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| Sunday, 10 October 2004 |
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Jaffna Muslims oppose SLMC From the Tamil press by S. Selvakumar The Air Force has spent Rs. 150 million to fly various persons during the ceasefire was an interesting story but the rest were all about LTTE delegation's visit to Geneva, CWC's insistence that talks with LTTE should be based on the ISGA proposals and opposition by the Jaffna Muslims for holding an SLMC regional conference in Jaffna today. In talks between the LTTE and SLMC in Mannar it was agreed that Tiger cadres would avoid going to Muslim areas until October 15. This was in a bid to ease the prevalent tension between the Tamil and Muslim communities following recent clashes, the Thinakaran said on Monday. The Virakesari reported a massive protest rally in Hatton on Sunday by estate workers calling for the payment of salary arrears agreed between estate sector trade unions and employers that was signed three months ago. The paper also carried a large picture of the rally. In another story the paper said a parcel containing two kilos of heroin was found by the road side in Mannar and police suspect that this was connected to an incident recently where a man was shot dead which resulted in clashes between Muslims and Tamils. Recommence peace talks The Thinakkural said that the CWC would insist to recommence peace talks on LTTE's ISGA proposals at the National Advisory Council on Peace scheduled to be convened by the President on Monday. The LTTE has intensified their search for Tamil gangs operating with the Army in the Polonnaruwa - Batticaloa border areas, the paper said in a front page story. Quoting senior officials of the Finance Ministry the paper said government servants would get only a thirty per cent pay hike in the next budget and the government had to allocate Rs. 40 billion for this alone. The Sudaroli quoting Air Force sources said that SLAF had spent Rs. 150 million to fly various officials to various places in connection with the peace process since the ceasefire agreement was signed. All Tamil dailies on Tuesday gave prominence to the President's speech at the inauguration of the peace advisory council held on Monday at the Presidential Secretariat. The Virakesari quoted Minister Douglas Devananda's call to the LTTE leader that the latter should go for peace negotiations if he cared for the welfare of the Tamil people. It also reported that Anton Balasingham returned to London from Geneva after talks with an LTTE delegation. LTTE in Geneva After talks with the LTTE delegation in Geneva Norwegian special envoy Erik Solheim left for the USA while Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgessen flew to India, the Sudaroli said in its lead story. Monitoring Mission chief Trond Furuhovde has told the Defence Ministry that an organisation was trying to discredit the SLMM by showing the country that the abduction by the LTTE of two home guards was a matter for that particular organisation, the paper said in another front page story. The Thinakaran quoting Defence Ministry sources said an Indian Defence delegation would be in Colombo next week to sign a defence pact with Sri Lanka. Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgessen has told Thamilselvan in Geneva that violation of the ceasefire agreement would spell danger to the peace process, the Virakesari reported. The Thinakaran on Thursday quoted Norwegian Embassy sources and said that Norway's special envoy Erik Solheim who travelled to the USA after a meeting with the LTTE in Geneva has prevailed upon top American officials the current state of the peace process. Indian fishermen The Thinakkural in another front page story quoted UPF leader and Parliamentarian P. Chandrasekeran that Sri Lanka Navy arrested a group of Indian fishermen who poached in Sri Lanka waters and later distributed some pamphlets among them which stated that had the LTTE arrested them they would have burnt their boats. The MP has interpreted this as an attempt by the Sri Lanka Navy and the government to create tension between the LTTE and the Indian government. The Virakesari reported that three members of the Karuna faction had been shot dead in the jungles adjoining Kurunegala but police said that they, too, had heard about it and had launched a search. UNP Parliamentarian Jayalath Jayawardane at a recent meeting with UN officials in Geneva has requested them to refrain from repatriating Sri Lankans in European countries at least for the time being, since the situation in Sri Lanka is not safe. NIC bill In another front page story the paper said TNA MPs refrained from voting on the NIC bill adopted in the House on Thursday as a protest against government's amendments brought in the afternoon after accepting Opposition's amendments in the morning. The Thinakaran said that pamphlets were issued in Jaffna announcing that trouble could brew when the SLMC holds its regional annual conference in Jaffna today. The Virakesari on the same issue said that Muslims now resettled in Jaffna had opposed the SLMC conference and they fear this would damage the unity between the Muslims and Tamils. Tamil Nadu fishermen requested the central and the state governments to find a solution to their problems and request Sri Lankan authorities to release their boats. They claimed their boats accidentally slipped into Sri Lankan waters when there was high tide in the Palk Straits, the Thinakkural reported. |
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