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| Sunday, 14 November 2004 |
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Fishing in 'troubled waters' Tamil Press by S. Selvakumar Picketing by fishermen in Pesalai against Indian counterparts poaching in Sri Lankan waters and Deepavali were highlighted at the beginning and middle of 1ast week while the heavy Norwegian traffic congestion in Colombo and Vanni was highlighted right through the week.
Fishermen in Pesalai continued to picket in the streets of Mannar and told officials who intervened to end the picketing that they would continue to do so until the Sri Lanka Navy arrest all Indian fishermen who poach in Sri Lanka waters and hand them over to the police through whom they should be produced in courts, the Virakesari said on monday in its lead story. Former Minister Bandula Gunawardena has said the government's budget would be like an icing on a stale cake and the UNP is yet to decide whether or not to support the government's budget on November 18, the paper said in another front page story. People of Kattankudy were relieved after Islamic religious leaders at last intervened and settled the inter religious misunderstanding. In another story, the Virakesari quoted TULF General Secretary R. Sampanthan and said it was foolish for anybody to expect that the JVP would change its attitude to find a solution to the ethnic conflict and urged the President to take a bold step and arrive at a solution. The TNA has requested that India should not render any military assistance to Sri Lanka until a final solution is reached to settle the ethnic crisis, the Thinakkural said in a front page story. Hundreds of people started a protest campaign opposite the Balangoda Clock Tower demanding the police to arrest the son of a former Cabinet Minister whom they said was involved with two other Muslim youth in connection with sexual assault on two feamale students of a leading school, the protest was headed by a Buddhist monk, the Sudaroli said. The Thinakaran on Tuesday said the Norwegian facilitators would prepare the agenda for the resumption of peace talks and this week could be a decisive one. In another story the paper said students in 542 schools in the North and East would benefit under a UNFP programme to provide nutritious lunch to these students. The Sudaroli in its lead story said the proposed Indo-Lanka defence pact would not materialise at present following stiff opposition by Tamil Nadu parties enjoying coalition partnership in the central government. In another story the paper said fishermen in Pesalai gave up their picket following assurances given by top military officials and high ranking Fisheries Ministry officials. JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva has said that his party failed to understand as to why the UNP is silent after LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingham's announcement that the LTTE would not base talks on the Oslo or Tokyo declarations despite the party's earlier stand that it would insist the talks should be based on these two documents, the Thinakkural said in a front page story. The Thinakaran on Wednesday quoted a speech by President Kumaratunga and said government servants would be granted a 70 per cent pay hike along with the forthcoming Budget while those in the judiciary and police would be paid additional allowances separately in a bid to reduce rampant corruption in these two sectors. In another front page story the paper said Navy rounded up three Indian trawlers and arrested 12 Indian fishermen who encroached into Sri Lankan waters in Mannar. Soon on arrival in Vanni Anton Balasingham engaged in detailed discussions with LTTE leader Prabhakaran, the Sudaroli said in its lead story and added that on arrival at the Katunayake airport he had discussions with Norway's special envoy Erik Solheim. In another front page story the paper said TNA parliamentarians told Solheim that they would not expect the President to find a solution to the ethnic crisis with a clear conscience. The Thinakkural said TNA MPs have told Solheim that the international community should bring pressure on the government to restart peace talks. Elsewhere the paper said Balasingham discussed with Prabhakaran the arrival of Norway's Foreign Minister and LTTE leader's intended heroes' day speech on November 27. In a boxed separate story the paper said President Kumaratunga would send a special message to Prabhakaran through Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen who was scheduled to meet the President on Wednesday and Prabhakaran on Thursday. According to the Virakesari TNA parliamentarians told Solheim that the President had not given priority to the peace talks but only indulge in selfish politics. All Tamil dailies on Thursday splashed the front pages with Deepawali greetings and messages of the President and Prime Minister. The Sudaroli in its lead story said the President would inform the LTTE through Norwegian Foreign Minister that the Tigers should make a public announcement that they would accept a solution based on a federal framework within a united Sri Lanka and also quoted sources close to the LTTE telling the Tigers would not accept such a condition to recommence peace talks. The Thinakkural in a front page story displayed prominently said police baton-charged students of Eravur Tamil MV who demonstrated on the Batticaloa-Trincomalee Road demanding the cancellation of the transfer order of their principal. Several students were injured, the paper added. In another story the paper said Mrs. Adel Balasingham ceremonially declared open a building for the Tamil Eelam Law College in Kilinochchi. The Virakesari said CID commenced investigations following a report that 32,000 parcels and foreign letters had disappeared from the Central Mail Exchange in Colombo. The Virakesari on Friday quoted Anton Balasingham and said there was'nt any new message from the President and added that he had told the Norwegian Foreign Minister of the LTTE's strategy to recommence peace talks. The Sudaroli, too, had the same news in its lead story. The Thinakkural gave prominence to a picture of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in its front page and in an equally large picture in the middle showed Norwegian Foreign Minister shake hands with Prabhakaran while Anton Balasingham looked on. The Thinakaran carried a condolence message issued by the LTTE on the death of Yasser Arafat. |
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