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| Sunday, 27 February 2005 |
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Tamil Press Joint relief mechanism in the offing By S. Selvakumar The Thinakaran on Monday quoting Norwegian sources said the JVP refused to meet with special envoy Erik Solheim despite the latter's request for a meeting. President Kumaratunga directed officials to expedite the process to establish a common structure with the LTTE to distribute tsunami relief in the Northeast. According to the Virakesari, the TNA regretted that former US Presidents Bush and Clinton had no plans to visit Northeast. The UNP called upon the JVP to bring pressure on the President to scrap the emergency regulations and charged that she was persuing a dictatorial administration. Prince Charles, according to the Thinakkural wished to travel to Batticaloa when he visits Sri Lanka and this had been conveyed to the Foreign Ministry by the British High Commission. However, the Foreign Ministry has told the High Commission that he could visit Trincomalee instead. This prompted High Commission officials to visit both places, for an inspection after which they have told the Foreign Ministry that Batticaloa was the worst affected by the tsunami, compared to Trincomalee and the Prince would like to visit Batticaloa. The Foreign Ministry subsequently told the High Commission to await a presidential ruling on the matter. About 150 people began a hunger strike opposite the Arayampathi Divisional Secretariat protesting against the non issue of relief to tsunami affected people. About 500 others picketed crippling the functions of the secretariat. The Thinakkural quoted Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama and said the 4.5 billion aid pledged at the Tokyo donor conference had still not been received by Sri Lanka and the relief measures now being carried out after the tsunami, were with the aid received after the tsunami from various countries. A team of German officials headed by that country's Finance Minister would visit Jaffna on Tuesday to distribute fishing equipment to tsunami victims, the Thinakaran said. The Thinakkural on Wednesday said the government was ready to talk with the LTTE on the ISGA proposals. US Ambassador Jeffrey Lunstead called upon both the government and the LTTE to commence peace talks and ensured no country would force a solution to the ethnic problem of Sri Lanka. Thamilselvan who met Solheim in Vanni has complained that the government was conducting a shadow war against the LTTE, and this could jeopardise the ceasefire agreement. In a statement to commemorate the third anniversary of the CFA, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said that all should strive to save the ceasefire and help start peace talks, the Virakesari reported. Erik Solheim said in Kilinochchi that the international community was pressing for a common structure with the LTTE to rehabilitate the tsunami hit Northeast, the Sudaroli reported. Indian holy woman Mother Amrithanandamai who visited Sri Lanka last week and pledged to build 300 houses said in India that she was prepared to be a facilitator between the government and the LTTE if the parties so wished. Erik Solheim reportedly told SLMC chief Rauf Hakeem there was a good atmosphere prevailing between the government and the LTTE, to establish to joint mechanism to rehabilitate tsunami affected areas in the Northeast, the Virakesari said on Thursday. The TNA called upon the government to go ahead with its statement that said it would hold talks with the LTTE to establish an Interim Self Governing Authority. The Thinakaran said government servants would be granted a million rupee housing loan commencing in April. Erik Solheim conveyed a LTTE message to the Peace Secretariat that the joint mechanism to rehabilitate the tsunami affected Northeast would be possibly beginning in March the Thinakkural said. The Thinakaran on Friday led with the story that the UNP, TNA and the SLMC supported the 18th amendment to the constitution which would enable the establishment of Courts of Appeal in all provinces. All Tamil papers on Friday gave prominence to the JVP threat that it would leave the government if talks were to be held with the LTTE, to form an interim self governing authority. The LTTE in a statement over the shooting of a soldier in Kilali said the soldier concerned entered the no man zone to spy on the LTTE and it was forced to open fire in self defence, the Thinakkural said in a front page story. A children's park declared open by the Upcountry People's Front was smashed up by the CWC later in the day. It was the CWC that was responsible for constructing the childrens' park, the Sudaroli reported. |
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