Onus on Colombo to create cordial atmosphere - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 April 2006, 12:26 GMT]
Accusing Sri Lanka Government of reneging on providing established modes of travel, and proposing impractical travel procedure that showed scant respect for the security of the Senior commanders of the Liberation Tigers, the Head of LTTE Political Wing, S.P. Thamilchelvan in an interview to TamilNet Thursday said that violence is likely to spiral out of control if Sri Lankan forces do not urgently stop killing Tamil civilians in NorthEast.
Full story >>

LTTE reiterates stand, says GoSL responsible for stalemate

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 April 2006, 10:04 GMT]
Political Head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), on Thursday reiterated LTTE's stand on safe travel of their eastern special commanders Col. Sornam and Col. Bhanu in preparation to the second session of the talks in Geneva, when he met the Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer at LTTE's Political Secretariat in Kilinochchi Thursday. The participation of the Tigers in Geneva Talks is entirely dependent upon GoSL, Thamilchelvan told the Norwegian Envoy, LTTE sources in Kilinochchi said.
Full story >>

CFA teaches belated political lesson to UPFA, says UNP MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 April 2006, 21:01 GMT]
United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian Dr. Jayalath Jayawardene, addressing a UNP press conference Wednesday in Colombo said that those in power in Sri Lanka today are facing the political reality and learning a hard lesson that proper implementation of the Cease Fire Agreement is a critical prerequisite if efforts to find solutions to the national problem are to make progress.
Full story >>

Talks possible only after hurdles are cleared - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 April 2006, 16:32 GMT]
LTTE Political Head S.P.Thamilchelvan on Sunday, in a letter to the Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar, informed that LTTE will not attend the Geneva Talks until the hurdles in front of the the LTTE to attend Geneva talks were removed and a more conducive enviornment created. He expressed the critical need for the LTTE leadership in Vanni to meet the eastern commanders before any future talks, and accused Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) for "acting in a manner that threatened the safety of LTTE commanders," thereby forcing the LTTE to cancel the sea-transport arrangement.
Full story >>

"Excessive SLN interference in total contradiction to SLMM arrangement" - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 April 2006, 08:27 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy imposed two new "rules" when the LTTE Commanders were preparing to board the civilian ferry facilitated by the SLMM, LTTE Political Head S.P.Thamilchelvan writes in an urgent letter to Major General Ulf Henricsson, Head of the scandinavian truce monitors Saturday. The "excessive interference" by the Sri Lankan Navy in the sea transport of LTTE commanders, was in total contradiction to the prior agreement with Maj. Gen. Ulf Henricsson, Mr. Thamilchelvan writes in his letter. The sea travel of the LTTE Commanders scheduled on Saturday was cancelled at the last moment in Mullaithivu.
Full story >>

State orchestrated violence raises spectre of 1983 pogrom- TNA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 April 2006, 01:26 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group in a scathing press release issued Friday accused the Sri Lanka Government of unleashing "State Terror" on Tamil speaking people with the intention of "ethnically cleansing" the Tamil dominated Trincomalee town
Full story >>

Colombo attempts to force LTTE withdrawal from Peace Talks - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 April 2006, 14:08 GMT]
Accusing the Sri Lanka Government of imposing impractical conditions as part of a deliberate attempt to force LTTE to withdraw from talks, Head of LTTE’s Political Division, S.P.Thamilchelvan said that recent one-sided actions by some members of the International community have encouraged Sri Lankan state to adopt a hardline stance and Sinhala extremists to unleash violence against Tamil community.
Full story >>

Talks in Geneva on 24, 25 April

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 April 2006, 13:50 GMT]
Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Friday that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have agreed on a short postponement of the peace talks in Geneva. New dates for the talks are 24-25 April 2006.
Full story >>

Henricsson to facilitate safe travel of Eastern LTTE Commanders

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 April 2006, 09:01 GMT]
The stalemate in the preparation to Geneva Talks ended Thursday as the Tiger leadership accepted the latest suggestion submitted by Major General Ulf Henricsson, Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, who assured safe travel of the Eastern LTTE Commanders in a civilian vessel without Sri Lanka Navy involvement. Maj. Gen. Henricsson will be on board the ferry on Saturday when the LTTE will be sending Acting Commanders to Eastern districts and transport Col. Sornam, the Trincomalee Commander of the LTTE and Col. Bhanu, the Batticaloa Commander to Mullaithivu.
Full story >>

TNA MPs, LTTE leaders pay respect to Vigneswaran in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 April 2006, 00:56 GMT]
"Tamil human rights activist Mr. V. Vigneswaran's assassination and those of 17 other Tamils in the period from November 2005 to January 2006 clearly shows that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) will never protect the human rights of the Tamils. Therefore we ourselves have to strive to protect our rights," said Rev. Fr. Kanagaratnam, Director North East Human Rights Secretariet (NEOSHR), paying homage to slain Mr. Vigneswaran whose body was kept for viewing at the Cultural Hall in Kilinochchi Monday, said sources.


Full story >>

Colombo's suggestion for sea transport, impractical - LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 April 2006, 12:37 GMT]
Liberation Tigers' Political Head Mr. S.P.Thamilchelvan, rejecting Colombo's offer that suggested the LTTE's eastern commanders to travel unarmed in Sri Lankan vessel from East to North, has informed the Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Major General Ulf Henricsson, Sunday, that Tiger Commanders were not prepared to travel in Sri Lankan naval vessels.
Full story >>

Tamil nation in deep grief over Vigneswaran slaying - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 April 2006, 18:07 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan, in a letter to the Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, expressed shock over Trincomalee Tamil activist Vigneswaran's slaying and said that the killing, in the context of what is taking place on the ground, rendered Colombo's pledges in Geneva on curbing paramilitary activities "meaningless." Describing Vigneswaran's slaying as a part of Sri Lankan military's "planned killings of Tamil activists in a systematic manner," Thamilchelvan says that the GoSL and its law enforcing authorities could no longer plead ignorance of Tamil activists killings.
Full story >>

Colombo's transport refusal to Eastern LTTE commanders jeopardise Geneva preparations

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 April 2006, 16:03 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan Friday requested the Norwegian facilitators to arrange sea transport, with truce monitors on board, to facilitate Eastern field commanders of the LTTE to attend a preparatory central committee meeting before the next session of the Geneva Talks. Blaming Colombo for adopting a hardline stance in providing air transport, a routine arrangement facilitated by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) during the ceasefire, the LTTE Political Head warned that the Tigers would be forced to adopt their own sea transport, aware of the risks involving possible confrontations with the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN).
Full story >>

Course correction by International Community urged

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 April 2006, 22:51 GMT]
Blaming the International Community for aiding a State that failed to adopt a political formula embodying shared sovereignty, and which demonstrated its incapacity to persecute a successful war against LTTE, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, in a paper presented at a symposium in Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, USA, Thursday, said, the International Community should make clear to the Sri Lankan State that "its commitment to territorial integrity is conditional on the Tamil Nation’s legitimate aspirations being met."
Full story >>

Families of abducted TRO staffers to meet Colombo press

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 April 2006, 02:50 GMT]
The Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) and the families of seven abducted humanitarian workers, during the past 6 weeks, report no progress despite reduced exposure to media following the messages received through "third parties" that the abducted would be released if TRO and the families "kept quiet and did not to speak to the media," a press release from the TRO said Wednesday. The organisation has called for a press conference Thursday.
Full story >>

Vavuniya pre-schools call for immediate release of TRO workers

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 April 2006, 12:48 GMT]
Staff, children and parents of Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala Preschools in Vavuniya marched in protest to the Government Secretariat, demanding the safety and release of the seven Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) staffers who were abducted on 29-30 January and are still missing, TRO officials in Vavuniya said. They handed over a memorandum addressedto Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse to Vavuniya Government Agent (GA), T. Sinnathamby, Tuesday morning at the Vavuniya Government Secretariat.
Full story >>

Separate regiment, a ruse to split communities, say Muslim Leaders

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 April 2006, 18:16 GMT]
"Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is launching a Muslim regiment in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to widen the split between Muslims and Tamils. Muslim community should not fall prey to this sabotage scheme," said several speakers at the Muslim Council's Eastern Conference held Saturday morning in Loyds Hall in Akkaraipattu, Adalaichenai, Batticaloa, chaired by its president N. M. Ameen.
Full story >>

Solheim and Hanssen-Bauer to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 March 2006, 13:29 GMT]
Norwegian International Development Minister Erik Solheim who met Liberation Tigers Chief Negotiator Wednesday in London, will be visiting Colombo next Thursday, according to a press release issued by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Colombo on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the newly appointed Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer will be visiting Sri Lanka on Monday 3 April on a four day visit.
Full story >>

Muslim Federation demands separate delegation in talks

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 March 2006, 10:46 GMT]
In a statement released at a press briefing held Sunday evening at Sainthamaruthu Jumma Mosques conference hall, the Eastern Province Mosques Federation (EPMF) demanded that a separate Muslim delegation should be included in any future peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), sources said. The statement also said Muslim community should have the complete freedom to decide on the the composition of such delegation.
Full story >>

New SLMM chief meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 March 2006, 10:36 GMT]
Former Swedish Brigadier and the new Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Mr. Ulf Henricsson, met Head of the LTTE Political Wing, S. P. Tamilchelvan, Monday at 11.45 a.m. at the LTTE Peace Secretariet in Kilinochchi, LTTE sources said.
Full story >>