Norway-Sri Lanka exchange views on Thailand talks

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 April 2002, 17:41 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe and Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Vidar Helgessen Monday afternoon exchanged views on the agenda for peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which is scheduled to take place in Thailand in May or June, sources said.
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CWC supports self-determination demand -Thondaman

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 April 2002, 14:42 GMT]
"The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) have come to an understanding to work together for the resolution of the Tamil national question", said Mr.Arumugam Thondaman, a UNF government minister Sunday. Mr.Thondaman, CWC leader met reporters at the Katunayake International Airport lounge Sunday afternoon on his return from LTTE held town of Killinochchi in the Vanni region.
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SLMC, LTTE sign agreement, plan more meetings

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 April 2002, 19:26 GMT]
(News Feature) Muslim leaders and the Liberation Tigers have signed an agreement to cooperate on affairs related to Sri Lanka's Muslim community, the head of the largest Muslim party told a press conference Saturday. Mr. Rauf Hakeem, leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and a delegation from his party flew to the LTTE-held town of Kilinochchi on Saturday morning for discussions with an LTTE delegation headed by the movement's leader, Mr. Vellupillai Pirapaharan.
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"LTTE-TNA decide to work united"-Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 April 2002, 18:47 GMT]
"The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have accepted the need to work unitedly,"said Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the TNA parliamentary group Saturday evening in a statement on his return to Colombo from Vanni. Mr.Sampanthan told Tamilnet that the three and a half hour meeting with the LTTE leader was a historic event.
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Norwegian Deputy FM arrives Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 April 2002, 09:47 GMT]
Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Mr.Vidar Helgesen arrived Colombo Saturday to hold crucial talks with the Sri Lanka government and LTTE's leadership. Mr.Helgessen is expected to meet the Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe on 15th April Monday to take forward the peace process, ruling party sources said. Mr.Helgesen will meet the LTTE leader Mr.V.Pirapaharan on April 17 in the northern Vanni.
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US welcomes Pirapaharan's comments

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 April 2002, 22:36 GMT]
In a statement issued by its embassy in Colombo Friday, the United States welcomed comments by the Liberation Tigers' leader Mr. Vellupillai Pirapaharan expressing his support for the Norwegian peace initiative. Mr. Pirapaharan made his comments at a press conference held Wednesday in Kilinochchi.
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Best hope for permanent peace ever -Ranil

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 April 2002, 18:19 GMT]
The chances for peace are better than ever, said Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Friday. "The hope for permanent peace has been built which is not witnessed before in this country," said the Prime Minister, addressing a conference at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall designed to educate the newly elected heads of local government institutions in the south.
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Sri Lanka, Norway welcome Pirapaharan's comments

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 April 2002, 11:18 GMT]
Welcoming remarks made by Mr. Vellupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of the Liberation Tigers, that he was satisfied with the progress of the Norwegian peace process, Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe said his government would favourably consider the LTTE's demand for deproscription. The Norwegian government also Thursday welcomed Mr. Pirapaharan's comments.
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Pirapaharan commits to peace, self determination

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 April 2002, 09:30 GMT]
(News Feature) It was reportedly the largest media event ever held in the island. The scale of the international and local media interest reflected the impact Mr. Vellupillai Pirapaharan has on Sri Lanka’s politics. His first press conference in over a decade - announced just a week in advance - drew almost six hundred reporters, photographers and cameramen from around the world to the war devastated town of Kilinochchi.
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LTTE political group arrives Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 April 2002, 15:40 GMT]
Four members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam arrived east port town of Trincomalee, Tuesday around noon by sea from Mutur. The LTTE members led by Trincomalee district political administrative secretary Mr.Iynkaran were given an emotional welcome when they landed at the town civilian jetty.
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LTTE invites CWC, UPF leaders for talks

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 April 2002, 19:03 GMT]
The hill country Tamil political leaders have been invited by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for talks on the peace process. The talks will be held on April 14 in the northern Vanni region, political sources said.
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Norway's Ambassador visits Vanni

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 April 2002, 17:45 GMT]
The Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Jon Westborg, and the leader of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Mr.Trond Furuhoved arrived in Kilinochchi in the northern Vanni region, Saturday morning, in a Sri Lanka Air Force helicopter, 'Thamil Eelam Vanoli', the commercial service of the Voice of Tigers said in its news broadcast this evening.
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Pirapaharan to meet Muslim leaders

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 April 2002, 08:29 GMT]
Mr Velupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) assisted by Mr Anton Balasingham, the organisation’s political strategist and advisor will meet the Muslim leaders soon in Vanni to discuss various issues affecting the Muslim community in the northeast.
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Pirapaharan to hold international press conference

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 April 2002, 16:19 GMT]
Mr. Vellupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), assisted by Mr. Anton Balasingham, the LTTE's chief negotiator and political advisor, will be conducting a press conference on April 10 to discuss current political developments and associated issues, the movement, said in a press release Wednesday.
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Norway minister in Vanni on 17 April – VoT

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 April 2002, 08:24 GMT]
The Deputy Foreign Minister of Norway Mr.Vidar Helgesen will visit the Vanni on 17 April to meet the leader of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. Pirapaharan, the Voice of Tigers radio said. He will hold discussions and arrive at decisions on direct negotiations between the LTTE and Colombo, according to the radio. The Norwegian ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Jon Westborg and an embassy official flew to Puthukkudiyiruppu in the district of Mullaithivu in a Sri Lanka Air Force helicopter Tuesday morning to discuss the arrangements regarding the meeting between the Norwegian minister and the leader of the Liberation Tigers.
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Vadamarachchi public urge army camps' removal from schools, temples

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 March 2002, 11:57 GMT]
Several people's organisations have appealed to the Sri Lanka Army to vacate two Hindu temples, one church, two schools and about twenty houses in Vadamarachchi area in the Jaffna district, according to the cease-fire agreement signed by Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe and the LTTE leader, Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan last month.
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Negotiations to resume soon - LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 March 2002, 12:14 GMT]
Political negotiations between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers will resume soon when the terms and conditions of the permanent ceasefire agreement between the two sides are implemented and conditions of normalcy are restored in the Tamil homeland, LTTE sources told TamilNet Tuesday.
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Balasingham returns to Vanni

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 March 2002, 10:22 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers' chief negotiator and political strategist, Mr. Anton Balasingham, returned to the Vanni Monday, arriving from the Maldives in a seaplane which landed on the Iranamadu irrigation tank in the LTTE controlled region. Accompanied by his wife, Adele, and an official from the Norwegian Embassy in Colombo, Mr. Balasingham was upon arriving met by the LTTE's leader, Mr. Vellupillai Pirapaharan, head of the movementís political section, Mr. Thamil Chelvan and senior LTTE military commanders.
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Thamileelam Police celebrates decade of service

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 March 2002, 13:33 GMT]
The Police Service of Thamil Eelam, which is responsible for maintaining law and order in the regions held by the Liberation Tigers, celebrated the tenth year of its founding in Puthukudiyiruppu Saturday, according to a press note issued by the Tamileelam News and Information Service.
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Fifty thousand at Trinco 'Pongu Tamil'

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 March 2002, 16:57 GMT]
(News Feature) More than fifty thousand people thronged the eastern port town of Trincomalee to attend the 'Pongu Tamil' (Tamil upsurge) rally held Tuesday, urging the Sri Lankan government to lift the ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and to recognise the Tamil people's right to self-determination.
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