News vom 19.09.2005

srilanka1998

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Mahinda too much on conflict: Ranil

Opposition Leader and presidential candidate of the United National Party says that the ruling party presidential candidate has entered into electoral deals that puts undue emphasis on the ethnic conflict.
Ranil Wickremasinghe addressing a well attended convention of party representatives in Colombo on Sunday said, "most of the items agreed with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) is on the North and East".

He was referring to electoral pacts the prime minister and ruling party candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa had earlier entered into with the Sinhala Nationalist JVP and the Buddhist monk led Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU).

The deal signed by PM Rajapaksa includes a commitment to maintaining a unitary state and reviewing the ceasefire with Tamil Tigers.

Unitary state

Prime Minister Rajapaksa says that he is for the devolution of power in Sri Lanka within a unitary state.

However, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga addressing a public gathering in New York said, "my view and the view of overwhelming sections of Sri Lankan society is that this will involve transforming the state from a unitary one to one that is plural and federal in nature".

Ranil Wickremasinghe addressing the UNP party representatives convention stated, "the only problem is not the war in the North".

Referring to the high cost of living he told the gathering mainly from the South, "there should be a ceasefire for the war in the kitchen".

Therefore, "first we have to address the issues at home before solving the problems of the country," added the presidential hopeful.

Ranil Wickramasinghe while in office as prime minister signed a cease fire deal with the Tamil Tigers in 2002.

The then opposition, United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) led by President Kumaratunga, criticised the deal saying it has given too many concessions to the LTTE.



President: take action against LTTE

Sri Lanka President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has called on the international community to take effective measures to combat human rights violations of the separatist Tamil Tigers to restore democracy in the North and the East.
In an address to the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, the president said that she tend to doubt that the Security Council's recent identification of LTTE on account of child conscription would suffice to deter its activities.

She urged the world body to implement action recommended by the Secretary General.

Sanctions

"Targeted sanctions such as those proposed by Secretary General Kofi Annan, in his report to the UN Security Council should be imposed on those armed groups who undermine national and international peace and violate human rights," she stressed.

When a belligerent group, Kumaratunga said, exploits its position that accrues from a peace process to utilise freedom guaranteed under a democratic system to strengthen itself through infiltration, 'that impinges seriously on the ability of an elected government to move forward to at reconciliation and peace.'

The restoration of democracy and promotion of human rights in the affected areas is an essential requisite for a successful and meaningful peace process in Sri Lanka, the president added.

'A lasting political solution can come to fruition only when the rebel group becomes a democratic civilian organisation. This deserves the fullest support of the international community.'

President Kumaratunga said the LTTE has continuously disregarded the promises given to the international community to safeguard the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) and not to recruit children.

Tsunami

She said: 'This group continues to engage in numerous illegal and terrorist activities. These include the conscription of children as soldiers, and the assassination of democratic opponents, as part of their policy of eliminating Tamil political leaders and Human Rights activists with disdain for all international law and practice, despite sustained efforts by my Government and the Norwegian facilitators.'

The president thanked donors and sympathisers who helped Sri Lanka after December 26 tsunami that hit the coastal areas of the Asian continent.

'To all those who assisted and sympathised with us, and contributed generously, to rebuild our country, on behalf of my people and my government, I wish to convey my profound appreciation and gratitude.'

She also extended a special thank to the UN Special Envoy for Tsunami Recover, President Clinton.

LTTE Response

The Tamil Tigers, for their part, have accused the president of failing to fulfil her commitment for peace during her two terms in power.

"It is ludicrous for Kumaratunge who is at the tail-end of her presidency to pontificate now that she is committed to a federal system for the resolution of the Tamil national question," SP Thamilchelvan, head of the political wing of the LTTE has told Tamilnet website.

"We consider Kumaratunga's speech in New York a pack of chicaneries trying to hoodwink the international community. During her ten-year period of presidency Kumaratunga failed to implement anything to enhance the welfare of the Tamil people," Thamilchelvan added.



SSP killing: 'transfer case to Colombo'

The police in Sri Lanka have urged the Attorney General (AG) to transfer a murder case involving the Tamil Tigers to the capital, Colombo, from Jaffna.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has sought AG's permission to transfer the murder case of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Charles Wijewardhana, due to threats from the LTTE.

The police said the assassination happened in Mallakam, Jaffna, where the Tamil Tigers' influence is heavily felt.

Identification parade

Weerapandian Gopi, a member of the LTTE, is in police custody on suspicion of the murder.

Witnesses failed to identify the suspect in an identification parade held on Friday.

SSP Charles Wijewardena was killed in Jaffna while he was travelling to Inuvil to investigate a shooting incident.

SSP Wijewardena was travelling to Inuvil in Jaffna to investigate an incident in a barbor saloon where one person injured in gun shot injuries died later in hospital.

Abducted

Army spokesman Brigadier Daya Ratnayake detailing the incident said that two army men had gone to the barbor saloon and one was having a hair cut. In the meantime, the other soldier had accidentally fired his gun injuring two peole in the saloon.

The two injured persons were rushed to the hospital where one sucummbed to the injuries, he said.

Brigadier Ratnayake regretting the incident said that the two army men would not have gone out for hair cut at all as these facilities were availble in the barracks.

After the incident, Brigadier Ratnayake said, there were protests by the people in the area. They later gave up their protest once the army explained to them what happened in the saloon, he added.



Agreed to continue with peace

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and the Norwegian Prime minister have agreed to continue with the peace efforts.
President Kumaratunga thanked the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minster for Norwegian Government's efforts at moving the LTTE away from open armed conflict by facilitating discussions.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga met with the Prime Minister of Norway Kjell Magne Bondevik and Foreign Minister Jan Peterson at the UN Head Quarters

Recently Jayantha Dhanapala ,Sri Lankas chief negotiator said that there is a need to bring in other international facilitators in addition to Norway to strengthen the peace process.

The numbers of ceasefire violations are on the increase and the government has called for a review .Although the government and the Tamil tigers are in agreement of a review still both parties have not been able to agree on a venue.

A number of senior government ministers have also voiced disappointment on the Norwegian facilitation.

Norwegian elections were held recently and outgoing Prime Minister Bondevik assured the President the incoming Oslo government will continue Norway's facilitation in Sri Lanka's peace efforts.

According to a media release of the presidential sectariat the President and Prime Minister Bondevik discussed the need to improve the practical implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement and expressed concern about the LTTE's reluctance to engage in direct discussions about this.


Quelle: [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/ [/url]
 
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