|
|
|
  |
| Sunday, 7 November 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Heightened activity on the peace front
The week started with mundane matters and switched to Kattankudy where there were attacks on a religious fundamentalist group. While the situation there continued to remain tense the arrival of Norwegian Foreign Minister and his proposed meeting with the LTTE leader Prabhakaran were highlighted in the latter part of the week. The Sudaroli on Monday quoting Norwegian Embassy's Second Secretary said that what was termed as Oslo Declaration was not a declaration but only a report released to the press after the third round of peace talks. Clashes in Kattankudy The paper in another story said that inter religious clashes in Kattankudy town forced authorities to impose a curfew. Parliamentarian Rauff Hakeem charged that President Kumaratunga was destroying the Muslims' national political agenda and vowed to work to topple the government headed by the President, the Virakesari said in its lead story. All Tamil papers reported that Thamilselvan would return to Vanni on Monday and meet with Japanese special envoy Yasushi Akashi. Tension rose in South Indian coastal town of Rameswaram following reports that Sri Lanka Navy had attacked Indian fishermen at Kachchaitivu, destroyed their nets and grabbed their catch, the Virakesari said in a front page story quoting South Indian Sun TV. The story also said following these alleged attacks 28 fishermen had gone missing. The Thinakkural said that the JVP would contest separately at the next presidential election. Minister Ferial Ashraff has said it was pointless finding fault with other political parties for important members leaving the Muslim Congress and added the actual reason should be found, the Thinakaran said in a front page story. The Sudaroli in its lead story on Tuesday said that President Kumaratunga agreed to hold talks with the LTTE on the ISGA proposals alone and this had been conveyed to Japanese special envoy Akashi and if that was so the Tigers want it conveyed to them officially through Norway. But the Virakesari reported that Thamilselvan after a meeting with Akashi in Kilinochchi told reporters that the latter failed to convey anything important from the President when he met him. A hand grenade attack on a mosque in Kattankudy injured 11 people, the Thinakkural said. The injured were admitted to the hospital and the condition of eight of them reported serious. The mosque, too, was damaged in the attack. The Sri Lankan mission in Kuwait intimated to the Foreign Ministry that abducted Sri Lankan truck driver Dinesh Dharmendra was in good health. This had been conveyed to Sri Lankan mission after the transport company for which he worked approached Iraqi authorities and inquired about the well-being of the abductee, the Virakesari said on Wednesday. Murali in Kilinochchi The Suderoli in front page story said Sri Lanka's ace spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan went to Kilinochchi on Tuesday in his capacity as an honourable Ambassador of the World Food Programme and met with an LTTE delegation. Officials of the embassies of Norway, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands, too were with Muralitharan. LTTE denied that it had a camp in government controlled area in Habarana when it heard that such a camp was set on fire by the Navy in the presence of SLMM officials. The denial was conveyed to the SLMM in Trincomalee, according to the Thinakkural. The LTTE is not bound by the Oslo and Tokyo declarations, the Sudaroli on Thursday quoted LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingham. The paper in its lead story said the European Union would bring pressure on the government to recommence peace talks soon and would consider to postpone a parley to grant aid to Sri Lanka until such time. Over 200 families in Kattankudy left the town and settled down in Arayampathi following inter religious clashes among the Muslim community. Bomb near Trinco harbour A powerful bomb was discovered near the Trincomalee harbour police post on Wednesday, the Thinakaran said in a front page story. Tamil party leaders were of the view the Indo-Lanka defence pact could jeopardise the present peace initiatives and as such India should reconsider this matter, the Virakesari said in a prominently displayed front page story. Japanese special envoy Yashusi Akashi met with Indian Foreign Ministry officials and discussed the present situation of the Sri Lankan peace procees. The paper in another front page story said Arumugam Thondaman met with President Kumaratunga on Tuesday and stressed the importance of a national level Cabinet portfolio to him. Security was further strengthened in Kattankudy on Wednesday following tension and efforts at resolving the inter religious conflict between two Muslim groups failed, the Thinakkural reported. All Tamil dailies on Friday announced the visit of Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Peterson to Sri Lanka on Wednesday and stated that he would meet with LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran on Deepavali day, Thursday. On the situation in Kattankudy, the Thinakaran said 760 families have left the town for adjoining villages for fear of attacks by a gang that has unleashed violence. The Sudaroli predicted that LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingham might come to Kilinochchi next week to facilitate talks between Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Peterson and Prabhakaran. |
|
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Produced by Lake House |
