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28-02-2006 Rajapakse's allies reject Geneva agreement V.S. Sambandan COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse's electoral allies — the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) — have rejected the Geneva agreement between Colombo and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the ground that it ran contradictory to the Government's position on the ceasefire agreement (CFA). In Geneva, the Government and the LTTE agreed to uphold the CFA. Colombo also committed itself to disarming armed groups. This agreement, the JHU said, "is a candid admission on the part of the Government that there were paramilitary forces. If there were groups that should be disarmed, it should be the LTTE," the JHU said.[More] 28-02-2006 LTTE accused of building bunkers Violating the pledge given at the Geneva talks to observe the ceasefire agreement, the LTTE has constructed a new bunker close to the Army’s Forward Defence Line at Alainakar, in Trincomalee, Military Spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe said yesterday. He said the military had officially lodged a complaint to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission on the latest incident. Brigadier Samarasinghe said soldiers at the FDL post had on Sunday noticed about ten suspected LTTE cadres constructing a new bunker at Alainakar while another armed with a T-56 weapon was standing by. He said the construction of new bunkers in government-controlled areas was considered a gross violation of the ceasefire agreement. He also said on Thursday the soldiers informed the SLMM of the construction of two new LTTE bunkers on either side of the A-9 road, ahead of their FDL at Omanthai. Source-DM 27-02-2006 Roar of the Tamil Tigers The Star, February 26, 2006. They apologized when they came knocking on her door one night. The Toronto woman won't say if the grass outside was green or covered in autumn leaves. All she will divulge is that the men came sometime before winter began last year, and they asked for a monthly donation of $50 for the "Tamil cause." After an exhausting hour of debate, the Sri Lankan-born woman relented and agreed to $30 a month. But when she stopped her payments three months later, the men came back. Now they demanded a one-time payment of $2,000. "They said if I give them the money this time, they'll stop coming," recalls the wife and mother, who spoke to the Star on condition of strict anonymity.[More] 27-02-2006 India, Lanka to patrol waters The coordinated patrolling of Indian and Sri Lankan Navy along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) was formalised on Thursday (23) in Chennai. India's Eastern Naval Commander Admiral Sureesh Mehta said that officers from both India and Sri Lankan Navy had met to work out the arrangements and the modalities would be in place shortly. India and Sri Lanka began coordinated patrolling along the IMBL six months ago on an experimental basis to ensure that there were no instances of firing at genuine fishermen and to prevent criminals from illegally plying between the two countries. Admiral Mehta said that both sides exchanged information on the location of their vessels and details of suspicious activities along the IMBL. Source-Sunday Observer 26-02-2006 Renegade Sri Lanka rebels refuse to give up arms Breakaway rebels in Sri Lanka vowed on Sunday to resist any attempt to disarm them -- defying a government pledge seen vital to avoid a return to war. The government vowed on Thursday to ensure no armed group other than government security forces carries arms or conducts armed operations, and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) want to see the state act before new talks due in April. But V. Muralitharan, alias Colonel Karuna, who now lives in hiding and was formerly seen as shadowy Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran's deputy, told Reuters on Sunday his group refuses to lay down arms and will end a unilateral ceasefire and fight the LTTE if attacked.[More] 25-02-2006 Peace holds in Sri Lanka, for the time being V.S. Sambandan The Geneva talks represent a small, hesitant step away from a relapse into war. It is critical for Colombo and the LTTE to remain engaged. "POLITICS," CHAIRMAN Mao famously said in 1938, "is war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed." Sri Lanka's latest politics of war and peace was set in an Alpine chateau in Switzerland, where the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ended yet another round of direct talks on Thursday. The Geneva talks, which coincided with the fourth anniversary of the ceasefire agreement (CFA), were more about politics than the immediate prospects of conflict resolution. The main outcome — the two sides will meet again in Geneva in April — is that the prospect of the island relapsing into war has seemingly waned, momentarily. In effect, it represents the continuation of the holding operation.[More] 25-02-2006 Tigers threatened walkout at Swiss talks: negotiator CELIGNY, Switzerland (AFP) - Tamil Tiger rebels extracted an agreement from Sri Lanka to uphold a controversial truce after threatening to walk out of talks, the top rebel negotiator told AFP. The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said Friday they were ready to storm out of discussions in a chateau in this Swiss village when Colombo insisted on amending the Norwegian-brokered 2002 truce. The LTTE's chief negotiator Anton Balasingham said he told his government counterpart Nimal Siripala de Silva that the Tigers would not agree to tinker with the ceasefire agreement, something demanded by Colombo's new administration.[More] 23-02-2006 No
peace, no truce: All LTTE wants is Karuna New Delhi, February 22: The main aim of the Tamil Tigers at the Geneva talks is to force the Sri Lankan Government to hand over Karuna, the renegade Tiger commander, and not search for peace, says a leading expert on South Asian Affairs. "The aim of the LTTE is to force the Sri Lankan government to hand over Karuna. This is their priority, not P-Toms (Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure) or the Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA). Karuna is getting stronger in the East -that is the problem," says Dr S Chandrasekharan, head of New Delhi-based South Asia Analysis Group. Karuna, Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran’s right-hand man, had raised the banner of revolt in March 2004. Since then, reprisal killings between the two groups have gone on. Karuna, who subsequently founded the Tamil Eela Makkal Viduthalai Puligal, has demanded that the LTTE should disarm under international supervision, further infuriating Prabhakaran.[More] 23-02-2006 International pressure vital to transform LTTE - Dayan Jayatilake Rashomi Silva COLOMBO: International pressure and support are the fundamental ingredients needed in the process of transforming the LTTE from a militant entity to a politico - administrative one, said leading political analyst Dayan Jayatilake. Delivering a lecture at yesterday's symposium that followed the launch 'Peace Negotiations in Sri Lanka' volume I and II, edited by Kumar Rupasinghe, Jayatilake said it was international pressure that always brought the LTTE to the negotiations table. "During the early phase of the conflict it was Indian pressure and the fear of losing Indian support that took them to the negotiation process," he said. "Even today they are at the table due to international pressure," he said. He said that the LTTE wanted Mahinda Rajapakse to be President, and urged the Tamil community to boycott the election.[More] 22-02-2006 Swedish Brigadier to head SLMM COLOMBO: The Norwegian Government yesterday announced the appointment of a new Head of Mission for the SLMM, Brigadier Ulf Henricsson. Following consultations with both parties to the Ceasefire Agreement, the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Norway invited all countries in the Nordic mission to propose candidates for the post of Head of Mission of the SLMM. The successful candidate, Brigadier Henricsson from Sweden, will assume duties on April 1, a media release issued by the Norwegian Embassy in Colombo said.[More] 22-02-2006 Swiss talks head for heated debate over Sri Lanka truce CELIGNY, Switzerland (AFP) -
The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan government are to meet face-to-face for the first time in three years Wednesday at the Chateau de Bossey, overlooking Lake Geneva. "We are seeking a formula for peace," the Sri Lankan government spokesman Rohitha Bogollagama told reporters here Tuesday addressing a separate press conference ahead of bilateral talks. However, the LTTE has its own interpretation of the objective of the talks arranged by peace broker Norway to primarily save a troubled ceasefire and stop the island sliding back to full-scale war, diplomats said.[More] 21-02-2006 These arrangements need not be made and the matter can be discussed over the phone without going to Geneva.-TULF Leader Over two years of continued efforts of the International Community, some heads of Diplomatic Missions, European Union, several Foreign and Local Organisations and the Governments of Sri Lanka and Norway, resulted in the LTTE agreeing to return to the negotiating table. The Ambassadors of Swizerland and Norway visited Killinochchi and had discussions with the LTTE leaders with regard to the arrangements they were making to facilitate talks. The whole world is having high expectations about the outcome of the talks. But Mr. S.P. Thamilselvan’s statement to the Press soon after these two diplomats left Killinochichi, that they will discuss only the Ceacefire Agreement and nothing more, is disappointing. If that is so all these arrangements need not be made and the matter can be discussed over the phone without going to Geneva.[Full story] 21-02-2006 LTTE’s label as terrorists well justified Umran Kadir-Mayasiakini I commend Prof P Ramasamy on his stance against violence. Indeed, he may have won more to his cause if he had explicitly established this position in his earlier articles. I have not forgotten
the roots of the Sri Lankan conflict and while I abhor violence, I will
admit that there are situations in which a community is forced to defend
its way of life. There exist of course, many means of defence. However,
the actions of the LTTE more closely resemble terrorists than freedom
fighters.[More]
20-02-2006 DEMONSTRATORS CALL FOR PEACE WITH JUSTICE IN SRI LANKA Demonstrators gathered in central London at noon on Sunday 19 February 2006 to demand peace with democracy and justice in Sri Lanka. The rally, held in Trafalgar Square, was organised by the recently-formed Tamil Forum for Peace. A variety of groups - Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF London), Tamil Democratic Congress, Tamil Women's League, Sri Lanka Muslim Information Centre, Committee for Democracy and Justice in Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka Democracy Forum - helped to create the Forum. Despite cold and drizzle, others too took part in the demonstration, with chants such as 'What do we want? Peace with democracy', 'No more child soldiers', 'No more unlawful detentions', and 'Peace now'. Speakers addressed the rally in Tamil and English, urging immediate action to bring about a long-term political solution and an end to the violence which continues to overshadow many lives, especially in the North and East of Sri Lanka. Similar demonstrations have been organised in Stuttgart, New York, Geneva and Toronto this month.[More] 20-02-2006 Sri Lankan team suggests changes to ceasefire pact By Sinha Ratnatunga, Correspondent Colombo: The government delegation is set to suggest amendments to the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) at the renewed peace negotiations with Tamil rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) commencing on Wednesday. The amendments are reported to have been drafted by a legal team headed by President's Counsel H.L. de Silva in consultation with the security forces, the Sunday Leader newspaper reported. The amendments are being proposed keeping with a pledge by President Mahinda Rajapakse during the presidential election campaign that the Cease-Fire Agreement (CFA) signed in 2002 with the LTTE would be reviewed and strengthened.[More] 20-02-2006 Explosives found inside passenger bus, police detain 47 people Associated Press ,COLOMBO Police found two powerful anti-personnel mines inside a passenger bus traveling from northern Sri Lanka, which officials said Monday they suspect were being transported to the capital by Tamil Tiger rebels. The bus was heading to Colombo from the northern town of Vavuniya on Sunday night when it was stopped at a road block in Saliyawewa village in Puttalam district, 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Colombo, military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said. He said police found two strong anti-personnel mines, a hand grenade and two detonators inside a parcel on the bus. All 45 passengers on the bus, the driver and the conductor were detained for questioning, he added. Samarasinghe said the military believes that Tamil Tiger rebels may have been transporting the mines to Colombo. The discovery comes as Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger representatives prepare to meet in Geneva on Tuesday to save a four-year-old cease-fire that has come under threat because of frequent violence. The government has accused the Tigers of increasingly using Claymore anti-personnel mines since December, killing 81 security forces personnel. Source-AP 17-02-2006 Muslims need independent participation in talks At the signing of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA), Muslim concerns were not looked into. The Muslim community in the East is very much affected by the consequences of the CFA, particularly by the lawless behaviour that is going on, much of it directed against the Muslim community under the cover of the ceasefire. In fact the CFA has placed the Muslim community at a disadvantage -- a position which we did not suffer before the CFA. LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) cadres abducted Muslims, killed and burned them in the presence of the Army and Police in government-controlled territory. This happened during the ceasefire in Valachchenai on June 30, 2002. The erection of a new military camp during the ceasefire by the LTTE right inside a mosque in the government-controlled area in Kurangupanchan in Kinniya is another serious violation of the CFA.[More] 17-02-2006 Links between drug kingpin and LTTE to be probed JAKARTA: Indonesia hopes to obtain Interpol assistance to investigate the alleged links between convicted drug smuggler Mayuran Sukumaran and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Sukumaran was found guilty of trying to smuggle heroin from Bali to Australia and was sentenced to death on Wednesday. Sukumaran was one of the two masterminds of a drug smuggling cartel and he was arrested together with eight others. The so-called "Bali nine" were arrested last April, trying to smuggle more than 8.2 kg of heroin to Sydney. Sukumaran and the other ringleader were sentenced to death and four others have been given life terms. Australian Prime Minister John Howard, referring to the death sentence, said the group's actions had been "stupid", and said the verdicts were a warning to others. But he said his Government would still seek clemency for the two men sentenced to death.[More] 16-02-2006 Armed elements’ operating in East says Monitoring Mission By Easwaran Rutnam The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) has charged that there are indeed ‘armed elements’ operating in Government-controlled areas in the East although there is no proof these armed groups had the backing of the military. This follows an announcement earlier this week by the Defence Ministry stating that a joint search operation conducted by the Police and Army in the Welikanda area last week failed to substantiate claims that ‘paramilitaries’ were in operation or had even existed in the area. However the SLMM insisted it has proof armed elements were operating within Government-controlled areas in the Eastern Province and had even confronted them on at least one occasion. The ceasefire monitors however said there was no proof to say these groups were operating with the assistance of the military and added that only the terminology used to describe them differed with the LTTE alleging they are paramilitaries and the SLMM referring to them as an ‘armed element.’[More] 15-02-2006 UNICEF appeals to LTTE to stop recruiting kids PK Balachandran UNICEF has appealed to the LTTE to stop recruiting children for its combat units, and return those already recruited to their parents. UNICEF's representative in Sri Lanka, JoaAnna VanGerpen, said in a press release on Tuesday that the LTTE had, in the past six months, recruited, on an average, 43 children a month. She appealed for the release of all the kids in its custody VanGerpen's appeal assumes importance in the light of the forthcoming talks in Geneva between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and restoration of normalcy in the war-torn island. In the talks to be held on February 22 and 23, one of the key issues to be raised by the government would be child recruitment by the militant group. VanGerpen said that recruitment of children had declined in the past six months, and the average age of the young recruit had gone up from 14 to 16 since the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement in February 2002. But too few of those recruited were returned to their parents, she pointed out. LTTE not keeping promises The LTTE, which had earlier denied that it was using children in military combat, became defensive about it after the Ceasefire Agreement was signed.[More] 14-02-2006 President says no to separatism President Mahinda Rajapakse yesterday ruled out Tamil Tiger demands for a separate homeland in the North and East, but said he would rein in armed groups - a central rebel demand ahead of talks. "There's only one country, we can share power. Not a separate state. That idea must be taken off... it is completely out," Rajapakse told Reuters in an interview ahead of talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Switzerland. Rajapakse said he would meet an LTTE demand to rein in armed groups. The Tigers accuse the military of helping a breakaway faction led by Karuna to mount attacks, which the Government denies. "If any group operates in our area, we will stop it. Any groups carrying arms will be brought under control, whether it is the so-called Karuna group or the LTTE," Rajapakse said. "There must be a (Tiger) guarantee too... that civilians are not being harassed or not being killed." Reuters- Source-Daily news 13-02-2006 British charity finds misuse of funds By Sinha
Ratnatunga, Correspondent The Charity Commission spokesperson Sarah Jones said investigations had revealed that the TRO in Sri Lanka might have liaised with the LTTE in allocating funds.[More] Too few Tamil speakers in SL Govt service PK .Balachandran Sri Lanka's Official Languages Commission has reported that there are far too few Tamil speakers in government service and has suggested measures to correct the glaring imbalance.The Tamil-speaking population in Sri Lanka comprises Sri Lankan Tamils, Indian Origin Tamils and Muslims. Together they are 26 per cent of the island's population. ut in the 9,00,000-strong public service, Tamil-speakers are just 8.3 per cent. The rest are Sinhala-speakers. Out of the 36,031 employees in the Police Department, 231 are Tamils and 246 are Muslims. Since Sri Lankan Muslims are also Tamil speaking, the total number of Tamil speakers in this vital department is just 477.[More] 13-02-2006 LTTE teenager with weapon arrested BATTICALOA: An LTTE teenager who entered the Urani area in Batticaloa for an undisclosed mission with an AKMS-70 rifle was nabbed by the troops Saturday (11) evening after his suspicious behaviour was brought to the notice of the troops, the Army Media Unit stated.
On interrogation the LTTE teenager revealed that had come to the area with the AKMS-70 rifle to carry out a task given by the LTTE and he had kept the weapon hidden inside a roadside scrub. Troops acting on the information took the LTTE teenager into custody and recovered the weapon. The LTTE teenager was to be handed over to the Batticaloa police for further investigations. The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) was informed. Claymore mine, grenades recovered JAFFNA: The Army has recovered a powerful claymore mine and five grenades at an abandoned house in Illavalai, Jaffna yesterday. The mine and the grenades were recovered following a tip-off by a civilian, according to army media unit. Meanwhile, during the period from February 4 to February 10, 2006 a total of 12 anti-personnel mines, one anti-tank mine and two un-exploded ordnance (UXO) have been recovered from the general areas of Puttur, Ariyalai and Thanankilappu, in Jaffna and Kudakachchikudi in Vavuniya and Kokilai, Nilavely in Trincomalee. The recovered items were destroyed by engineer troops. LTTE travel document found during search operation COLOMBO: An LTTE travel document has been found by the Security Forces during a search in the seas off Viddaththaltheivu, where the Sea Tigers blew up their own sea craft when they were spotted by two Fast Attack Craft (FAC) on Saturday. Source-Daily
News Amnesty seeks end to jungle law in Sri Lankan east By M.Y.Narayanaswamy New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS) Amnesty International has sought an effective human rights mechanism to end rampant lawlessness in eastern Sri Lanka for which it has blamed both the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and its breakaway Karuna faction. In a sweeping indictment of armed Tamil groups as well as Sri Lankan authorities, the rights body has documented widespread human rights abuses that have sparked a climate of fear and insecurity in the districts of Batticaloa, Amparai and Trincomalee.[More] 12-02-2006 Child
recruitment: Acknowledging that child recruitment was a contentious issue, she said that the mission acts promptly on complaints received from parents and relatives of missing children. "We ask for information and sometimes they don’t cooperate," she said adding that the "LTTE does not share our view on this issue." Fielding questions, she said that the LTTE always denies the charge claiming that orphaned children are accommodated in welfare centres run by them. The LTTE also says that these children aren’t trained for combat. "Of course we aren’t satisfied with their response," she said. Inquiries conducted in Trincomalee revealed that a large number of missing children have returned to their families. According to her, the mission works closely with the UNICEF to tackle the problem. Source-Island 12-02-2006 Tamils for peace gather against LTTE From Neville de Silva in London In a stinging attack on the LTTE, the pan European organisation Tamil Democratic Congress (TDC) has accused the rebels of using the ceasefire agreement to “extend its authoritarian rule under cover of the legitimacy it had gained by signing the agreement.”Meanwhile an anti-war group called the Tamil Forum for Peace, a gathering of six Tamil organisations in Britain, launched its campaign for peace and a resumption of the stalled talks at a meeting last Sunday at the London University’s Birkbeck College. The meeting was addressed by the widow of murdered TULF leader Appapillai Amirthalingam. Robert Evans, a member of the European Parliament, urged the resumption of talks aimed at reaching a permanent solution to the Sri Lanka conflict that would ensure democracy, human rights and justice in the country. The Tamil Peace Forum says it will continue to build an anti-war movement within the Tamil diaspora in Britain. Earlier the TDC said that although the LTTE was a signatory to the CFA, it had flouted the agreement “innumerable times by engaging in killing and kidnapping the very same people it claims to represent as the sole voice.” The TDC said in a statement that it condemned the decision of the LTTE only to discuss the implementation of the existing ceasefire agreement at the forthcoming talks. The LTTE had proved beyond doubt that it had violated the CFA without any remorse and had proved beyond reasonable doubt that it had used the CFA as a “favourable tool”, the TDC said. The Tamil group gives two detailed schedules of the violations of the agreement and the killings and kidnappings following information provided by what it calls “concerned Tamils.” The TDC said it was necessary to bring appropriate amendments to the CFA to prevent any further violations of the agreement. Source-Sunday Times 11-02-2006 S.Lanka boat explodes as navy goes to search it Sat
11 Feb 2006 8:01 AM ET A fishing boat exploded when a Sri Lankan naval patrol boat approached it near rebel Tamil Tiger territory on Saturday, international truce monitors said they had been told by the military. A military source said it might have been a rebel Sea Tiger boat that blew itself up when stopped by a naval patrol rather than be searched. A naval spokesman said he had no precise details of the incident, but that one sailor had been wounded. "The report from the navy is that it was a fishing boat and when the Dvora (naval patrol boat) approached, there was an explosion on board," said Helen Olafsdottir, spokeswoman for the Nordic mission which monitors a 2002 ceasefire. A string of suspected rebel attacks on troops in the minority Tamil dominated north and east pushed Sri Lanka to the brink of war, but tensions have fallen since late January when the two sides agreed to hold direct talks in Switzerland. Source-Reuters 11-02-2006 Lanka, LTTE urged to address landmine ban issue in Geneva talks Welcoming the agreement by the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to hold direct talks in Geneva later this month, the Landmine Ban Advocacy Forum (LBAF), has urged both the parties to address the issue of signing the Ottawa Treaty to ban the usage of deadly landmines in the island nation. ''Although there were encouraging signs from both parties, neither the Government of Sri Lanka nor the LTTE have committed themselves to a complete ban on the use, production or stockpiling of anti-personnel landmines. The LBAF encourages both parties to address this issue during their talks on the effective implementation of the Cease Fire Agreement,'' a statement from the LBAF said here today.[More] 11-02-2006 President launches National Year of Children (Sri Lanka) President Mahinda Rajapakse declared yesterday it was his aim that all work undertaken by the Government for the welfare of children be available to all children on an equitable basis. "I want the fruits of our work for children to spread evenly throughout the country from Point Pedro to Dondra Head and Colombo to Batticaloa encompassing the entire land. "There is one dream that drives me, that is to see all children be they Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher and all others live as brothers and sisters of a single mother in the new Sri Lanka that we shall build," President Rajapakse said.[More] 10-02-2006 CFA
violations: Forces 162; LTTE 3,471 by Shamindra Ferdinando The military believes that the forthcoming Oslo-facilitated talks, on ways and means of improving the implementation of the Cease-Fire Agreement (CFA), in Geneva should be primarily based on the reports released by the five-nation Nordic truce monitoring mission. Norwegian peace envoy Erik Solheim and the LTTE recently declared that the two-day talks would focus on the CFA. Senior military and police officials said that the Nordic reports would prove that the LTTE was chiefly responsible for violating the Norwegian-arranged CFA thereby undermining the peace process. The Norwegian-led mission comprises representatives from Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden. A senior military spokesman said that the Nordic reports pointed to a deteriorating situation primarily due to LTTE violations.[More] 10-02-2006 Suspected LTTE militant gives the slip Chennai: A 25 year-old Sri Lankan National suspected to be an LTTE militant, gave the slip, when the authorities wanted to check his identity before boarding a colombo bound Sri Lankan Airlines flight at Anna International Airport here today. Police sources said the man produced his passport, Chennai- Colombo-Paris air ticket and other travel documents to the airlines' counter. However, on suspicion, the duty staff at the counter produced the passenger before the Immigration authorities, to ascertain his identity. However, the man managed to escape from the scene, leaving his luggage, passport and other travel documents behind, despite the presence of the State Police and CISF personnel who were on security duty there. Efforts to track him down failed. Anti-bomb detection squad rushed to the spot and carefully opened the escaped man's handbaggage. But they did not find anything incriminating. Source-New Kerala.com 10-02-2006 Civilian brutally assaulted by LTTE by Gamini Perera-Island A civilian from Chunakam in Jaffna had been brutally assaulted by the LTTE, an Army spokesman told The Island yesterday. The injured man had been taken to the Palaly Army Hospital according, to Army sources. "After he had been treated, he had been transferred to the Jaffna Hospital," said Army spokesman. "The Jaffna people are happy that civilians injured by LTTE are now taken for treatment to the Palaly Army Hospital," the Army spokesman said. 05-02-2006 Sri Lankan Tamils are not barbarians- V.Anandasankaree, President -TULF
04-02-2006 Sri Lanka celebrates Independence Day amid security fears AP- Colombo Sri Lanka on Saturday began celebrating its independence from Britain, as troops stood guard at intersections throughout the capital, fearing attacks by ethnic rebels fighting for their own independent homeland.
``When we unite, there is freedom,'' Rajapakse said, apparently referring to the Tamil Tiger rebels, who run a de facto state in parts of the country's northeast and are fighting for a separate homeland for ethnic minority Tamils. A rebel-linked organization has called for a one-day general strike to underline their contention that they have not yet been granted the same freedoms as the Sinhalese majority. The main celebration, a military parade with tanks, air force helicopters and naval vessels, is scheduled to be held along the Galle Road in the capital, Colombo. Soldiers, guns at the ready, were posted at all the city's road intersections, on guard against another of the many suicide attacks and bombings the Tigers have launched in Colombo since they started their uprising in 1986. 04-02-2006 A Climate of Fear in the East The human rights
situation in eastern Sri Lanka has deteriorated
Amnestey International Report
Library Document 03-02-2006 Sri Lankan Minister to head team for talks V.S. Sambandan The Sri Lankan Government on Thursday named a key Cabinet Minister, Nimal Siripala de Silva, as the head of its delegation for the proposed ceasefire implementation talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Earlier on Thursday morning, the Sri Lankan Parliament was adjourned till February 14 following a security alert after sniffer dogs deployed on routine checks gave hints of the presence of suspicious objects in the place. "Parliament was adjourned after the dogs raised suspicion during their routine sniffing operations inside Parliament," a Parliamentary source told The Hindu. Subsequent searches found a suspicious parcel in the House. It was sent for detailed analysis.- Source-Hindu 02-02-2006 S.Lankan parliament suspended after security scare COLOMBO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's parliament was suspended on Thursday after police dogs searching the chamber started behaving suspiciously, officials said, adding that nothing had been found but they were taking no chances. The island has been jumpy since a string of suspected Tamil Tiger rebel attacks on troops brought a 2002 truce to the brink of collapse, but tensions have eased since the two sides agreed last week to hold direct talks in Switzerland this month. "Due to serious security concerns arising in parliament, the house will be suspended until February 14," speaker of the house W.J.M. Lokubandara told the chamber as anti-terrorism police ushered lawmakers out of the building. The parliament had been scheduled to meet on Friday, but was then not scheduled to meet again until Feb. 14. Source- Reuters 02-02-2006 Canada deports LTTE extortion gang leader by
Stewart Bell of National Post Jeyaseelam Thuraisingam was the leader of the Seelapu gang, one of several Sri Lankan Tamil street gangs that Toronto police and Canada Immigration have been working to dismantle since 2001. He was deported to Sri Lanka last Monday, the same day his final court appeal was thrown out. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) had determined he was a danger to the public.[More] 02-02-2006 Govt.
denies SLA involvement The investigation has proved, he said, that the SLA has no involvement in the incident. Although there are several police posts in the location where the incident took place no complaint had been made to the police, he said.[More] 02-02-2006 French pounce on LTTE-linked Tamil Television Network By Paul Michaud Paris, Jan. 27, 2006 - The French governmental TV watchdog authority Conseil superieur de l’audiovisuel (CSA) has revealed in its January 2006 report, published on Thursday that it had asked the French Public prosecutor’s office (the Procureur de la Republique) to look into the activities in France of Tamil Television Network, the Sri Lankan cable TV network broadcasting on French soil. According to French governmental sources familiar with the channel, Tamil Television is considered as close to the LTTE Tamil Tigers. Although the channel had operated in France for several years, its activities came to light only a year ago when it was revealed, notably on French public television, that`A0 the Tamil Television Network had played an important role in the collection of funds for relief efforts following the Dec. 26, 2004 Tsunami.`A0[More]
Who
is the indigenous Sri Lankan? One of the most contentious issues in the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka is the question of indigenousness. Which community is indigenous and which is not? Are the Sinhalese the only indigenous people or the first to arrive in the island? In other words, are the Tamils outsiders or later entrants?( More) 01-02-2006 IAF chief meets Rajapakse V.S. Sambandan
Officials said the Chief of the Indian Air Force held "cordial and friendly discussions" with Mr. Rajapakse, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake and heads of the Sri Lankan armed forces. He also met the Chief of the Defence Staff, Daya Sandagiri, and Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse. The Air Chief is scheduled to travel to Anuradhapura and Kandy on Wednesday after which he will leave for New Delhi on February 3. Officials said Air Chief Marshal Tyagi was on a "goodwill visit" to Sri Lanka. Separately, India and Sri Lanka on Tuesday held discussions to further enhance cooperation in fisheries. Among the issues discussed were the humane treatment of straying fishermen and technical cooperation and investment in fisheries. "India expressed appreciation for the treatment meted out to fishermen who strayed into Sri Lankan waters," sources said. The allegations of firing by the Sri Lanka Navy on straying Indian fishermen were discussed. The bilateral understanding on humane treatment of straying fishermen would be adhered to, the sources said. Source-Hindu 29-01-2006 No proof Sri Lanka Army backs Karuna Indo-Asian
News Service New Delhi, January 28, 2006|18:55 IST "We have no proof that the army is directly supporting the Karuna group but we know that some local army officers had knowledge of the whereabouts of some Karuna supporters," Helen Olafsdottir of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) told Tehelka magazine here in an interview. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has accused the Sri Lankan military intelligence of covertly supporting the group that split from the LTTE two years ago and is led by Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan, alias Karuna. At the same time, Olafsdottir alleged that ordinary Tamils in the north and east of Sri Lanka were being harassed by government troops.[More] 28-01-2006 India hails Colombo-LTTE talks Diplomatic Corresponden ,Delhi's advice will be appreciated during negotiations: Solheim Talks
likely to take place in Geneva in mid-February NEW DELHI: India on Friday welcomed the decision by the Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to hold talks in Geneva in February, the External Affairs Ministry said. "The resumption of talks augurs well for the prospects of peace in Sri Lanka," the Ministry stressed(More) 26-01-2006 Norway breaks Sri Lanka peace deadlock, talks in Geneva
The talks would focus on strengthening their ceasefire which was on the brink of collapse after a surge in violence since December killed 152 people, envoy Erik Solheim told reporters on Wednesday in this rebel-held political capital. Solheim had a rare meeting with Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran who in November put Colombo on notice to make a reasonable autonomy deal this year or face re-igniting a separatist war.[More] 25-01-2006 Norway says S.Lanka, rebels agree to Swiss talks (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels have agreed to hold talks in Switzerland to discuss a 2002 truce, probably in February, Norwegian peace broker Eric Solheim said on Wednesday. The Tigers had originally said they were only willing to go to Oslo for talks, an option the government had rejected. If the venue impasse had not been ended, diplomats had said a return to a two-decade-old civil war looked almost inevitable. "Both sides agreed there is a need to come together to decide how the ceasefire agreement can be implemented in a better manner," Solheim told reporters in the Tiger de facto capital after meeting the rebel leader. Norway suggested peace talks could conveniently take place in Switzerland. Source-Reuters 25-01-2006 HRW blames LTTE, police for worsening rights situation by Zacki Jabbar Human Rights Watch (HRW), yesterday blamed the LTTE and police for the worsened human rights situation that prevailed in Sri Lanka in 2005. Releasing its 2006 World Report, HRW which defends human rights worldwide said that killings, particularly of Tamils in opposition to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), reached an alarming rate of one per day by June 2005, " The LTTE continued to recruit child soldiers while torture and mistreatment by police continued to be a problem."[More] 24-01-2006 Peace envoy meets Sri Lanka president Reuters - Colombo
Suspected Tamil Tiger attacks on troops have strained the 2002 truce brokered by Solheim and raised the specter two decades of war will restart. The rebels say they will meet the government, but only in Norway -- but officials say they will have to be more flexible or talks will not happen at all. "The government is very likely not to go to Oslo for talks but ... would consider any alternative venue for talks other than Oslo," a senior official source said on condition of anonymity after President Mahinda Rajapakse met Solheim.[More] 24-01-2006 Burns calls LTTE a reprehensible terror group PK Balachandran The US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns on Monday described the LTTE as a "reprehensible terrorist group keeping Sri Lanka on the edge of war." Speaking to newspersons in Colombo, the visiting US official said that the LTTE was primarily responsible for the spiraling violence in the island. Burns contrasted the LTTE with the Sri Lankan government, describing the latter as "democratic" and as being composed of "responsible persons who want peace".[More] 24-01-2006 Goebels reborn a Tamil; his name is Sethu The editor of LTTE website Nitharsanam.com Nadarajah Sethurupan who is known as Sethu is becoming infamous in concocting facts to deceive the public. The LTTE has engaged Sethu to function as their convincing fabricator to concoct stories. Sethu is proving professionalism in his concoctions and his determination to become an expert in this field to satisfy his masters in Vanni is noted with exasperation by many concerned Tamils. His effort is becoming lethal day by day that he does not spare anyone who criticise the LTTE’s terrorist activities.[More] 23-01-2006 RPT-S.Lanka's Tigers are reprehensible, says U.S. envoy Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels will never have a relationship with the United States unless they cease violence, a top U.S. official said on Monday, saying they were a "reprehensible terrorist group". U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said Tiger attacks on the military were ruining the lives of ordinary people, many of whom fear a two-decade civil war that has already killed over 64,000 people could reignite. "We are a friend of this country," he told a news conference in Colombo. "We support its territorial integrity ... The people of this country ought not to have to live for another 15 to 20 years with this reprehensible terrorist group keeping the country perched on the edge of war." Norwegian envoy Erik Solheim, broker of the 2002 truce, also arrived in the island hours before a suspected Tiger ambush on an army patrol which killed three soldiers.[More]
Sri Lanka President calls for talks with Tigers: "In return of my trust, I want the LTTE to trust us"
Rajapakse also had a warning for anyone who might take his wish for peace as a sign that the government was unable to take on the Tigers. "Don't take my patience as my weakness," Rajapakse, 60, told The Associated Press, one day before Norwegian peace broker Erik Solheim was to arrive to try to bring the two parties _ who have fought for almost two decades, losing 65,000 lives _ back to the negotiating table.[More] 23-01-2006 AN URGENT CALL FOR PEACE AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN SRI LANKA As the world watches, Sri Lanka is rapidly escalating towards outright war. Despite the 2002 ceasefire agreement, human rights violations and attacks against democracy have continued. During the past 4 years, political killings, torture, abduction, violence against women, arbitrary arrests, child recruitment and extortion have risen dramatically. Now attacks between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Government of Sri Lanka are occurring daily. Inevitably, civilians are the direct victims of the intensifying violence. The ceasefire of 2002 is all but finished. Therefore, we the signatories of this petition, call on the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to immediately implement the following:
Source:- SLDF 22-01-2006 Sri Lankan business leaders urge federal solution to end conflict AFP Sri Lanka’s business leaders asked the government on Saturday to turn the country into a de facto federal state in a bid to end decades of ethnic bloodshed. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said the Indian federal system of government should serve as a model for devolution of power in Sri Lanka where Tamil Tiger rebels have been fighting for an independent state. “Maximum devolution of power based on the Indian model which is not constrained by definitions of a united or unitary state has been proposed,” it said in a statement. “This we believe is a constructive way to harmonise various views on this complex and sensitive issue,” said the chamber whose members include the island’s most important businesses.[More] 21-01-2006 Sri Lanka :EU's Response to Sri Lanka Presidential election result and Pirapaharan statement On 27 November 2005 Velupillai Pirapaharan, leader of the LTTE, made "an urgent and final appeal" to the newly elected President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaske, to reinvigorate the peace process and "satisfy the political aspirations of the Tamil people." Pirapaharan indicated that, if "a reasonable political solution" was not offered soon, the LTTE would intensify its struggle for self-determination, possibly by violent means. What is the Commission's response to the tone and content of Pirapaharan's Hero's Day Speech?[More] 21-01-2006 Terrorism, human rights, and development BY C. Raj Kumar Responses to terrorism ought to be based on a holistic understanding of security, within the human rights and rule of law framework. Terrorism in all its dimensions has a long history in India; the attack at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, was only the latest incident. Every time a terrorist strike takes place on Indian soil or elsewhere in the world, governments tend to formulate similar responses. There are enthusiastic calls for strengthening the law enforcement regime, possibly advocating greater powers of investigation for the police and intrusive measures such as telephone tapping that undermine privacy. The need to increase the period of detention, pass new laws that would strengthen the anti-terrorism framework, tighten immigration policies, and keep an eye out for disloyal persons is also emphasised. Rarely do governments think of addressing the problem of terrorism from human rights and development perspectives.[More] 21-01-2006 Arrested LTTEer says Tigers abducted him while at school LTTEer Jesudasan Kamaladasan, 25, nabbed by the Security Forces has admitted that he was abducted and conscripted to the LTTE several years ago while studying in Grade 10 at Murugan College in Pesalai, Mannar before being given weapons training in Killinochchi for LTTE attacks. He also claimed that he had been working as a barber and driver before being assigned to assault troops. Kamaladasan was nabbed near the Mannar Hospital on Monday night when he was over powered by Security Forces. Kamaladasan had flung a hand grenade at the troops and killed one soldier at the sentry point. Troops after retaliatory fire in self-defence, overpowered Kamaladasan and admitted him to the hospital under Police custody. Kamaladasan who earlier claimed that he was a civilian from Eluthur in Mannar and was not responsible for the attack, later said he carried out the attack. He said it was
done on the orders of LTTE local leader Nixon in Mannar with whom he
went around to identify duty points of the Security Forces and the Police
earlier during the day before the grenade attack.-
Source-DN 20-01-2006 Sri Lankan parties for resumption of talks V.S. Sambandan -Colombo An all-party meeting convened by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse on Thursday evening unanimously decided that steps should be taken to resume "immediate talks" between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). "The parties agreed that there was a need to resume talks immediately and that steps should be taken to that effect," a senior presidential aide told The Hindu . The all-party meeting was called by Mr. Rajapakse as part of his efforts to work towards a southern consensus on resuming the stalled peace talks with the LTTE.[More] 19-01-2006 Emergency passed in Sri Lanka Parliament, within five minutes The Parliament
was adjourned after only five minutes today. The Parliament was adjourned after five minutes this morning due to disturbances by Tamil Parliamentarians from several parties. The Speaker had to enter through the rear entrance and the Mace could not be placed on his table due to the situation. Since the resumption of parliamentary sittings in the New Year, the Tamil MPs have protested the deaths of civilians in the North and East. The Parliament was in progress for only 15 minutes on Monday and 20 minutes on Tuesday, given the disruptive behaviour of the TNA-led Parliamentarians. Source-Colombo Page 19-01-2006 HUMAN RIGHTS OVER VIEW -SRI LANKA The human rights situation in Sri Lanka worsened in 2005. The December 2004 tsunami wrought tremendous destruction, particularly to the areas already most affected by the country's protracted civil war. Thirty thousand people died and up to eight hundred thousand were displaced. Sectarian interests hijacked aid distribution mechanisms, compromising the modest successes of the post-tsunami recovery and rehabilitation effort. Killings, particularly of Tamils in opposition to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), an armed group advocating a separate homeland for Tamils, reached an alarming rate of one per day by June 2005, and included the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in August. The LTTE continued to recruit child soldiers. Torture and mistreatment by police continued to be a problem. [More] | 28-02-2006 President praises all parties for successful talks Wimal Premaratne WEERAWILA: The success of the Geneva Talks is an honour that has to be collectively shared by all political parties who took part in the All Party Conference which was initiated by the Government, President Mahinda Rajapakse asserted. The President made this observation at the Central College, Weerawila where the residents and agricultural organization representatives of the area gathered to hear him address them on the proposed Weerawila International Airport project.[More] 27-02-2006 Geneva Protest Shocks LTTE Supporters In Europe The last week protests by Tamil, Sinhalese and Muslim communities in Geneva against LTTE human rights violations against Tamils in Northeast had shocked LTTE supporter based in Europe, according to Tamil sources from Geneva. LTTE had threatened arrests, death and severe punishment against all Tamils who participated in protest campaign. However, a Tamil mother who spoke to The Independent correspondent in Geneva said that the protests will continue till LTTE release all child soldiers in LTTE ranks. “LTTE leaders are not having their children fighting in the child soldier ranks. Where are the children of Pirbhaharan? Are they also fighting for his Eelam ? Why do they only force the children of innocent Tamil women in Northeast to fight their war?” she questioned. Source-ISL 26-02-2006 TELO Banned In Jaffna By LTTE The Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) party that was operating for the last seven years in Jaffna following the capture of Jaffna by the army under its Operation Riviresa was banned from its political activities by Jaffna LTTE political office last week. The office of the TELO movement was functioning at Hospital Road, Jaffna. This office has released a communiqué last night that it has stopped its political activities in Jaffna with immediate effect. Meanwhile, a senior TELO official told The Independent that the decision was taken following a warning from the LTTE. Though parliamentarian Sivajilingam approached the LTTE to include the names of TELO candidates in the Tamil National Alliance list for the local government elections the LTTE had rejected it, he said. It was made to understand that the LTTE had ordered the TELO activities be stopped after inquires about Sivajilingam and his propaganda to say he is from the same village of Prabakaran and tried to build up his party once again in Jaffna. TELO was designated as a “paramilitary” by before TELO leader Sivajilingam joined the pro LTTE TNA alliance. Source-ISL 25-02-2006 LTTE violates Ceasefire yet again by constructing two new bunkers in Omanthai In yet another gross violation to the Ceasefire Agreement, the LTTE has begun constructing two bunkers on either side of the A-9 road in Omanthai. The matter was brought to the notice of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) yesterday evening (23). According to Army sources, the construction of these two bunkers are taking place ahead of the LTTE's forward defence line at Omanthai on either side of the A-9 road. "The construction of new bunkers amounts to a gross violation of the Ceasefire Agreement signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and LTTE in February 2002," the sources pointed out. Source-L.Acadamic 23-02-2006 Sri Lankan Tamils lead anti-LTTE protest in Geneva Bandula Jayasekara GENEVA: Sri Lankan Tamils along with Muslim and Sinhalese groups led a protest campaign against LTTE atrocities in front of the UN office in Geneva last evening. They carried placards written in Tamil, English, Sinhalese and French and shouted slogans in Tamil, English and Sinhalese. The group was led by the Universal Campaign for the Protection of Democracy and Human Rights. Women and children were among the hundreds of Sri Lankans who gathered in front of the United Nations office. The protesters carried placards and shouted slogans such as 'LTTE bullets aimed at Sri Lankan Foreign Minister', 'Sri Lanka is traditional homeland of its people', 'Deport LTTE terrorists', 'Adopt a resolution against LTTE leaders', 'Stop killing Tamil civilians', 'LTTE terrorists pioneered suicide bombings', 'Anton Balasingham is their theoretician', 'Try LTTE leaders in the Hague' and 'Stop recruiting child soldiers'. The protesters pressed the issue of child soldiers and brought it to the attention of the diplomatic community in Geneva. One of the protesters, V. Ramraj of the Tamil Broadcasting Corporation told the Daily News "We need democracy - Tamils need democracy. We cannot suffer anymore at the hands of the LTTE". He also pointed
out that more and more Tamils were coming out openly against the LTTE.-[source-DN] 23-02-2006 Clash in un-cleared area Just hours before the Geneva talks began one person was killed yesterday in the un-cleared area of Pulipaynthakal at Batticaloa in a clash between the Wanni faction and the Karuna faction, police said. Residents said the Karuna cadres had seized two weapons and two motorcycles belonging to the Wanni cadres. Meanwhile a report published in the Tamilnet website blamed the military for the incident and charged that the attackers had come from the Army’s Kiran detachment in Batticaloa. Denying the allegation the
army headquarters said this was another deliberate attempt by the LTTE
to cover its atrocities through these types of baseless, untrue and
malicious stories, particularly at a time when talks in Geneva were
progressing. 22-01-2006 Army refutes Tamilnet story COLOMBO: The Army yesterday refuted LTTE allegations that an Army Deep Penetration Unit had placed a claymore mine in the uncleared area of Mahilankulam, 25 km southeast of Mannar. The Army said that this story published in the TamilNet is completely false, unfounded, malicious and fabricated with sinister motives. The Army in a statement issued yesterday said this fabricated story has been published by the pro-LTTE website to cover the true facts and figures related to the continuous detection of more and more deadly LTTE claymore mines, explosive devices, arms and ammunition in the recent past from cleared areas in Mannar, Jaffna, Batticaloa and elsewhere in the North and East.[More] 21-02-2006 EXCLUSIVE - Renegade Sri Lanka rebels won't disarm yet By Simon Gardner
A breakaway Sri Lankan rebel leader, whose feuding with the Tamil Tigers is threatening a fragile ceasefire and is central to peace talks this week, said on Monday his forces would only disarm if the main group does. President Mahinda Rajapakse vowed last week to rein in armed groups the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) say are attacking them, but V. Muralitharan, alias Col. Karuna, who split with the rebels in 2004, told Reuters his group would resume attacks if provoked. "If Sri Lanka forces disarm all the armed groups and us ... it will only give legitimacy for the LTTE to extend its writ to kill us," former Tiger commander Karuna said in an e-mail interview confirmed via a personal telephone conversation. "Any hand over of arms must be part of (a) conflict resolution process at a stage when normalcy and trust is established," Karuna added.[Full Story] 20-02-2006 Trapped in the Claws of the Tigers in Norway Outside his home in Oslo, he was threatened by a pistol late one evening. The message was crystal clear: “If you don’t stop criticizing the Tamil Tigers, your days are over. Harald Eraker Extortion 20-02-2006 Tamils tell LTTE: Stop the war
''Tamils for democracy'' in London, and similar organizations in Geneva are planning rallies while peace negotiators from the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE were scheduled to get talks under way this week at Chateau de Bossey in Geneva. "Stop the war, resume peace'''' was the slogan of the London demonstrators who will be staging their rally in Trafalgar Square on Sunday. "The threat of war by the LTTE casts a shadow upon the lives of people'''' said the organizers of the rally. This will be one of the key slogans of the proceedings in Trafalgar Square. Among other slogans will be "actual talks lasted only one year", "stop extortion", "stop conscription of child soldiers" etc. There will be no "peace tours and travels" as in the last peace talks, said sources in Geneva where apparently the negotiation teams will not hobnob with the media as in the previous peace talks. Press opportunities will be restricted to one session before the talks begin on Wednesday, and another after talks end Thursday. Among those Tamil organizations involved in the Trafalgar Square demonstration are the Tamil Democratic Congress, Tamil Women''s League, Sri Lanka Muslim Information Centre, Committee for Democracy for Justice in Sri Lanka. Some peace NGOs have however turned up in Geneva with the intention of meeting the negotiating team and making the peace sessions a "peace carnival" sources said, but the talks will be closed door sessions and the plan is to restrict media access and access by interested parties to the peace teams to a few planned sessions. Source-Vihippu.net 20-02-2006 Peaceful Fundraising In Geneva Reports reaching from Geneva confirm that LTTE delegation will be giving more importance to its fund raising activities during their stay to extend their war agenda despite going to talk peace. The LTTE''s Tamil Television Network (TTN), International Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) and the Eelamurasu Tamil newspaper are jointly arranging series of fund raising functions for the LTTE delegation.[More] 17-02-2006 CFA helped the LTTE to stabilize themselves more in areas under their control and to gradully take control of the areas under the control of the Government as well.-V.Anandasangaree
It is regrettable that the Government, although aware of the fraudulent manner in which the LTTE’s proxies, the 22 Members of Parliament of the TNA were elected, did not think it fit to consult atleast the other parties that had genuine and ample representation in Parliament for many years in the past. The reports of all the five Election Monitoring teams including those of European Union and the Commonwealth, will reveal why some of us are not in Parliament today.[More] 16-02-2006 Three LTTE cadres arrested in Qatar Three LTTE operatives were arrested by the Qatar police in connection with the assassination of a 26-year-old Tamil youth in Qatar. The victim was reportedly a close confidant of LTTE breakaway leader Karuna. He was hit on the head with a steel crowbar while he was fast asleep, allegedly by members of the LTTE’s intelligence group, police said. The police are still hunting for a LTTE intelligence operative who is avoiding arrest. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Sri Lankan Embassy in Doha said the Qatar authorities have taken the assassination very seriously and are concerned. Source- Colombopage Three
gun runners arrested |
Sri
Lanka's warring parties move here to an 18th century chateau overlooking
the Alps to try to cool fears of returning to war at home, but diplomats
say the talks could be heated. 
Troops
apprehended 15-year-old LTTE cadre while he was loitering near the roadside
on suspicion. 
I
very strongly condemn the claim of one of the Leaders of the LTTE that
the clay-more attack on the military was by the civilians and not by
them. The LTTE Leader must withdraw this allegation, before the International
Community forms the impression that we, the Sri Lankan Tamils are barbarians
or savages. The Tamil people living all over the world, like any other
race or group of people, are very proud of their culture and civilization
and will not tolerate any body doing anything to damage or cause dishonour
to their culture or civilization.
``Sri
Lankans are today engaged with utmost dedication to bring about amity,
solidarity and peace among all of us,'' President Mahinda Rajapakse
said in a statement on the anniversary of the day in 1948 when former
colonial master Britain granted freedom to the tropical island. 
"The
Government and the President [Mahinda Rajapakse] will not allow anyone
to sabotage the resumption of the peace talks," Foreign Affairs
Minister Mangala Samaraweera asserted after announcing the nomination.
The talks are to be held later this month in Geneva. Security alert
COLOMBO:
Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi on Tuesday met Sri Lankan President Mahinda
Rajapakse and senior defence officials as part of his three-day official
visit to the island-nation. 
Norway
broke a near three-year deadlock in Sri Lanka's peace talks by clinching
a deal with warring parties to meet face-to-face in Geneva by mid-February.
Norwegian
peace broker Erik Solheim met Sri Lanka's president on Tuesday for talks
aimed at averting civil war, but officials said the government would
probably not give in to rebel demands talks be held in Oslo. 
President
Mahinda Rajapakse, on Sunday called for immediate talks with the Tamil
Tiger rebels to halt spiraling violence threatening Sri Lanka's four-year-old
ceasefire and taking this tropical island again toward the brink of
war. 
COLOMBO
(Reuters)
- 