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| Sunday, 28 November 2004 |
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Solheim coming gain Tamil Press By S. Selvakumar LTTE's preparations for the Heroes' Day which fell on Saturday, killings of LTTE supporters, Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's refusal to comment on the proposed Indo-Lanka defence pact and unrest in Mannar and Vavuniya when the public prevented the Army from removing LTTE flags flown in public places, took centre stage in Tamil dailies right through last week. The Thinakkural in its lead story on Monday said security has been tightened in Battocaloa following a spate of attacks on LTTE offices in Batticaloa. Both Police and Army were deployed to protect the Tigers' political offices in the district, the paper further said. Normalcy returned to the Jaffna peninsula on Sunday after the funeral of two youth killed in a shooting incident. Tigers accused the Army of killings while the Army blamed the LTTE. A complete hartal was observed in the peninsula on Saturday following the killings. Financial allocations The Virakesari quoted former Deputy Finance Minister Bandula Gunawardena who said the UNP would request the Speaker to appoint a Parliamentary sub-committee to inquire into financial allocations made for investments since there was no clear policy adopted on this matter. The Thinakkural in its lead story quoted visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz who refused to comment on the Indo-Lanka defence pact to be signed, but had said that it was left for the countries to decide on the advantages and disadvantages, if there were any. In another story, the paper quoted the Human Rights Commission and added the organisation would vehemently oppose the implementation of the death sentence. UNP Parliamentarian Gamini Jayawickrema Perera told the House that the credit of splitting the LTTE into Prabha and Karuna factions should go to the UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. The Virakesari said Prabhakaran's Heroes' Day speech to be delivered on the 27th would be awaited eagerly since the government and the Tigers blame each other for not recommencing the peace talks. The paper quoted a senior Cabinet minister without naming him that the Government alternative proposals for the recommencement of peace talks would be intimated to the LTTE in January through the peace secretariat. The Sudaroli on Wednesday speculated that the three Tamil and one Sinhala youth arrested with weapons on the road to Parliament could be members of the Karuna faction. The paper in another front page story said Sri Lanka Army would soon take steps to officially discharge Army deserters. Batticaloa Ampara LTTE military wing leader Colonel Bhanu who was airlifted to Kilinnochchi on November 12, returned to Batticaloa on Tuesday by road accompanied by SLMM officials. He was not provided air travel to return due to bad weather conditions. A Sahitya award winner and former MP U. L. M. Haniffa known as Marudurkani for his excellence in writing poems in Tamil, passed away on Tuesday. Sometime ago the President conferred the title of Lankathilaka on him. The Virakesari quoted the Attorney-General's Department and said the Presidential order to make the death sentence effective would include all those convicts who were sentenced to death in the past, too. Several Tamil youth arrested on Tuesday night in Colombo in a cordon and search operation jointly conducted by the Police and Army, were later released. LTTE has requested authorities to keep the Omanthai check point on the A 9 highway open till midnight on LTTE's heroes' day, November 27. Ambepitiya murder According to Friday's Virakesari, Police investigating the murder of High Court Judge Sarath Ambepitiya had identified the four people involved in the killing with the help of the conversations they have had through the mobile phone left behind at the scene and said they would be arrested soon. The Sudaroli said Norwegian special envoy Erik Solheim would arrive in Colombo on December 6 after meeting LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingham in London on December 1. Unknown assailants killed two men aged 32 and 45 at Vandarumoolai in the East on Wednesday night. The UNP will hold a mammoth anti-budjet demonstration at Rajagiriya on December 1. The Thinakkural in a front page story said that armed forces personnel distributed notices printed in Tamil on behalf of The Karuna faction urging the public to refrain from participating in the LTTE's heroes' week celebrations. Head of the peace secretariat Jayantha Dhanapala travelled to Vavuniya on Wednesday and met with SLMM officials, Government Agent and Military officials, the paper further said. Mannar incident The assault by armed forces personnel in Mannar on civilians, who prevented the Army from pulling down LTTE flags put up to celebrate the heroes' day, was highlighted in all Tamil dailies on Friday. According to reports, Vino Netharathalingam, the TNA Parliamentarian, was also a victim of the assault. In Vetpankulam, Vavuniya, a similar incident was reported on Thursday, where the public protested the removal of LTTE flag. In an army shooting, two people were injured, the Thinakkural said in a front page story. The paper also reported the killing of a Tiger cadre at Akkaraipattu on Thursday. On the killing of two men in Vandarumoolai on Wednesday night, the Thinakkural said inquiries conducted by the police revealed the two men were very active participants on heroes' day celebrations. The Virakesari said the man who was shot dead at Dematagoda on Thursday evening was an ex-PLOTE member who was working closely with the Karuna faction at the time of his killing. He was identified as one Rangappa from Batticaloa. |
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