Buddhist rituals mark Kadirgamar's State Funeral

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 August 2005, 15:55 GMT]
The funeral of slain Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was held with full state honours at the Independence Square at 6 p.m. Monday. Late Kadirgamer's son Ravi lit the funeral pyre after sunset according to Buddhist tradition. Several thousand people paid their last respects as the remains of kadirgamar was taken in procession to the Independence Square from his official residence at the Wijerama Mawatha. From the beginning of the drive of the Independence square to the venue where the funeral orations were made by the religious leaders and the Prime minister on behalf of the Sri Lanka government, the military parade accompanied the cortage.
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Rights group questions Colombo's bonafides in imposing ER

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 August 2005, 13:01 GMT]
Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) based in New Delhi issued a press release Saturday saying, "the declaration of a state of national emergency does not make Sri Lankan government look more committed to nab the criminals but fraud with dangerous repercussions for civil liberties," following the assassination of Mr Lakshman Kadirgamar, further expressed its concerns on "the declaration of a state of emergency in Sri Lanka under slightest pretexts in clear violations of the obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Sri Lanka is a ratifying party."
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CFA, P-TOMS discussed in Helgesen, Kumaratunga meeting

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 August 2005, 07:54 GMT]
The Norwegian Depurty Foreign Minister and the facilitator of the peace process Mr. Vidar Helgesen met Sri Lanka's President Ms. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga at her official residence Thursday night, Presidential Secretariat sources said. The Norwegian Deputy FM discussed the current state of the peace process with the SL President along with the issues which confront the implementation of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA). Mr. Helgesen also discussed the issues related to the scuttled P-TOMS deal, sources added. The meeting which began at 9 p.m. continued till 10.30 p.m. The Norwegian Deputy FM is visiting Kilinochchi Friday to meet the LTTE's Political Head Mr. S.P.Thamilchelvan.
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Presidential election controversy goes to court

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 July 2005, 15:46 GMT]
Mr.Dharmadasa Gomes, Attorney-at-Law Friday filed a petition in the Court of Appeal to order the Commissioner of Elections to declare the date of the Sri Lankan Presidential election citing Commissioner of Elections Mr.Dayananda Dissanayake, and Attorney General Mr.K.C.Kamalasbaeyson, as respondents, state run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation reported in its Friday night news bulletin quoting legal sources.
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Tamil convention demands immediate withdrawal of SL military

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 July 2005, 14:45 GMT]
Proclaiming that an environment must be created to enable Tamils to decide their political destiny, the Tamil National Resurgence Convention held in Vavuniya, demanded that the occupying Sinhala forces must vacate the land and seas of the NorthEast with immediate effect. The proclamation concluded urging the International Community to recognise the "basic rights and life of freedom with peace on the basis of our traditional homeland, our nationhood and self rule and struggle for sovereignty."


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SLFP to announce candidate for SL Presidency

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 July 2005, 04:18 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Ms.Chandrika Kumaratunge is likely to announce the names of candidates for President of Sri Lanka and the post of Prime Minister of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) at the central working committee of the SLFP which is scheduled to be held on Thursday or Friday, government sources said.
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More than 200 000 participate in UNP march, Colombo at standstill

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 July 2005, 08:20 GMT]
The final lap of the protest march organised by the opposition United National Party (UNP) drew around two hundred thousand anti-government protesters in Colombo on Tuesday as it reached the final destination. The protest demanding the UPFA Government and President Chandrika Kumaratunge to hold the Presidential polls this year crippled the traffic in Colombo city. The march commenced at 9 am in Dehiwala along the main Galle road was led towards Lipton's circle in the heart of Colombo. Armed forces and the Police were deployed to guard Government institutions and departments which remained closed. Routes leading to the President's residence were shut down.
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UNP march reaches Dehiwela

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 July 2005, 10:46 GMT]
"Sri Lanka's President and the Government have ruined the peace process, which the United National Party (UNP) started, and have brought Sri Lanka to the brink of war. The term of office of President ends this year and the electorate should be given the opportunity to elect a new President this year," said UNP and opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at Panadura inauguration of his party's Janabala Meheyuma (Operation People's Power) meeting. Tenth day of the UNP foot march is expected to reach Dehiwela Monday evening.
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UNP's foot march continues for second day

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 July 2005, 11:52 GMT]
162 km long foot march organized by the main opposition United National Party (UNP), which began Saturday morning from the Vishnu Shrine, Dondra head in south of Sri Lanka, arrived Koggala Sunday evening. UNP organized the march called "Peoples Power Movement " demanding that Presidential election must be held in 2005. Protesters also demanded that the United Peoples Front Alliance government must reduce the cost of living. The first phase started from Dondra and concluded at Mirrisa from where the second phase started Sunday morning.
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JVP to take legal action against P-TOMS

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 June 2005, 09:11 GMT]
"We contemplate to take legal action against the Joint Mechanism agreement as it is signed violating the constitution of the country", said Mr.Wimal Weeravanse, parliamentary group leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) at a press briefing held in the Committee Room of the parliamentary complex held Friday, sources said.
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Colombo tense, Norwegian Ambassador to visit Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 June 2005, 02:44 GMT]
Security has been tightened in Colombo as the city remained tensed amidst anticipated signing of aid deal Friday, sources in Colombo said. While Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunge kept the details of Friday's planned events private, informed sources said, Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr Hans Brattskar, is expected to travel to Kilinochchi to meet Mr S P Thamilchelvan, Political Head of the Liberation Tigers at 12.45 pm, indicating that signing of the aid deal is imminent. The sources in Colombo added that a "Deputy-level" official in the Ministry of Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation will sign the agreement on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka.
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TNA, UNP discuss aid deal

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 June 2005, 17:15 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Sunday appealed to the main opposition United National Party (UNP) to openly declare its full support to the joint mechanism proposal and to insist that the Sri Lanka Government sign the agreement before tabling it in the parliament. TNA parliamentary delegation led by its leader Mr.R.Sampanthan met with Opposition Leader Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, Sunday afternoon and held discussions regarding the current political crisis following the withdrawal of the Sinhala Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) from the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, TNA sources said.
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Aid deal not final, says Kumaratunga

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 June 2005, 10:28 GMT]
Responding to a letter from the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) which listed JVP's reasons for quitting the alliance, Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunga said Thursday that a final document for the Joint Mechanism has not been formulated. She added that the proposed mechanism does not go beyond the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) signed by Ranil Wickremesinghe and that the mechanism will not in any way jeopardize the sovereignty or integrity of Sri Lanka. Political observers in Colombo noted that as no time frame has been fixed for signing the proposal, more political maneuvering and delay in finalizing the aid deal can be expected.
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Government stays, but will its power? - paper

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 June 2005, 17:38 GMT]
Despite the exit of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a key Parliamentary ally, the stability of Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunga’s government is assured, not because of its inherent strength, but because none of the other parties want an election at this juncture, Jaffna's Uthayan newspaper argued in its editorial Thursday.
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Sri Lanka will accept India's Air Defence System- Kadirgamar

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 June 2005, 10:41 GMT]
"[India's Air Defence system] is very much under discussion. We will accept it. We are looking into means how it could be done," said Minister Kadirgamar at the joint press briefing at the Foreign Ministry office in Colombo Friday. Mr Natwar Singh, India's Foreign Minister concurred "Defence cooperation agreement is in the process of being finalised, we are going through some procedures." Senior Foreign Ministry officials of both countries were present at the briefing which was held soon after the 6th session of the Sri Lanka -India Joint Commission in Colombo.
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Indian FM Natwar Singh arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 June 2005, 13:22 GMT]
Mr. K.Natwar Singh, Indian External Affairs Minister, arrived in Colombo Thursday evening to attend the sixth session of the Indo-Sri Lanka Joint Commission scheduled to begin Friday. He told the press at the airport on his arrival that diplomatic relations between India and Sri Lanka will play a vital role in strengthening regional peace and stability.
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Indian External Affairs Minister to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 June 2005, 13:51 GMT]
Mr. K. Natwar Singh, the External Affairs Minister of India will lead his country's delegation to the 6th session of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission. He will arrive in Colombo on Thursday, 9 June, the Srilankan Government Information Department said in a press release, Wednesday.
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Thousands march in Pottuvil against buffer zone

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 June 2005, 16:16 GMT]
Around ten thousand protesters from all three communities from Pottuvil to Panama, jointly marched Monday morning from 8.00 AM to 12.00 AM demanding the removal of the 200 meter buffer zone. Demonstrators shouted slogans against the different restrictions, 38 meter buffer zone in Hambantota in the South as opposed to the 200 meter buffer zone imposed in NorthEast. The protest march organised by Pottuvil All Community Forum was backed up by a widely observed hartal. All shops in Pottuvil remained closed. Residents setup road blocks and burnt tires across major roads. Security was beefed up in Pottuvil by the Police, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the Special Task Force (STF) soldiers.
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Profile of a shadow war veteran

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 June 2005, 01:02 GMT]
The veteran intelligence officer, Lieutenant Colonel Nizam Muthaliff, was a central figure in the atrocity-punctuated paramilitary aspects of the counter-insurgency campaign against the LTTE in the early nineties then had a critical role in the deep penetration attacks on LTTE commanders and officials, the Tamil Guardian reported Wednesday.
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UNP in major drive for activists - paper

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 May 2005, 02:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP), which is gradually building up its campaign for the next presidential election, has launched a major campaign to mobilize a 150,000 strong activist force to bolster its vote base, Sunday Times reported this week.
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