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| Sunday, 25 July 2004 |
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From the Tamil press by S.Selvakumar JHU-LTTE dialogue likely ? The JHU's wish to have a dialogue with the LTTE, the killing of EPDP Pradeshya Sabha chairman by suspected tigers were front page stories in the Tamil dailies earlier in the week. Mid week saw LTTE's concern over unrest in the East and the story of a cobra crossing the path of a JHU Parliamentarian on his way to the House ended the week's stories with a hilarious note. The Thinakkural on Monday reported a press conference held by Minister D.M. Jayaratne at his Gampola residence where he has said that the government will prove its majority in Parliament on Tuesday with the support of the CWC and some SLMC MPs. The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission has said that it is up to the government and the LTTE to make public the SLMM's report on the Kollupitiya suicide bomb attack. Over 100,000 students have left school in the Jaffna peninsula over the last ten years. The Virakesari in a main story said the government cannot prove its majority when the House meets on Tuesday since the CWC has still not taken any decision on supporting the government. In another story the paper said that both government and CWC representatives are keeping talks between them as top secret and even their hand phones are switched off. The Sudar Oli said that the JHU is examining the possibility of holding talks with the LTTE on how to recommence the peace talks. The paper further said the JHU feels the LTTE has not been properly told the thinking of the Sinhala people and when talks are held the Sinhala thinking will be explained to them. Sri Lanka's resident representative of the World Bank Peter Harold who met LTTE political head S.P. Thamilselvan in Kilinochchi on Monday has said that his organisation accepts the stand that an interim self-governing authority is necessary. Thamilselvan speaking to the press after the meeting with the World Bank representatives has said that the LTTE rejects the idea of a referendum to establish the ISGA an added if the government forces a war the LTTE is ready to face it, the Thinakkural said on Tuesday. Amul brand milk products Norwegian special envoy Erik Solheim on the visit of Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesan on July 25 has said that he did not expect much progress on the resumption of peace talks. The Virakesari said that India has agreed to establish a milk factory in Sri Lanka to market Amul brand milk products. Sri Lankan air line employees are preparing for strike action over the sacking of 13 employees by the Emirate management and from Tuesday the employees will wear black arm bands. The Sudar Oli said that LTTE leaders Sornam, Ramesh and Kausalyan returned to Trincomalee and Batticaloa from Kilinochchi yesterday in an Air Force helicopter. There was a complete hartal in Kinniya on Monday with shops and schools closed to protest against LTTE's harassment of Muslims, the Thinakaran reported. The Thinakkural on Wednesday ran a front page story to the effect that Army personnel in the Jaffna peninsula are engaged in rehearsals so that the forces will be in fine fettle in the event of a war breaking out. S.P. Thamilselvan addressing LTTE organisers in Kilinochchi has stated that the country is almost on the edge of a war and added that both the government and the LTTE are preparing for war. He further said that the LTTE will definitely not start a war but if the government forces such a war on LTTE, the latter is ever prepared for any eventuality, the Sudar Oli reported. The paper in another front page story said that an Army Captain by the name Duminda Keppitipola has been summoned to appear before the Chavakachcheri courts in connection with a habeas corpus application regarding some persons who went missing when this Captain was incharge of the Navatkuli camp in 1995-1996. Mail to be air lifted Heavy police guards have been deployed in the Jaffna court complex following an incident where the foundation stone laid by the Chief Justice last week for a modern court complex has been vandalised and removed to a place behind the Jaffna Nallur Kovil. From tomorrow, all mail to Jaffna will be air lifted from Colombo on the direction of the President. Minister Douglas Devananda has reported to the President that LTTE is intercepting parcel post to the North and examines all parcels, the Thinakaran said on Wednesday. All Tamil dailies gave prominence to the killing of V. Ravindran Kamalan, Chairman of the Alayadivembu Pradeshya Sabha at Akkaraipattu on Wednesday afternoon. He belonged to the EPDP. The Thinakaran on Thursday said the visit of SLMM chief Trond Furuhovde to Kilinochchi to meet S.P. Thamilselvan is connected to the visit of Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesan who arrives in the island on Sunday. He, too is expected to visit Kilinochchi. The Virakesari in a boxed story said that LTTE renegade leader Karuna had left the country and quoted sources as saying he boarded a Singapore bound plane at 1.30 am on Wednesday. But the heading to the story ended in a question mark which suggests the paper is not quite sure of its sources. The Thinakkural in a front page news item said that the UNF is not immediately interested to topple the government despite the Opposition's majority in the House. It said that UNF leader Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing a meeting of party organisers at Siri Kotha on Thursday had requested them to reorganise the party at grassroots level targeting the next presidential elections. He has also told the meeting if the government is allowed to go just as it is the masses will get fed up and rise against the government. The LTTE in one of its publications "viduthalai puligal" has said that the Sinhala government is hatching a coup and marking time to implement it but the LTTE is ready to wait for peace and it is no fool to wait till government strikes, the Sudar Oli said in a front page story. A State attorney yesterday told the Jaffna High Court she will not appear for the three Army officers in a habeas corpus application but will appear only on behalf of the Attorney General, the Sudar Oli reported on Friday. S.P. Thamilselvan told SLMM chief Trond Furuhovde who met him in Kilinochchi on Thursday that activities of armed gangs in the East are on the increase and unless it is controlled it could be seen as a violation of the ceasefire agreement. The Virakesari reported the killing of a civilian in Karadiyanaru in the East in Tiger controlled area. The tigers had tried to treat him when he was fallen on the road after receiving gun shot injuries but he later died. Extensive talks The Australian envoy in Colombo visited Jaffna on Thursday and held extensive talks with the Government Agent and top officials. Later he visited the Jaffna library and gifted a stock of books, the Thinakkural reported on Friday. The Thinakaran said that two prison officials are suspected to have smuggled the gun for the shooting of Karuna faction loyalists in the Batticaloa prisons recently. In another front page story the paper said that a cobra has appeared in front of the vehicle in which JHU Parliamentarian Athureliye Rathana Thera was coming to Parliament and the driver stopped the vehicle for some time until the cobra left the place. |
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