Unconditional talks, within unitary state

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 August 1998, 18:49 GMT]
The leader of Sri Lanka's main opposition party Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe told the Jaffna weekly Sanjeevi in an extensive interview published in the paper today that his party, the UNP, is prepared to hold unconditional talks with the Liberation Tigers if it comes to power.
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Jaffna traders list losses

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 August 1998, 10:31 GMT]
A list detailing the items that were lost with the sunken ship, Princes Kash, has been despatched to the Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, opposition leader Ranil Wikramasinghe and various Tamil parliamentarians, said sources.
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UNESCO expresses concern

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 August 1998, 13:00 GMT]
UNESCO expressed its concern over reports that food distribution to Vanni by the Sri Lankan government (SLG) has been deliberately reduced. The organisation also urged the SLG to provide unhindered humanitarian assistance to the people of Vanni.
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Food is 'weapon of war' - UNP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 August 1998, 22:58 GMT]
Ranil Wickramasinghe, Leader of the Sri Lankan Parliamentary Opposition and the United National Party (UNP) said that the Sri Lanka Government (SLG) was using food as weapon on civilians living in areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), according to Parliamentary sources.
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Selective appointments

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Leader of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) Mr. S.Thondaman will meet the Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on July 30 at 09.15, during his visit to Colombo to attend the SAARC summit, said CWC sources today.
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UNP leader sends warnings

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 July 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Except the President , Mrs Chandrika Kumarathunge, and the Prime Minister, Mrs. Srimavo Bandaranayake, all of the other government ministers are corrupt, said Mr. Anura Bandaranayake, UNP parliamentarian, brother of the President and son of the Prime Minister while speaking at the UNP's parliamentary committee meeting yesterday.
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To be or not to be?

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The question of elections is hanging in the balance without a firm announcement by the Sri Lanka Government (SLG) as to whether it would go ahead with the provincial council polls, or opt for Presidential election after November this year.
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Fast unto death continues

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Attorney General and the Prison Commissioner are yet to respond to demands put forward by the Tamil detainees held at the Kalutara prison who began a fast unto death yesterday, demanding their release or the implementation of legal proceedings against them.
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Political detainees to begin protest fast

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Forty-seven Tamil political prisoners held at the Kalutura prison, 43 km south of capital Colombo, have warned that they will begin a fast unto death from Tuesday, June 23, demanding that the authorities either begin legal proceedings against them or release them.
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Government moves to postpone PC Elections

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Government is reported to have approached the main opposition party, the United National Party (UNP), to get it's support to postpone the forthcoming Provincial Council (PC) elections for another year, said sources close to the UNP.
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UNP opposes calls to delay elections

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Buddhist clergy of the Malwatte, Asgiriye, Amarapura Nikaye and Raman Maha Nikaye chapters requested the Sri Lanka Government today to postpone the Provincial Council Elections until the island's war was won.
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UNP has 30 days to submit Proposals - PA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government will consider a referendum if the country's main opposition party, the UNP, does not submit its counter proposals to the ruling People's Alliance package for constitutional changes in a month said Sri Lanka's minister for justice and deputy minister for finance G.L Pieris today answering questions from the media at the weekly cabinet press briefing in Colombo.
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President addresses SLMC meeting

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 May 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President, Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunge, while speaking at the annual meeting of the Sri Lankan Muslim Congress (SLMC) said that Sri Lanka will win the war against the Tigers. However a political solution has to be found for the ethnic conflict and all the parties should support it unanimously, she said further.
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SLMC meeting amid protests

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 May 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) will hold its 15th annual national congress at Stanley Grounds in Colombo today. The Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Kumaratunge is expected to be the chief guest for the event. The Opposition leader, Mr. Ranil Wikremasinghe is also expected to address the congress, said sources in Colombo.
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Jaffna Mayor cremated in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 May 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The body of Ms. Sarojini Yogeswaran, Mayor of Jaffna, was cremated today at the Borella Cemetery around 4:00 p.m., according to Hindu tradition, said sources in Colombo.
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SLA recruiting children - Opposition leader

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 May 1998, 23:59 GMT]
"The security forces are campaigning in schools, to encourage 15 year old school children to join the army. When I comment on this, they call me a traitor. If it is so, is Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar also a traitor, who is campaigning in foreign countries saying that LTTE is recruiting children to their forces?", asked Opposition Leader Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe in the parliament yesterday.
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Ratwatte warns of conscription

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 May 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Deputy Defence minister, General Anuruddha Ratwatte warned today that if the 15000 personnel who had deserted from the Sri Lankan armed forces did not return, he will be forced to order general conscription.
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May Day celebrations muted

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 May 1998, 23:59 GMT]
News Feature"There were so many cops about the place watching your every movement, that you were scared to bend down and pick upsomething you dropped," said a man who had ventured out on to the streets of Colombo on May Day.
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Tripartite negotiation needed - TULF

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The general secretary of the TULF and MP for Trincomalee Mr. R. Sambandan and Dr.Neelan Thiruchelvam MP who met Mr.Nagendranath Jha, senior advisor to the BJP government in India and formerly India's high commissioner in Sri Lanka for discussions today told him that it is necessary to bring the SL government, the Liberation Tigers and the United National Party into a tripartite negotiation process to settle the conflict in Sri Lanka.
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Hawks define UNP constitution

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
If anyone had the slightest doubt that the suggestions for constitutional reform put forward by the United National Party (UNP) were more in the interest of preserving the unity of Sri Lanka than in giving Tamils and Muslims a voice in the management of their own affairs, it was amply confirmed by the very first paragraph of the party's draft proposals, which were released recently.
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