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Sri Lanka ruling party candidate gets wider support
The ruling party's presidential candidate has got the support of fourteen different political parties, the state radio said here Friday. Mahinda Rajapakse, the prime minister who is the candidate representing the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), has secured the support of five more parties in addition to the nine parties who are constituent parties of the ruling alliance, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) said. Rajapakse has clinched a deal with the all Buddhist Monk party (JHU), or the Heritage Party, in addition to support coming from the Marxist People's Liberation Front (JVP) who had walked out of the government in mid-June. Rajapakse's pacts with the JVP and the JHU have met with criticism mainly from political parties representing the Tamil minority. -Full Story- (xinhuanet.com - 10/09/05)
Pact not a return to war: SLFP
The ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) on Friday said it "still stands for a federal solution [to the ethnic conflict] based on the Indian Constitution." The party said the poll pact between its presidential candidate, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, and its former ruling ally, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) would not mean a return to war in the conflict-scarred island nation. The SLFP's assertion came a day after Mr. Rajapakse signed a 13-point agreement with the JVP in which he agreed to "protect, defend and preserve the unitary nature of the Sri Lankan state under any solutions to be presented, formed or formulated for the purpose of the resolution of Sri Lanka's national question." -Full Story- (The Hindu - 10/09/05)
Dhanapala Iterates Failure of International Community: To Tame LTTE, Places Sri Lanka Case in Washington
Declaring that Sri Lanka’s separatist Tamil Tiger outfit, the LTTE, “is not the sole representative of the Tamil people” and endeavoring to change the mindset of Washington insiders saying that Tamil dissidents who express independent opinions outside the framework laid down by the LTTE are brutally eliminated, Sri Lanka’s Peace Secretariat head Jayantha Dhanapala reminded the international community here that they were so far ineffective in stemming the tide of grave ceasefire violations, insisting on resumption of talks or transforming the LTTE into a democratic institution.
Moderates fear for Sri Lanka peace bid as president, PM clash
Sri Lanka’s moderate Tamils on Friday expressed fears for the island’s already faltering peace bid after the prime minister pledged a U-turn in power-sharing with minorities if he was elected president. The main minority Tamil party, the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), said they believed the Norwegian-backed peace process could suffer a fatal blow if premier Mahinda Rajapakse delivered on his election promise. Rajapakse’s pledge Thursday compounded a deadlock between Colombo and the Tamil Tigers over moves to agree on a venue for talks on salvaging their troubled ceasefire that has been in place since February 2002. -Full Story- (Khaleej Times - 10/09/05)
The JVP commend the JHU – Mahinda accord
The JVP is pleased with the recent accord between the JHU, advocating the Sinhalese, Buddhist cause in the country and SLPF presidential candidate, Mahinda Rajapakse, which supports the latter in the forthcoming presidential election. The JVP Secretary for International Affairs and Politburo Member, Vijitha Herath speaking to the ‘Asian Tribune’ said that they feel it is a progressive approach to the election. “We think that JHU’s support to Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse is a good example of rallying around to defeat separatism and advocating a unitary Sri Lanka,” he said. He said this move is welcomed by the JVP and that he feels many more parties would join in with Rajapakse and promote sovereignty in the country, which is a key issue at the election. -Full Story- (The Asian Tribune - 10/09/05)
Norway’s indirect dismissal of LTTE accusations against security forces: The Scandinavian monitors acknowledge presence of Karuna faction
The Norwegian lead Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) has, acknowledged the presence of a strong breakaway faction of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which is fighting the Vanni LTTE in the East. SLMM spokesperson Ms. Helen Olafsdottir said that truce monitors patrolling areas dominated by Karuna cadres had met some renegade cadres. Describing them as ‘chance meetings’, she said that as far as she could recall the last meeting with the Tamil National Force ( Karuna loyalists faction) was on May 29, 2005. -Full Story- (The Asian Tribune - 10/09/05)
Norway to send envoy to Sri Lanka to assess truce
Norway plans to send a special envoy to Sri Lanka to help save a troubled ceasefire between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels. The Norwegian government, which is mediating the peace process between the two sides, says it is "deeply concerned" that violence continues in Sri Lanka, despite a ceasefire deal reached in 2002. Oslo says retired army general, Trond Furuhovde, will be sent back to Sri Lanka in October to consult the government and rebels. The announcement comes a day after the Tamil Tigers rejected Norway's call to hold emergency talks at the airport. The Sri Lankan government has insisted the talks be held in Sri Lanka, while the Tigers want to either to host them in their northern stronghold of Kilinochchi or have them at a neutral venue abroad. Dozens of police, soldiers and rebels have been killed since the ceasefire halted two decades of civil war in Sri Lanka. -Full Story- (radioaustralia.net.au - 10/09/05)
UN will not replace Norway as Sri Lanka peace facilitator: spokesman
The Sri Lankan government said Friday that it had not requested the United Nations to take over the peace facilitation role from Norway in its conflict with the Tamil Tigers. Nimal Siripala De Silva, the Minister of Health and the government spokesman, told reporters here that a visit by Kofi Annan's special envoy early this week was not meant to probe the possibility of ousting Norway. Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN special envoy, was on a fact-finding mission in the island on government request made in the immediate aftermath of the assassination of the foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, De Silva said. Norway has been facilitating peace with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels since the year 2000. -Full Story- (peopledaily.com.cn - 10/09/05)
Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels kill Sri Lankan military intelligence officer
Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels fatally shot a military intelligence operative in a northern Sri Lankan town on Friday, the Defense Ministry said. M.P.M. Mohammed, who worked for the army’s intelligence wing, was cycling to his home in the town of Vavuniya when two suspected rebels fatally shot him, said an officer at the Media Division of the ministry. The officer cannot be named under briefing rules. Vavuniya, 210 kilometers (130 miles) north of the capital, Colombo, has a military garrison and is close to rebel-controlled territory. The guerrillas began fighting in 1983 for a separate homeland for minority ethnic Tamils in the country’s north and east, claiming discrimination by the majority Sinhalese. -Full Story- (Khaleej Times - 10/09/05)
UN will not replace Norway as Sri Lanka peace facilitator
The Sri Lankan government said Friday that it had not requested the United Nations to take over the peace facilitation role from Norway in its conflict with the Tamil Tigers. Nimal Siripala De Silva, the Minister of Health and the government spokesman, told reporters here that a visit by Kofi Annan's special envoy early this week was not meant to probe the possibility of ousting Norway. Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN special envoy, was on a fact-finding mission in the island on government request made in the immediate aftermath of the assassination of the foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, De Silva said. -Full Story- (Xinhuanet - 10/09/05)
Sri Lanka: LTTE turns down Norwegian proposal
The LTTE guerilla in Sri Lanka has turned down a Norwegian proposal for new negotiations with the central government. Norway has been active in the peace process for several years. The latest attempts have failed beacuse the two sides have not been able to agree on a venue. On Wednesday the Norwegian Foreign Office put forward a proposal that the negotiations should take place at the international airport outside the capital, Colombo. -Full Story- (norwaypost.no - 10/09/05)
Violence continues in eatsern Sri Lanka
The troubled security situation in east Sri Lanka's continued, as two police force personnel were killed on Thursday, defense officials said Friday. The Tamil Tigers are accused of attacking a jeep carrying police and special task force personnel (STF) at around 5:00 p.m. local time (1100 GMT) Thursday at Kathankudy in the Batticaloa district. The killing was made by grenade explosion and gunfire, the officials said. Elsewhere in the Batticaloa district, soldiers in an Army food store were also attacked but no casualties were reported. -Full Story- (Xinhuanet - 10/09/05)
Sri Lanka probes bomb hoax on Saudi jet after passenger dies
Sri Lankan authorities on Friday began investigating a bomb hoax aboard a Saudi Arabian Airlines jumbo jet that sparked a stampede in which a woman passenger was killed, an official said. “We are trying to trace the call which initially came to the airport telephone operator and then connected to the control tower,” airport chief Tiran Alles said. “An investigation is underway.” Nineteen passengers who were seriously injured in the scramble to exit the Boeing 747 jet liner through emergency chutes were still in hospital Friday, a day after the incident at Sri Lanka’s only international airport, doctors said. -Full Story- (Khaleej Times - 10/09/05)
Sri Lanka presidential vote likely November16-21-source
Sri Lanka's upcoming presidential election is likely to be held between November 16 and November 21, a source at the island's elections secretariat said on Friday. The two main candidates, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his predecessor Ranil Wickremesinghe, are both waiting for the elections commissioner to formally invite nominations and announce the poll date before publishing their manifestos, which are in turn keenly awaited by investors. -Full Story- (Reuters - 10/09/05)
Sri Lankan terror expert arrested in Maluku
A Singapore-based professor and expert on terror issues was arrested for traveling around Maluku without proper research documents, a senior police officer revealed on Thursday.Rohan Kumar Gunaratna from Sri Lanka, was arrested by an antiterror police unit on Monday while he was on his way to Ambon from Seram Island, said Maluku provincial police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Artsianto. In addition to Gunaratna, the officers also arrested his Indonesian translator and his local guide, said Artsianto. -Full Story- (ANN - 10/09/05)
Sri Lanka Rajapakse, Marxists Sign Deal; No Privatization
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse says he will continue to oppose privatization of state enterprises and to take steps to boost the national economy if he wins the presidential election in November. Rajapakse affirmed these and other stances in an agreement he signed Thursday with the Marxist People's Liberation Front party, or JVP. In return for these stances, the JVP pledged its support for Rajapakse in the election. "The key aspects of the Sri Lanka's national economy which are electricity, crude oil, the port, airport, banks and other government enterprises, water resources and natural resources will not be privatized," the agreement stated. The economic policies outlined are similar to those announced by the ruling coalition elected in 2002. "Steps will be taken to boost the national economy by having an efficient public and private sector which works together with the world economy," the agreement said. -Full Story- (dowjonesnews - 10/09/05)
Sri Lanka calls for revamp of peace process
Sri Lanka called for a review of the peace process aimed at ending the island's three-decade-old ethnic conflict, seeking a greater international role in supplementing Norway as peacebroker. Jayantha Dhanapala, the senior adviser to the Sri Lankan President, said that last month's assassination of foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, which Colombo has blamed on the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), raised hard questions about the global role in Sri Lanka's peace process. -Full Story- (yahoo - 10/09/05)
http://www.lankaweb.com/news/latest.html
The ruling party's presidential candidate has got the support of fourteen different political parties, the state radio said here Friday. Mahinda Rajapakse, the prime minister who is the candidate representing the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), has secured the support of five more parties in addition to the nine parties who are constituent parties of the ruling alliance, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) said. Rajapakse has clinched a deal with the all Buddhist Monk party (JHU), or the Heritage Party, in addition to support coming from the Marxist People's Liberation Front (JVP) who had walked out of the government in mid-June. Rajapakse's pacts with the JVP and the JHU have met with criticism mainly from political parties representing the Tamil minority. -Full Story- (xinhuanet.com - 10/09/05)
Pact not a return to war: SLFP
The ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) on Friday said it "still stands for a federal solution [to the ethnic conflict] based on the Indian Constitution." The party said the poll pact between its presidential candidate, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, and its former ruling ally, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) would not mean a return to war in the conflict-scarred island nation. The SLFP's assertion came a day after Mr. Rajapakse signed a 13-point agreement with the JVP in which he agreed to "protect, defend and preserve the unitary nature of the Sri Lankan state under any solutions to be presented, formed or formulated for the purpose of the resolution of Sri Lanka's national question." -Full Story- (The Hindu - 10/09/05)
Dhanapala Iterates Failure of International Community: To Tame LTTE, Places Sri Lanka Case in Washington
Declaring that Sri Lanka’s separatist Tamil Tiger outfit, the LTTE, “is not the sole representative of the Tamil people” and endeavoring to change the mindset of Washington insiders saying that Tamil dissidents who express independent opinions outside the framework laid down by the LTTE are brutally eliminated, Sri Lanka’s Peace Secretariat head Jayantha Dhanapala reminded the international community here that they were so far ineffective in stemming the tide of grave ceasefire violations, insisting on resumption of talks or transforming the LTTE into a democratic institution.
Moderates fear for Sri Lanka peace bid as president, PM clash
Sri Lanka’s moderate Tamils on Friday expressed fears for the island’s already faltering peace bid after the prime minister pledged a U-turn in power-sharing with minorities if he was elected president. The main minority Tamil party, the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), said they believed the Norwegian-backed peace process could suffer a fatal blow if premier Mahinda Rajapakse delivered on his election promise. Rajapakse’s pledge Thursday compounded a deadlock between Colombo and the Tamil Tigers over moves to agree on a venue for talks on salvaging their troubled ceasefire that has been in place since February 2002. -Full Story- (Khaleej Times - 10/09/05)
The JVP commend the JHU – Mahinda accord
The JVP is pleased with the recent accord between the JHU, advocating the Sinhalese, Buddhist cause in the country and SLPF presidential candidate, Mahinda Rajapakse, which supports the latter in the forthcoming presidential election. The JVP Secretary for International Affairs and Politburo Member, Vijitha Herath speaking to the ‘Asian Tribune’ said that they feel it is a progressive approach to the election. “We think that JHU’s support to Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse is a good example of rallying around to defeat separatism and advocating a unitary Sri Lanka,” he said. He said this move is welcomed by the JVP and that he feels many more parties would join in with Rajapakse and promote sovereignty in the country, which is a key issue at the election. -Full Story- (The Asian Tribune - 10/09/05)
Norway’s indirect dismissal of LTTE accusations against security forces: The Scandinavian monitors acknowledge presence of Karuna faction
The Norwegian lead Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) has, acknowledged the presence of a strong breakaway faction of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which is fighting the Vanni LTTE in the East. SLMM spokesperson Ms. Helen Olafsdottir said that truce monitors patrolling areas dominated by Karuna cadres had met some renegade cadres. Describing them as ‘chance meetings’, she said that as far as she could recall the last meeting with the Tamil National Force ( Karuna loyalists faction) was on May 29, 2005. -Full Story- (The Asian Tribune - 10/09/05)
Norway to send envoy to Sri Lanka to assess truce
Norway plans to send a special envoy to Sri Lanka to help save a troubled ceasefire between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels. The Norwegian government, which is mediating the peace process between the two sides, says it is "deeply concerned" that violence continues in Sri Lanka, despite a ceasefire deal reached in 2002. Oslo says retired army general, Trond Furuhovde, will be sent back to Sri Lanka in October to consult the government and rebels. The announcement comes a day after the Tamil Tigers rejected Norway's call to hold emergency talks at the airport. The Sri Lankan government has insisted the talks be held in Sri Lanka, while the Tigers want to either to host them in their northern stronghold of Kilinochchi or have them at a neutral venue abroad. Dozens of police, soldiers and rebels have been killed since the ceasefire halted two decades of civil war in Sri Lanka. -Full Story- (radioaustralia.net.au - 10/09/05)
UN will not replace Norway as Sri Lanka peace facilitator: spokesman
The Sri Lankan government said Friday that it had not requested the United Nations to take over the peace facilitation role from Norway in its conflict with the Tamil Tigers. Nimal Siripala De Silva, the Minister of Health and the government spokesman, told reporters here that a visit by Kofi Annan's special envoy early this week was not meant to probe the possibility of ousting Norway. Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN special envoy, was on a fact-finding mission in the island on government request made in the immediate aftermath of the assassination of the foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, De Silva said. Norway has been facilitating peace with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels since the year 2000. -Full Story- (peopledaily.com.cn - 10/09/05)
Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels kill Sri Lankan military intelligence officer
Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels fatally shot a military intelligence operative in a northern Sri Lankan town on Friday, the Defense Ministry said. M.P.M. Mohammed, who worked for the army’s intelligence wing, was cycling to his home in the town of Vavuniya when two suspected rebels fatally shot him, said an officer at the Media Division of the ministry. The officer cannot be named under briefing rules. Vavuniya, 210 kilometers (130 miles) north of the capital, Colombo, has a military garrison and is close to rebel-controlled territory. The guerrillas began fighting in 1983 for a separate homeland for minority ethnic Tamils in the country’s north and east, claiming discrimination by the majority Sinhalese. -Full Story- (Khaleej Times - 10/09/05)
UN will not replace Norway as Sri Lanka peace facilitator
The Sri Lankan government said Friday that it had not requested the United Nations to take over the peace facilitation role from Norway in its conflict with the Tamil Tigers. Nimal Siripala De Silva, the Minister of Health and the government spokesman, told reporters here that a visit by Kofi Annan's special envoy early this week was not meant to probe the possibility of ousting Norway. Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN special envoy, was on a fact-finding mission in the island on government request made in the immediate aftermath of the assassination of the foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, De Silva said. -Full Story- (Xinhuanet - 10/09/05)
Sri Lanka: LTTE turns down Norwegian proposal
The LTTE guerilla in Sri Lanka has turned down a Norwegian proposal for new negotiations with the central government. Norway has been active in the peace process for several years. The latest attempts have failed beacuse the two sides have not been able to agree on a venue. On Wednesday the Norwegian Foreign Office put forward a proposal that the negotiations should take place at the international airport outside the capital, Colombo. -Full Story- (norwaypost.no - 10/09/05)
Violence continues in eatsern Sri Lanka
The troubled security situation in east Sri Lanka's continued, as two police force personnel were killed on Thursday, defense officials said Friday. The Tamil Tigers are accused of attacking a jeep carrying police and special task force personnel (STF) at around 5:00 p.m. local time (1100 GMT) Thursday at Kathankudy in the Batticaloa district. The killing was made by grenade explosion and gunfire, the officials said. Elsewhere in the Batticaloa district, soldiers in an Army food store were also attacked but no casualties were reported. -Full Story- (Xinhuanet - 10/09/05)
Sri Lanka probes bomb hoax on Saudi jet after passenger dies
Sri Lankan authorities on Friday began investigating a bomb hoax aboard a Saudi Arabian Airlines jumbo jet that sparked a stampede in which a woman passenger was killed, an official said. “We are trying to trace the call which initially came to the airport telephone operator and then connected to the control tower,” airport chief Tiran Alles said. “An investigation is underway.” Nineteen passengers who were seriously injured in the scramble to exit the Boeing 747 jet liner through emergency chutes were still in hospital Friday, a day after the incident at Sri Lanka’s only international airport, doctors said. -Full Story- (Khaleej Times - 10/09/05)
Sri Lanka presidential vote likely November16-21-source
Sri Lanka's upcoming presidential election is likely to be held between November 16 and November 21, a source at the island's elections secretariat said on Friday. The two main candidates, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his predecessor Ranil Wickremesinghe, are both waiting for the elections commissioner to formally invite nominations and announce the poll date before publishing their manifestos, which are in turn keenly awaited by investors. -Full Story- (Reuters - 10/09/05)
Sri Lankan terror expert arrested in Maluku
A Singapore-based professor and expert on terror issues was arrested for traveling around Maluku without proper research documents, a senior police officer revealed on Thursday.Rohan Kumar Gunaratna from Sri Lanka, was arrested by an antiterror police unit on Monday while he was on his way to Ambon from Seram Island, said Maluku provincial police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Artsianto. In addition to Gunaratna, the officers also arrested his Indonesian translator and his local guide, said Artsianto. -Full Story- (ANN - 10/09/05)
Sri Lanka Rajapakse, Marxists Sign Deal; No Privatization
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse says he will continue to oppose privatization of state enterprises and to take steps to boost the national economy if he wins the presidential election in November. Rajapakse affirmed these and other stances in an agreement he signed Thursday with the Marxist People's Liberation Front party, or JVP. In return for these stances, the JVP pledged its support for Rajapakse in the election. "The key aspects of the Sri Lanka's national economy which are electricity, crude oil, the port, airport, banks and other government enterprises, water resources and natural resources will not be privatized," the agreement stated. The economic policies outlined are similar to those announced by the ruling coalition elected in 2002. "Steps will be taken to boost the national economy by having an efficient public and private sector which works together with the world economy," the agreement said. -Full Story- (dowjonesnews - 10/09/05)
Sri Lanka calls for revamp of peace process
Sri Lanka called for a review of the peace process aimed at ending the island's three-decade-old ethnic conflict, seeking a greater international role in supplementing Norway as peacebroker. Jayantha Dhanapala, the senior adviser to the Sri Lankan President, said that last month's assassination of foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, which Colombo has blamed on the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), raised hard questions about the global role in Sri Lanka's peace process. -Full Story- (yahoo - 10/09/05)
http://www.lankaweb.com/news/latest.html
