SL President's media spokesman visits Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 May 2004, 17:48 GMT]
Sri Lanka President's media spokesman and the Director General of the Northern Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Reconciliation Ministry, Mr.Harim Peiris, Wednesday arrived in Jaffna and held discussions with government officials and the Sri Lanka Army Commander in Jaffna, Major General Susil Chandrapala, at the Jaffna district secretariat.
Full story >>

"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.
Full story >>

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.
Full story >>

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.
Full story >>

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.
Full story >>

Sri Lanka's BOI seeks investors for North-East

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 May 2004, 15:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka Board of Investment (BOI) has established a Regional Economic Development Office (REDO) in Trincomalee town. The main objective of the REDO is to lure people from overseas, especially Sri Lankan expatriates, to invest in the eight districts of the northeast province, REDO's Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Terrence Suntharam, told journalists Thursday.
Full story >>

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.
Full story >>

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.
Full story >>

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.
Full story >>

Kilinochchi athlete wins bronze in Colombo athletic meet

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 May 2004, 13:14 GMT]
Miss. Seevaratnam Tharani, student of Akkarayan Maha Vidiyalayam in Kilinochchi district, won the bronze medal for the Shot Putt event under 16 years of age in the three-day National Junior Schools Athletic Meet held in Colombo Sugathathasa Sports Stadium, which was concluded Sunday. Miss.Tharani was the only competitor who won a place in the meet from the northeast province. She participated in the national level meet as a member of the team nominated by the Kilinochchi District Athletic Association, sources said.
Full story >>

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.


Full story >>

LTTE’s political advisor heads to London

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 May 2004, 07:18 GMT]
Mr. Anton Balasingham, political advisor to the Liberation Tigers, left Kilinochchi Friday morning after concluding extensive consultations with Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan and senior officials of the LTTE regarding the resumption and continuation of peace talks with the Government of Sri Lanka. He will leave for London Friday evening, LTTE officials in Kilinochchi said.


Full story >>

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.
Full story >>

Japanese envoy visits Jaffna, Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 May 2004, 18:21 GMT]
Jaffna district intelligentsia Tuesday made an appeal to the Japanese government not to grant any aid to Sri Lankan government until a permanent political solution is found for the Tamil national question. A delegation of academics led by Jaffna University Vice Chancellor, Professor C.Mohanadas, Tuesday told the visiting Japanese ambassador in Sri Lanka, Mr.Akisuda, that Tamils in the northeast province have not been allowed by the government in power to enjoy the benefits of the ceasefire now holding in the country since February 22, 2002.
Full story >>

‘Let’s discuss ISGA first’, LTTE tells Kumaratunga

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 May 2004, 13:12 GMT]
Mr. Anton Balasingham, political advisor to the Liberation Tigers said Tuesday that the LTTE have suggested that their proposal for an Interim Self Governing Authority should be taken up for negotiations first, responding to a suggestion by the Sri Lankan President conveyed through the Norwegian foreign minister to the LTTE leadership Tuesday that there should be parallel talks towards a permanent settlement to the island’s ethnic conflict. He said that President Kumaratunga has accepted the LTTE as the sole representatives of the Tamil people.
Full story >>

SLA, LTTE agree to develop procedures to prevent killings in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 May 2004, 10:30 GMT]
The Sri Lanka army and the Liberation Tigers Tuesday agreed in Batticaloa to “develop mechanisms to ensure information sharing and quick reaction procedures to prevent serious crimes and to ensure proper procedures to apprehend individuals perpetrating serious crimes”. The meeting was arranged amidst killings that threatened to jeopardize the cease-fire agreement between LTTE and Colombo. Col. Thambirajah Ramesh, led the LTTE delegation to the meeting with the SLA at the Vavunathivu divisional secretariat, 5 kilometres, northwest of Batticaloa town.
Full story >>

Norwegian foreign minister meets Pirapaharan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 May 2004, 07:32 GMT]
Norway’s Foreign Minister Jan Petersen met Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of the Liberation Tigers and his political advisor, Mr. Anton Balasingham in Kilinochchi Tuesday to discuss issues relating to the resumption of peace talks with the Government of Sri Lanka. The Norwegian foreign minister was accompanied by his deputy Mr. Vidar Helgesen and Norway’s ambassador for Sri Lanka, Mr. Hans Brattskar.


Full story >>

Petersen to meet Pirapaharan in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 May 2004, 02:47 GMT]
The Norwegian Foreign Minister, Mr.Jan Petersen, and his deputy, Mr. Vidar Helgesen, are scheduled to leave Colombo for Kilinochchi Tuesday morning to meet the LTTE leadership for discussions on issues related to resuming the suspended peace talks, Presidential secretariat sources said.


Full story >>

Norwegian Foreign Minister arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 May 2004, 14:51 GMT]
Norwegian Foreign Minister Mr.Jan Peterson with his deputy Mr. Vidar Helgessen arrived in Colombo Monday afternoon to hold discussions with Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge and the leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to work out modalities to resume the stalled peace talks, political sources said.
Full story >>

Balasingham arrives in Kilinochchi, meets Pirapaharan

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 May 2004, 05:45 GMT]
Mr. Anton Balasingham, political advisor to the Liberation Tigers, arrived in Kilinochchi Friday morning around 8 a.m. for consultations with Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan on resuming peace talks with the Government of Sri Lanka. He was received by the head of the LTTE’s political division, Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, Mr. B. Nadesan, chief of the Tamil Eelam Police Service and head of the Thamil Eelam Judiciary, Mr. E. Pararajasingham.
Full story >>