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| Sunday, 6 March 2005 |
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Interim mechanism - JVP a spoiler From Tamil Press by S. Selvakumar The Thinakaran on Monday quoted Government Peace Secretariat and said final touches were being put to establish a joint mechanism with the LTTE to distribute relief in the tsunami devastated areas in the Northeast. At a provincial chief ministers conference it was decided to fill all vacancies in the councils before the end of March. Unless the government works on a common front with its allies in the UPFA, the JVP threatened to expose the truth through a series of meetings to be held in the South, the Sudaroli said in its lead story. It was the responsibility of the Prime Minister to announce the government's stand on the peace process and not the head of the Peace Secretariat, the UNP charged. Commenting on a speech in New Delhi by Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar that it was not the proper time to start peace talks with the LTTE now, the latter said the government was in a confused state of mind and comes out with various statements and the international community was aware of this and the Tigers would just ignore the government's stance, the Thinakkural said in its lead story. The Tamil dailies on Tuesday published pictures of Prince Charles' visit to Batticaloa and gave prominence to one particular picture of him in a kovil with holy ash on his forehead and a red pottu being blessed by a Hindu priest. The papers also gave prominence to the news that the CWC pledged to be with the government, after a meeting with President Kumaratunga. The Virakesari quoted LTTE peace secretariat head Pulithevan and said an agreement on a joint mechanism with the government was yet to be reached and the Norwegians were talking on this matter with the government. India has increased its monetary assistance to Sri Lanka from Indian rupees 150 million to Rs. 250 million through its Budget submitted in Parliament on Monday, the Thinakkural said in a front page story. The Thinakkural on Wednesday led with the story that the LTTE warned that it would be difficult to keep quite in the wake of attacks on their cadres and the SLMM, too, had expressed fears that the ceasefire agreement was in a fragile stage after these attacks. In another story the paper said a suspect who shot three LTTE female cadres including Batticaloa-Ampara women's wing leader Kuveni was arrested. Two of the injured women cadres were flown to Colombo and undergoing treatment at a private hospital. The Sudaroli also led with the story the LTTE expressed anger and quoted Thamilselvan as having told Norway the latest shootings could jeopardise the ceasefire. Norway would repair 246 places of worship belonging to all religious damaged by the tsunami, the Thinakaran quoted Erik Solheim. All Tamil dailies gave front page prominence to a demonstration held in Jaffna on Wednesday where over 75,000 participated demanding a stop to activities that could damage the peace process. The Virakesari quoted Army sources and said the suspect arrested in connection with the shooting of LTTE women cadres was a former Army informant. The Sudaroli in its lead story said the CWC was opposed to Thamilselvan visiting the plantation areas and CWC leader Arumugan Thondaman had requested the President to direct her attention to this matter. All Tamil dailies on Friday reported an attempt by the JVP to construct houses for Sinhala tsunami victims in a playground in Trincomalee and Tamils protested against this move. Building materials brought in twenty lorries were seized by the police and an explosive situation that could have led to a communal riot thus averted. Justice K. Sripavan, a member of the two-judge bench of the court of appeal announced that he would withdraw from the panel in a case filed by Parliamentarian S. B. Dissanayake and cited untoward incidents that he faced since he was included in the panel, the Thinakkural reported. But the Virakesari reported that the other Judge in the panel Sisira de Abrew informed that he did not wish to hear the case. It was just unclear which judge decline to sit in judgment. The Virakesari also reported an interview by Thamilselvan to the BBC where he had said that Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar's request that India should intervene in Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict sounds a joke. Upcountry youth who helped Northeast tsunami victims have come under a CID probe to ascertain whether they have any connection with the LTTE, the Virakesari said in a front page report. |
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