by military-backed paramilitaries as an act of war and may postpone next month’s talks in Geneva unless the state fulfils the Ceasefire Agreement and disarms them, the LTTE’s Political Strategist and Chief Negotiator, Mr. Anton Balasingham said Tuesday. In an interview to Reuters at his London home, Mr. Balasingham also said President Mahinda Rajapakse should dump his Sinhala nationalist allies and seek support from the main opposition UNP party which led a government that held six rounds of talks with the LTTE in 2002-3.
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PNM alliance aims to split East from NEP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 March 2006, 11:10 GMT]
The Patriotic National Movement (PNM), an alliance of Sinhala nationalists, on Wednesday formed a "task force" named "Defenders of Eastern People's Rights" in collaboration with Sinhala nationalist parties, Muslim and Tamil groups in the East. The task force was formed after a meeting with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), MLM Ataulla's National Muslim Congress (NMC), K. Vigneswaran's Akila Ilankai Tamil United Front (AITUF), a break away party of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), and key operatives of Karuna Group, a PNM activist has disclosed to Colombo media. The task force aims to split the East from the North Eastern Province (NEP).
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TNA rejects JVP's claimed right to nominate CC member

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 March 2006, 00:07 GMT]
As the dispute among the 'minority parties,' Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in selecting the sixth member of the Constitutional Council continue to stymie CC from functioning, the Speaker Mr.W.M.J.Lokkubandara has asked the Leader of the House, Mr Sripala de Silva, to speak to the leaders of the three parties to resolve the matter urgently, parliamentary sources said.


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JHU, JVP reject Geneva agreement in All Party Conference

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 March 2006, 11:38 GMT]
Sinhala extremist parties, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), during the All Party Conference (APC) held Monday at the Old Parliamentary building in Colombo submitted separate memoranda rejecting the agreement made between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers in the talks held in Geneva on 22-23rd February, parlilamentary sources said.
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Sri Lanka peace delegation head meets JHU leadership

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 March 2006, 00:39 GMT]
Mr.Nimal Sripala de Silva, senior minister and the leader of the Sri Lanka Government peace delegation Thursday evening met with Mr.Champika Ranawake, Secretary of the Policy Formulation of Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) to clarify the outcome of the Geneva peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held last month and also to urge JHU to soften the criticism against the government for accepting the ceasefire agreement, political sources said.
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