No progress on Humanitarian issues, CFA- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 October 2006, 18:07 GMT]
First day of talks in Geneva between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers, focusing on the urgent humanitarian issues and the re-opening of A9 concluded without the parties agreeing to any measures to relieve the humanitarian crisis in the Tamil homeland, Liberation Tigers Political Head S.P Thamilchelvan told TamilNet.
Full story >>

Talks should address democracy, human rights, development- GoSL

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 October 2006, 12:43 GMT]
Expressing hopes that the talks will build the "required atmosphere and move the country forward to the realization of a just and honorable peace," Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, in the opening speech on behalf of Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) Saturday morning said, GoSL's APC is "formulating a political and constitutional framework for the resolution of the national question." He said that despite provocations of the LTTE, GoSL is continuing the dialogue, and cautioned "LTTE not to consider GoSL's commitment to the peace process as a sign of weakness."
Full story >>

Peace process depends on ceasefire implementation - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 October 2006, 10:49 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers called Saturday for the full implementation of the February 2002 ceasefire agreement (CFA), saying "such actions will bring normalcy in the lives of our people, and help in taking forward the peace process towards a satisfactory conclusion." Addressing the opening session of the Norwegian facilitated negotiations in Geneva, LTTE's Political Head, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, said: "the best we can hope for from the current talks is therefore, the strengthening of the CFA agreement that has the potential to lead to a permanent, just peace in this island."
Full story >>

TNA appeals to UN: "GoSL uses Humanitarian crisis as tool of war"

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 October 2006, 06:36 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) consisting 22 out of the 23 Tamil members elected to Sri Lankan Parliament from the NorthEast, in an appeal to the United Nations High Commissioners for Human Rights and Refugees, said that the Government of Sri Lanka was using the humanitarian crisis as a tool of war. Detailing the humanitarian situation prevailing in all the districts of NorthEast, the TNA charged that the GoSL was engaged in a policy to drive the Tamil civilian population out of the Trincomalee District. The TNA's appeal to UN comes a day before the talks in Geneva.
Full story >>

TNA urges LTTE to prioritize opening of A9, warns humanitarian catastrophe in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 October 2006, 18:34 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in an urgent letter to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Thursday, noting that the humanitarian situation in Jaffna has reached critical levels since the closure of the A9 highway, appealed the Tigers to take-up the opening of the A9 highway as a matter of top priority at the forthcoming talks in Geneva. Sri Lanka Army conrolled Jaffna, with 653,755 persons, requires 11,000 Metric tons of food supplies per month. For the last three months, only 14,000 Metric tons of food items had been sent by ship, the short fall is 19,000 Metric tons. The fuel that is currently available is grossly inadequate.
Full story >>

JVP's counselors on de-merger as advisors to GoSL delegation

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 October 2006, 14:11 GMT]
H.L. de Silva and Gomin Dayasiri, two of the three counselors for the JVP petition that led to the recent ruling by Sri Lanka Supreme court on NorthEast de-merger, arrived in Geneva as legal advisors to the Sri Lankan delegation.
Full story >>

Jaffna faces humanitarian catastrophe

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 October 2006, 12:24 GMT]
Closure of A9, the only trunk road to Jaffna from rest of Sri Lanka, more than 10 weeks ago, has halted the flow of essential food provisions, and medical supplies to Jaffna Peninsula, and if urgent steps are not taken, the residents will face severe humanitarian crisis, civil society leaders in Jaffna warned Monday. Jaffna residents face malnutrition and imminent starvation; and shortage of medical supplies and doctors, have wreaked havoc with the peninsula's fragile health care system, hospital and Non Governmental Organizations (NGO) sources said.
Full story >>

Nimalarajan remembered by Jaffna Journalists

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 October 2006, 00:05 GMT]
North Lanka Journalist Association (NLJA) assisted by Jaffna journalists observed 6th death anniversary of Mylvaganam Nimalarajan, BBC correspondent and a senior journalist, Thursday, civil society sources in Jaffna said. Members of the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) are widely believed to have been responsible for the 19 October 2000 killing.
Full story >>

US diplomat meets Rajapakse, Wickremasinghe, Hakim

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 October 2006, 16:19 GMT]
Richard Boucher, US Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asian Affairs Thursday held discussions with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse. The discussions were centred on the proposed peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and on human rights situation in the country, diplomatic sources in Colombo said.
Full story >>

GoSL urged to ensure legal basis for merged NE before November 7

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 October 2006, 14:05 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance Parliamentary Group on Thursday in the Sri Lankan Parliament, urged the Government of Sri Lanka to immediately take the necessary action to validly restore the Status Quo Ante pertaining to the constitution of the North-East as one Unit. "Failure to take immediate steps to validly merge the Northern and Eastern Provinces as one Unit, will permanently shut the door on the possibilities of finding a solution within one country." The TNA has urged the Sri Lankan Government to respond favorably by the 7th of November 2006 the latest.


Full story >>

US top official arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 October 2006, 08:52 GMT]
US Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asian Affairs, Richard Boucher, arrived in Colombo Thursday around 9:50 a.m. on a two day visit. Mr. Boucher will discuss with the leaders of the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) matters related to the peace process, human rights, and access to conflict areas, diplomatic sources said.
Full story >>

TNA boycotts SL parliament protesting NE merger ruling

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 October 2006, 08:49 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Thursday morning walked out of the Sri Lanka's parliament in protest of the Supreme Court ruling that the temporary merger of the North and East provinces was illegal and violated Sri Lanka's constitution. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam in a statement to the parliament Thursday said his party would boycott the sittings of the parliament until the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) reveals its stand on the merger decision, parliamentary sources said.


Full story >>

Co-chairs must act to stop war- Gajendrakumar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 October 2006, 18:30 GMT]
"Co-chairs and the International community should go beyond making statements by taking concrete steps to pressure the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to stop waging an aggressive war and to compel the GoSL to engage in meaningful talks with the Liberation Tigers," said Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, at a press meet held Thursday morning in Colombo Renuka Hotel, TNA sources in Colombo said.
Full story >>

"Cease violence, foster a conducive environment for talks," US urges GoSL, LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 October 2006, 11:43 GMT]
The United States is deeply concerned that ongoing violence in Sri Lanka is putting the agreement to return to talks in Geneva in October 28-29 at risk, the US Embassy in Colombo said in a press release issued on Wednesday. "We call on both sides to cease hostilities immediately and foster an environment that is conducive to holding productive discussions in Geneva," the statement said.
Full story >>

Bauer to visit Colombo next week

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 October 2006, 01:26 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Jon Hanssen Bauer is expected to visit Colombo next week to meet government and LTTE leaders to finalize arrangement for the proposed peace talks scheduled for October 28 and 29 in Geneva, Colombo media sources said.
Full story >>

Co-Chairs' ambassadors meet Sri Lanka's President

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 October 2006, 09:31 GMT]
Co-Chairs' ambassadors in Colombo Monday morning met with Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse and expressed their concern about the continuous hostilities between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) troops and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) even after both parties agreed to resume peace talks during the later part of October. The meeting comes following an urgent LTTE warning to the truce monitors Saturday that Sri Lanka Army (SLA) was readying for an offensive in the Northern Front.
Full story >>

TNA urges International Community to prevail upon Colombo to cease violence

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 October 2006, 15:12 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in an urgent press release Sunday appealed to the International Community to prevail upon the Government of Sri Lanka to cease all military operations immediately and actively work towards creating a conducive atmosphere for the resumption of peace talks. Mavai S. Senathirajah MP, on behalf of the TNA Parliamentary Group said: "There can be little doubt that any such further offensive military operations by the GoSL will almost certainly result in the break-out of full scale war and a complete negation of the Ceasefire Agreement."
Full story >>

Political package to be prepared before GoSL-LTTE peace talks

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 October 2006, 16:04 GMT]
Political package for solving the ethnic crisis would be prepared by the All Party Conference (APC) before the peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which is scheduled to begin during the last week of October, APC Chairman Professor Tissa Vitarana said Saturday.
Full story >>

GoSL waging war against Tamils - Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 October 2006, 11:04 GMT]
The government of Sri Lanka is not fighting a war against the Liberation Tigers, but in reality is waging a war against the entire Tamil community in Sri Lanka, said R.Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian speaking in the parliament on Thursday during the debate on extending the emergency. Tamil people are under going severe hardship. If either the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) or the Joint Mechanism (JM) had been in place, the current difficult situations would not have arisen, he said.


Full story >>

LTTE Political Head writes to Norwegian facilitator

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 October 2006, 06:00 GMT]
The Political Head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, S.P. Thamilchelvan Friday sent an urgent letter to the Norwegian Special Envoy, Jon Hanssen-Bauer, informing the Norwegian facilitator on the LTTE stand following the Sri Lankan offensive in Vaharai. The LTTE decision to abide by the Co-Chairs call was a goodwill gesture, extended to the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL), the officials in Kilinochchi said alluding that the LTTE leadership's message was a reminder of the moral obligations bound with the call to cease the violence in creating a conducive environment for talks.
Full story >>