American Tamils condemn killing of Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 November 2007, 02:19 GMT]
Describing the death of S.P Thamilchelvan, the political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and its chief negotiator, as "an irreparable loss to both the Tamil nation and the peace process," consortium of Tamil organizations in the U.S., in a press release issued Monday, urged the international community to "charter a new course that guarantees the basic human rights of all individuals and the equality of all nations in the island of Sri Lanka."
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‘Peace needs a paradigm shift in international approaches’

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 November 2007, 00:18 GMT]
"A striking sentiment perceivable on stage and among the audience at the gathering in Olso to pay tribute to Thamilchelvan, was righteous indignation about the lopsided morality of International Community, in not responding effectively to the killing of an important political personality," K. Sivapalan, a senior attorney-at-law from Trincomalee, who attended the gathering in Oslo on Saturday, told TamilNet.
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Thamilchelvan funeral Monday

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 November 2007, 23:07 GMT]
The state funeral of S. P. Thamilchelvan, the head of the Liberation Tigers’ Political Wing and the movement’s Chief Negotiator, who was killed Friday in a targeted airstrike by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) will be held in Kilinochchi Monday, LTTE officials in Vanni told TamilNet. Tens of thousands of people paid their respects Saturday and Sunday as Mr Thamilchelvan’s body was taken in procession to the twelve sectors (Koaddams) of the LTTE-administered Vanni. In a notice emailed Sunday, LTTE published an email address for condolence messages to be sent.
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Bauer pays tributes to Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 November 2007, 15:45 GMT]
Jon Hanssen Bauer, the Norwegian special envoy for the peace process in Sri Lanka, on Saturday paid tributes to Liberation Tigers Political Head and Chief Negotiator S. P. Thamilchelvan. Stating that Mr. Thamilchelvan's role was important not only for Norway, but also for other countries, Mr. Bauer said Thamilchelvan was a patient man in explaining the rightful demands of Tamils and he was a moderate person within the LTTE, one who sought political alternatives.
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UNP hails Thamilchelvan killing, slams LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 November 2007, 21:25 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party (UNP) has hailed the killing of LTTE Political Head and Chief Negotiator, S. P. Thamilchelvan, in a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) airstrike on his official residence Friday as “a victorious moment.” Praising the Air Force, UNP spokesman Lakshman Kireiella said it was not possible to talk peace with the LTTE.
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'Sinhala nation has killed our dove of peace' - LTTE Leader Pirapaharan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 November 2007, 17:08 GMT]
The Sinhala nation has taken the life of a political leader "deeply loved by the Tamil speaking world" and "greatly respected by the international community," said Velupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of Liberation Tigers, in a message to the Tamil people on Saturday, following the demise of LTTE's Political Head and Chief Negotiator, Brigadier S. P. Thamilchelvan. "I raised him as a great commander, an unparalleled political head, a diplomat who communicated with the entire world, and a skilled negotiator," Mr. Pirapaharan said. "Buried within his beautiful smile, I recognized, right from the beginning, a thousand profound meanings, his abilities, and his leadership qualities."
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Thamilchelvan's assassination a major setback to Sri Lanka - NPC

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 November 2007, 13:03 GMT]
The National Peace Council (NPC), a Colombo based peace group, condemning the air attack assassination of Liberation Tigers Political Head and Chief Negotiator S.P. Thamilchelvan, Saturday said the assassination of the high profile personality, who had to walk a thin line between the LTTE's military interests and political realities, was a major setback to any possibility of a return to the negotiating table. Expressing fear of the danger of retaliation in a like or more severe manner, the NPC said it was dismayed that three decades of bitter experience has not taught the leaders of the country that the military option is a high cost and inhumane one unbefitting of a democratic society.
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Karunanidhi laments the death of Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 November 2007, 11:43 GMT]
Seen as a significant gesture, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and veteran leader of Tamils, M. Karunanidhi, condoled the demise of Thamilchelvan on Saturday. Kalaignar Karunanidhi, quite typical of his style, used the medium of poetry and pun to pass a subtle message that the Tamils of Sri Lanka haven't gone brotherless. The Chief Minister's emotion-filled condolence gains significance in the background of a prevailing impression that the government of India is fully backing the war efforts of the government of Sri Lanka aiming for a military solution to the ethnic crisis in the island.
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Thousands pay homage to slain LTTE political cadres in Vanni

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 November 2007, 09:43 GMT]
Thousands of Kilinochchi residents, and LTTE officials and cadres gathered at Ki'linochchi Cultural Hall Saturday morning to pay their last respects to the five political cadres slain along with Brigadier S. P. Tamilchelvan, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Political Head, in the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) aerial bombing on ki'linochchi Friay. Tamileelam Police Chief P. Nadesan and Senior Commander Col. Balraj paid homage at the event, sources in Ki'linochchi said.
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Erik Solheim concerned for consequences

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 November 2007, 07:01 GMT]
Erik Solheim, the Norwegian International Development Minister and facilitator for the peace process in Sri Lanka, who was apparently uneasy over the killing of Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan, has said that he was deeply concerned about the consequences of the present escalation of war in Sri Lanka, the NTB news agency of Norway reported Friday. Characterizing the death a big loss, Mr. Erik Solheim further said that Mr. Thamilchelvan was an important contact point between the LTTE and Norway in the facilitation of the peace process.
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LTTE leader pays respects to slain political head

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 November 2007, 18:37 GMT]
Velupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE), paid his respects to slain Political Head and Chief Negotiator, Brigadier S. P. Thamilchelvan Friday evening.
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Nadesan appointed new Political Head of the LTTE

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 November 2007, 16:10 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) leader V. Pirapaharan has appointed B. Nadesan as the new Political Head following the demise of Brigadier S.P. Thamilchelvan, according to Irasiah Ilanthiryan, LTTE's military spokesman.
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Jubilant Sri Lanka threatens to wipe Tigers out

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 November 2007, 13:27 GMT]
Hailing the Air Force bombing raid Friday which killed the Tamil Tigers chief negotiator and Political Wing head, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan and five other LTTE officials, Sri Lankan Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa said his government would kill other LTTE leaders ‘one by one’. Sources said he made his comments, quoted by Reuters, at a celebratory meeting at Temple Trees, the official residence of President Mahinda Rajapakse, who is also Mr. Gotabaya’s brother. Meanwhile, the Colombo stock market soared on news of the deaths.
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'Targeted killing of LTTE Chief Negotiator shatters hopes for peace' - TNA

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 November 2007, 11:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s largest Tamil political party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Friday expressed its shock at the killing in a government airstrike of Mr S. P. Thamilchelvan the LTTE’s Chief Negotiator and head of its Political Wing and five other LTTE officials. The TNA said the targeted killing of the LTTE’s Chief Negotiator underlined President Mahinda Rajapakse’s insincerity towards a negotiated solution, the TNA also said.
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Thamilchelvan killed in SLAF air attack

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 November 2007, 07:27 GMT]
S.P. Thamilchelvan, Liberation Tigers Political Head was killed in Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) aerial bombardment Friday morning in Ki'linochchi. The Head Quarters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) in a press communique said it was conveying the loss of Brigadier Thamilchelvan with profound sadness to the people of Tamil Eelam, the Tamil Diaspora and the Global Community. The Sri Lanka Air Force attack has specifically targeted the residence of the members of the Political Division.
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APRC on hiatus

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 October 2007, 12:56 GMT]
Despite claims by Colombo media in early August that the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) formed by Sri Lanka's President Rajapakse has met with "sudden death," amid opposition from SLFP, MEP and the JHU to the "unit of devolution" ahead of the Committee report deadline of 15 August, the APRC discussions were resurrected; the latest on the resilient APRC is that after the 51st sitting on the 23rd October, the APRC is taking a 2 month recess, reports from Colombo said. The current status: APRC is "exploring the possibility of reaching consensus among the political parties on power sharing."
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Sri Lankan minister contradicts diplomatic immunity of SLMM

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 October 2007, 08:20 GMT]
Sri Lankan Defense spokesman and a Cabinet Minister, Keheliya Rambukwelle, at the weekly press briefing in Colombo on Friday warned the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that their officials and vehicles would be checked at any checkpoints when they travel North. The Sri Lankan minister, by his statement on Friday, has contradicted the diplomatic immunity, provided to the SLMM according to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a well-placed diplomat in Colombo said.
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SLA blocks SLMM officials at Oamanthai border

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 October 2007, 06:58 GMT]
Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Northern Region officials scheduled to meet Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) officials in Ki'linochchi Thursday noon were blocked from crossing the Oamanthai entry point by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) due to new instructions from Colombo, General Secretary of Liberation Tigers Peace Secretariat, S. Puleedevan, told TamilNet. By refusing entry to the SLMM, Colombo was trying to block the information flow between the SLMM and the LTTE, he charged. Meanwhile, SLMM sources said the monitors had returned after being informed of new routines that involved going through a body check, inspection of vehicles and early enlistment of travelers.
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LTTE's patience intentional - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 September 2007, 08:18 GMT]
"Without caring for International policies and passive requests, the Government of Sri Lanka is continuing its genocidal war against the Tamil people. The concerns raised by the International Community have failed to make any dent on the ethnic cleansing by Colombo government which has proved itself a terrorist-state. Some International governments, without understanding realities, give aid to the deceitful purposes of the Sinhala government, which will only escalate the island's ethnic conflict to hitherto unseen heights," said LTTE's Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan in an exclusive interview to TamilNet on Wednesday.
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Bishop Malcolm Ranjith refutes press reports over his meeting with Rajapaksa

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 September 2007, 01:26 GMT]
Bishop Rt. Rev. Dr. Malcom, the secretary of the Congregation of Divine Worship of the Vatican, who visited Vanni Thursday to meet Liberation Tigers Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan, has refuted press reports in Colombo which said that the Bishop had appreciated the Sri Lankan president for his measures to "wipe out terrorism," when he met the SL president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, Monday. "I never said I appreciated anything connected with the war. I did not go for the meeting with the President to say such things," Bishop Malcolm dismissed the media reports in Colombo. "I don't appreciate war mongering or any violence," he futher told the reporters in Ki'linochchi.
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