War unavoidable if Norway suspends monitoring function - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 June 2006, 10:52 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Political Head S.P.Thamilchelvan, when asked what LTTE's reaction would be, if Norway, on 29 June, chose to suspend the monitoring role, responded that a such decision would signal an end to the already fragile ceasefire and plunge the island into war. Mr. Thamilchelvan further said that the Tigers responding to the questions posed by the facilitator Norway, had replied that they were fully prepared to continue providing diplomatic immunity to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) as a mission coordinated, facilitated and led by the Royal Norwegian Government.
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Aerial bombardment tantamounts to undeclared war, says Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 June 2006, 10:17 GMT]
S. P. Thamilchelvan, the political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Wednesday said the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) was yet to respond to LTTE's warning that the provocative air attacks, if continued, would be retaliated. "Aerial bombardment is interpreted as undeclared war on the Tamil nation," he told media after concluding a meeting with the Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar, clarifying the LTTE's response to Norway's five questions. "Colombo, obsessed with going to war with the Tamil Nation, has already begun to impose economic blockade on the Tamil homeland," LTTE's Political Head told media.
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Norway, Nordic countries to respond on 29 June - Brattskar in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 June 2006, 07:00 GMT]
The Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar, on Wednesday, discussed with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan on LTTE's response to Norway's request of clarifications, issued on 08 June, from the parties to the Ceasefire Agreement. Confirming that the parties to the CFA, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the LTTE, have submitted their responses to the five questions posed by Norway, Mr. Hans Brattskar told media that Norway, as facilitator, has to take note of LTTE's point of view, although Norway regretted the LTTE's stand to the continued engagement of EU Member States from Nordic countries in the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM).
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LTTE will be forced to retaliate, Thamilchelvan warns Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 June 2006, 09:54 GMT]
The LTTE has requested the Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and the peace facilitor Norway's Ambassador to Sri Lanka to convey a strong warning to Colombo of possible retaliation following the provocative aerial bombing by the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) in Mullaithivu, Kilinochchi, Batticaloa, and artillery fire towards LTTE territory from Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camps carried out during the last 2 days in violation of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA), LTTE Head of Political Wing, S.P. Thamilchelvan said in Kilinochchi Saturday.
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One-sided pressure will not work- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 June 2006, 09:45 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is prepared to demonstrate the power of balance and the parity of status beyond any doubt to the Sinhala polity, if the the deteriorating relationship between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE forces us to do so, said LTTE's Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan in Kilinochchi responding to a question on Oslo meeting, sources in Kilinochchi said. The Sri Lankan delegation walked out from the Oslo meeting on a dispute on parity of status.
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LTTE delegation leaves Zurich

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 June 2006, 01:39 GMT]
The LTTE delegation led by Head of Political Wing S.P.Thamilchelvan left for Kilinochchi from Zurich airport Tuesday afternoon after meeting several Swiss government officials, Tamil sources in Switzerland said. The delegation arrived in Switzerland Sunday after completing discussions with the Norwegian facilitators and with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Friday and meeting with the LTTE's Constitutional Affairs Committee Saturday. The non-cabinet level Sri Lanka delegation left Oslo mid-day Thursday after refusing to meet with a similar level group from the LTTE delegation.
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LTTE delegation arrives in Switzerland

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 June 2006, 02:47 GMT]
More than two hundred Swiss Tamils carrying Tamileelam National flag and flags of their adopted country Switzerland, welcomed the Liberation Tigers delegation at the Zurich Airport at 7:45 p.m. Sunday, Tamil sources in Swiss capital said. The LTTE delegation completed discussions with the Norwegian facilitators and with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Friday and met with the LTTE's Constitutional Affairs Committee Saturday. The non-cabinet level Sri Lanka delegation left Oslo mid-day Thursday after refusing to meet with a similar level group from the LTTE delegation.
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LTTE's Constitutional Affairs Committee meets in Oslo

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 June 2006, 15:59 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) delegation led by its Political Head, S.P. Thamilchelvan met in Oslo with legal experts from the Tamil diaspora, Saturday, Tamil sources from Oslo said. The discussions focussed on the status quo between the Sri Lankan and the LTTE forces, including the territorial sea rights, and formulated recommendations to the LTTE leadership on the future course of action on these matters. Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) during Friday's meeting had confirmed SLMM's position on sea-activities that officials of the SLMM will not travel on board the Sri Lankan vessels until the sea dispute is resolved between the parties.


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Sri Lanka's quick exit from Norway, a political blunder- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 June 2006, 15:07 GMT]
Sri Lanka delegation left Thorbjørnrud Hotel in Jevnaker, Oslo, mid day Thursday, boycotting talks scheduled to continue until Friday, after being present at the talks venue for only half a day. "Sri Lanka displaying crass exhibitionism, has abandoned all norms of diplomatic protocol by disrespecting the efforts of Norwegian facilitators by making a quick exit from Norway. It is a major political blunder," said S.P.Thamilchelvan speaking to reporters at 4:00 p.m. Friday, sources from Norway said.
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Undue emphasis on direct talks sidelined key issues - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 June 2006, 23:46 GMT]
Preoccupied with bringing Sri Lankan government and the LTTE delegations to face-face talks, Norwegian facilitators had placed less emphasis on engaging with key issues at stake, and more on convincing the two sides to sit opposite to each other, the head of the LTTE’s Political Wing, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, told reporters Thursday evening.
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Dispute over delegation makeup derails LTTE, GoSL meeting

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 June 2006, 18:22 GMT]
Head of the LTTE’s Political Wing, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, met top Norwegian officials and the head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) for over an hour Thursday evening. Mr. Thamilchelvan told TamilNet that the LTTE had come to Oslo to discuss the future of the SLMM with Norway. However, although Head of the LTTE’s Peace Secretariat, S. Puleedevan, was prepared to meet his counterpart, Palitha Kohona, heading the Sri Lankan delegation, but as Colombo continued to insist senior members of the LTTE be included in LTTE delegation, the LTTE-GoSL meeting did not take place, Thamilchelvan said.
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LTTE in discussions with Norway on SLMM - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 June 2006, 12:58 GMT]
The LTTE delegation in Oslo is involved in discussions with the Norwegian facilitators on key issues, including the role of international truce monitors, the head of the LTTE's Political Wing, S. P. Thamilchelvan said Thursday. Responding to media reports that the LTTE was refusing to sit with the Sri Lankan government (GoSL) delegation, Mr. Thamilchelvan said "discussions on the monitors at this crucial juncture would be productive and progressive when the [LTTE and government] delegations raise the issues separately with the Norwegian facilitators, giving room for them to devise approaches to resolve these issues."
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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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LTTE delegation meets Norwegian Development Minister

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 June 2006, 17:03 GMT]
The delegation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), headed by its Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan, on Tuesday, briefed the Norwegian International Development Minister, Erik Solheim, on the Tiger leadership's stand after Geneva-I talks, concerning the ground situation, the extra-judicial killings by the Sri Lankan armed forces and its paramilitaries, according to S. Puleedevan, the Director of LTTE's Peace Secretariat. The composition of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) with EU Member States, in a post EU-ban scenario, was also a topic raised at the meeting.
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LTTE delegation arrives in Oslo

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 June 2006, 23:06 GMT]
More than one hundred Norwegian Tamil activists were present at the Gardermoen International Airport Monday night to welcome the five member delegation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) headed by the Political Head of the LTTE, S. P. Thamilchelvan. The delegation, invited by the Norwegian facilitator to the peace process in Sri Lanka, to discuss the future engagement of the truce monitors, will also have meetings with the LTTE's Constitutional Affairs Committee that played a key role in formulating the blueprint for the Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA), informed sources said.
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LTTE delegation leaves Kilinochchi for Oslo

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 June 2006, 07:51 GMT]
A five member delegation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eealm (LTTE) headed by its Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan, left Kilinochchi Sunday to Oslo. Tamileelam Police Chief B. Nadesan, Director of LTTE's Peace Secretariat S. Puleedevan accompanied Thamilchelvan with two others, sources in Kilinochchi said.
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Tigers request diplomatic travel arrangements for Oslo meet

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 June 2006, 11:27 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers (LTTE) have agreed, in principle, to participate in discussions in Oslo this month with the Norwegian facilitator responsible for coordinating and facilitating the Scandinavian truce monitoring mission, the SLMM. "The timely participation is dependent on travel arrangements with diplomatic privileges being made available to the LTTE delegation through Sri Lanka's territory," LTTE Political Head told media in Kilinochchi Thursday.
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EU ban will impact the Peace Process - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 May 2006, 05:21 GMT]
Pointing out that the Liberation Tigers never pulled out from the Geneva-II talks and that it was the obstacles that the Government of Sri Lanka introduced after willfully changing the procedures for the inter-theater transfer of LTTE's military commanders that derailed Geneva-II, S.P. Thamilchelvan, Head of LTTE's Political Wing, said in an interview with TamilNet on Saturday that EU's ban will impact the functioning of the monitors from EU countries, and the "decommissioning or abdication of arms is non-negotiable."
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LTTE to reconsider CFA if EU bans the movement

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 May 2006, 10:18 GMT]
Liberation Tigers will be forced to reconsider the relevance of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) to the peace process, and LTTE's committment and adherence to the CFA, if the European Union carries out its threat of proscribing the LTTE, S.P. Thamilchelvan, Head of LTTE's Political Wing, told TamilNet after meeting Norwegian Special Peace Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer in Kilinochchi on Saturday.
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Brattskar meets Thamilchelvan in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 May 2006, 11:58 GMT]
Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Hans Brattskar met with S. P. Thamilchelvan, Political Head of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Tuesday around 9.00 a.m at the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi, and discussed the forthcoming visit of Erik Solheim, Norwegian Minister and peace envoy, and the present critical situation in Sri Lanka, said sources in Kilinochchi. Brattskar arrived in Kilinochchi after visiting the site of Allapiddy killings on Monday.


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