From the public statements of Lankan leaders, including President Kumaratunga, it is apparent that she has asked for any one of three things.

*One, an armed Indian intervention which she knew India would refuse, given the IPKF experience.

*Two, material support (arms and ammunition) which she was not sure of.

*Three, India's persuasive power over LTTE to bring it to the negotiations table before Jaffna falls. More Published: Mon May 29 22:44:41 EDT 2000

Vaiko, leader of the MDMK, has a sat-cellular phone. He will not give you its number; he uses it only to speak to the LTTE offices in London, Paris and Geneva and to Anton Balasingham and other top leaders of the outfit in Europe. Needless to say, he has intimate contacts in that organisation.Unofficially he was designated to liaise with the Tigers. Even the intelligence agencies assist him in doing this job. Such is his reach that he arranged a dialogue between an Indian attache in a European country and an LTTE leader based there. More.. Published: Mon May 29 22:41:40 EDT 2000

What about another Indian peacekeeping force? The lessons of Kosovo and Kargil say that India's intervention must come from a distance as it must be heavy. The Indian Air Force and Navy, for instance, might provide fire cover for a Sri Lankan Army counterattack on the LTTE. India might even consider leasing field artillery to Sri Lanka. New Delhi might ask some specialist "advising" units to deploy. But if all this fails, bring in the attack helicopters and fight the battle. There might not be another opportunity like this-not just for ending a two decade civil war, but for the fear it will strike in the hearts of foreign mercenaries in the hills of Kashmir. More... Published: Mon May 29 21:14:52 EDT 2000

Sri Lankan government did broach the issue of purchasing military equipment from the arms manufacturers in the US. More.. Published: Mon May 29 19:57:52 EDT 2000

In more than five years in office, Sri Lanka's charming and cunning President Chandrika Kumaratunga, the Sorbonne-educated daughter of two prime ministers, has been painted many shades, but perhaps none as dark as the defeated image she now bears. Having promised to crush the world's most feared guerrilla group, the Tamil Tigers -- and having driven her country deep into debt to do it -- Ms. Kumaratunga finds herself on the verge of defeat and as helpless as she was in December when a Tiger suicide bomber came close to killing her. More.. Published: Mon May 29 19:36:01 EDT 2000

More.. Published: Mon May 29 19:25:59 EDT 2000

Meanwhile, the LTTE, which had said its declaration of a ``unilateral''

ceasefire was to enable civilians to move out of the Themarachchi division of Jaffna peninsula, the present theatre of operations, accused the Government of not respecting the truce, and of preventing the movement of people by shelling the area. More.. Published: Mon May 29 19:23:06 EDT 2000

The United States, which included the LTTE on its 1997 list of terrorist organizations, opposes a separate Tamil state in Sri Lanka, and says a military solution to the fighting is not the answer.

Officials reported only sporadic fighting since Friday, when the rebels had set a deadline for government troops to withdraw from the Jaffna peninsula or face a "bloodbath." The soldiers stayed and the government called the threat a ruse. More.. Published: Mon May 29 13:04:32 EDT 2000

Bangladesh, hoping to earn Test status next month, struggled for runs against the tight Sri Lankan bowling after being sent to bat in overcast conditions. More... Published: Mon May 29 12:42:58 EDT 2000

A statement issued by the Special Media Information Centee said the fast attack crafts of the Sri Lankan navy confronted a fleet of rebel boats off the Nagarkovil coast in the northern Jaffna peninsula. The rebels were bringing reinforcements in one boat, while the other one was a suicide craft loaded with explosives. More... Published: Mon May 29 12:35:33 EDT 2000

Mr. Pickering in Colombo (BBC photo)

"I want the talks to begin right-away", he said.

"We will not support an independent state being created nor we would support a separate state" he said when questioned whether the US will recognize if LTTE succeeds in creating an independent homeland for minority Tamils.

Adding, he said that US government was very concerned over the reports of heavy fighting that raging in northern Jaffna peninsula. "The government and the LTTE should enter into direct negotiations immediately", he stressed.

"We and India fully support the initiatives taken by the Norwegian government to bring an end to this conflict". Pickering who is in Sri Lanka following the visit by US president Bill Clinton's South Asian visit in March this year said.

Asked whether the US government was in direct touch with LTTE, he answered in negative and stated that US government will use its good offices to send a message to the LTTE leadership to return to the negoatiating table.

Pickering also dismissed media reports that US naval ships were moving towards Sri Lankan territorial waters and said the reports were totally "incorrect". The under secretary is on a short visit after meeting the Indian and Pakistan leaders. "We are seriously concerned over reports of civilians being caught in the crossfire and about reports that there was severe shortage for necessary commodity items". Pickering said.

"We are closely watching the situation, but under no circumstances we will provide any military assistance", Pickering said. He said during his discussions with president Chandrika Kumaratunge there were indications that government of Sri Lanka was purchasing military hardware from US arms manufacturers but no request was made for military assistance.

He added that India would not provide any military assistance but was ready to provide humanitarian assistance if need arises. He further added that several bilateral topics were discussed with Sri Lankan political leaders that included the leader of the opposition, Ranil Wickrmasinghe. Published: Mon May 29 10:01:11 EDT 2000

Pickering refuted speculation that US warships may have been directed to keep a discreet vigilance on Sri Lanka's northern coastline thus helping boost troop morale in Sri Lanka's embattled war zone. Published: Mon May 29 08:24:36 EDT 2000

Indian news reports state that the talks also centered on the war situation in Sri Lanka. The Hindustan Times reported last week that the conflict in Sri Lanka figured prominently in discussions between Indian Foreign Secretary Lalit Mansingh, Pickering and the Norwegian Ambassador Raymond Johansen.

US diplomats in Colombo have remained tight-lipped over Pickering's visit to Colombo today saying, they are unable to make any immediate comments on the under secretary's visit.

India meanwhile continues to reiterate that it has offered humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka though no official request for help has yet come from Colombo.

Both Pickering and Lalit Mansingh have emphatically stated that the US and India will not support a separate state carved out by the LTTE, which both countries have banned as a terrorist organization. Published: Mon May 29 08:09:04 EDT 2000

He has further added that Pakistan should be wary of the dreaded guerilla outfit fighting for a separate state in northern Sri Lanka, as the Tigers next target could be Pakistan. Published: Mon May 29 08:09:04 EDT 2000

Speaking to Lacnet, Brigadier Palitha Fernando, said the military were "unaware of a ceasefire initiated by the LTTE." He added that as far as the military are concerned there was no cessation of hostilities.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in a statement issued yesterday said, that there had been no response from the State to the human rights organization requesting that "military actions be suspended for the period of the LTTE declared cease-fire" on May 27 Saturday, "in the interest of the civilians, who may be moving during that time."

Meanwhile the LTTE in a press release also said that the Sri Lankan government had not cooperated to help the UNHCR evacuate some 15,000 civilians from the Chavakacheri area where heavy fighting continues to rage between the military and the Tigers. Published: Mon May 29 08:09:04 EDT 2000

In what appears to be an attempt by the Tigers to divert the military's attention from the northern front, the LTTE in the last two weeks have launched sporadic attacks on troop bases in Batticaloa. The attacks by the rebels also killed six members of one family and injured two, as they continued to fire heavy artillery and mortars into the Kathankudy and Kallady areas of the eastern town. Published: Mon May 29 08:09:04 EDT 2000

Pickering's visit comes hard on the heels after reports that elements of US naval ships were moving towards the territorial waters of Sri Lanka to give moral support to government troops fighting the LTTE in Jaffna peninsula. Published: Mon May 29 02:17:54 EDT 2000

In some ways, the silence is deceptive. Periodically, the capital has been rocked by Tiger suicide bomb blasts, including one that partially blinded Kumaratunga at a political rally in December. The next blast could come at any time, and everyone in Colombo knows it. There are army bunkers on every corner and endless traffic jams caused by security-related detours. More... Published: Sun May 28 19:44:56 EDT 2000

The military accused the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelamof violating their own truce by attacking military defence lines at Columbuthurai and Chavakachcheri in the northern Jaffna peninsula throughout Saturday.

The spokesman said the guerrillas were under mounting pressure as the military poured new weapons into Jaffna. The army has deployed multi-barrelled rocket launchers it did not previously possess, he said.

In a statement issued late Saturday, the government accused the LTTE of trying to assume a "pseudo bravado" among civilians in the Jaffna peninsula. More... Published: Sun May 28 19:08:26 EDT 2000

The contradiction between India's stated position in favour of a united Sri Lanka, and its perceived ``passive'' role in the current military crisis, is coming under question here, with dubious motives being attributed to New Delhi's offer of humanitarian assistance. ``Should India keep mum when the existence of a democratically-elected Government is threatened by a terrorist group,'' asked a columnist in today's Sunday Times newspaper. More... Published: Sun May 28 19:05:55 EDT 2000

A statement issued by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) here said hundreds of civilians moved out of the Thenmarachchi division during Saturday's ceasefire. But contrary to the LTTE's wishes that they move south into the Vanni mainland controlled by it, most of the fleeing civilians seemed to have preferred to move into Government- controlled areas.

The UNHCR said 400 families had arrived at Mulli, and had moved towards Point Pedro. Another 60 families had arrived at Karaveddy. ``In both locations, the people arriving stated that other civilians were moving out of the area of hostilities,'' it said. More... Published: Sun May 28 19:04:19 EDT 2000

Reflecting the Government's optimism in the face of the grim situation in the peninsula, the State-run Sunday Observer newspaper today reported that the peace moves, being sought from India and the US and initiated by Norway, was expected to gather pace with Pickering's visit to the island nation. More... Published: Sun May 28 19:01:21 EDT 2000

At any rate, the LTTE itself did not observe what was purported to be a unilateral ceasefire. According to a release from government’s Special Media Information Centre today, there was sporadic artillery and mortar shelling by the LTTE in the Columbuthurai and Chavakacheri areas on Saturday and that the government troops had replied in kind.

Brig Fernando told The Hindustan Times that the LTTE had two interests in mind. One was to get a clear line of fire and the other was to trigger an exodus to the Wanni, an area in its control, so that it could trumpet the exodus as a grave humanitarian crisis and secure the sympathy of the international community. More... Published: Sun May 28 18:59:18 EDT 2000

President Chandrika Kumaratunga earlier this month invoked the public security ordinance -- a law last used under British colonial rule during World War II -- imposing censorship and suspending some civil liberties in response to a potential humiliating defeat by secessionist Tamil rebels.

The Sunday Times, a paper not identified with any of the leading political parties, submitted its article on the Jaffna campaign to the censor. It was returned with the following instruction: "This article, picture/map are censored and are not to be published." More... Published: Sun May 28 18:55:13 EDT 2000

MDMK general secretary Vaiko, an ardent supporter of the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), would lead the rally from Valluvar Kottam to Panagal park, a party release said on Sunday. More... Published: Sun May 28 18:52:24 EDT 2000

Tiger rebels fired artillery and mortar shells at government defense posts in Colombuthurai and Chavakachcheri during the 12-hour cease-fire which the Tamil separatists had called, the government said in a statement.

Government troops reinforced with new military hardware continued to bomb rebel positions on Saturday, paying no heed to the truce announced by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) secretariat in London, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry said. More... Published: Sun May 28 18:47:44 EDT 2000

The celebrations, to be held in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, are being organized by the World Tamil Movement and the Federation of Associations of Canadian Tamils (FACT). The events are being advertised in local Tamil papers and on the groups' Web sites.

The advertisements in ethnic Tamil papers feature the Tamil Tiger flag and a photo inset of LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran. The Ottawa event is advertised as "a celebration to mark the unstoppable 'Unceasing Waves,'" as the current rebel offensive is codenamed.

More... Published: Sun May 28 18:46:28 EDT 2000

More... Published: Sun May 28 12:21:57 EDT 2000

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government Saturday ordered the local newspaper in Colombo to black out a statement by one of its senior minister made here. The Sri Lankan fisheries minister, Mahinda Rajapakse, had said that Sri Lankans do not trust the Norwegians as impartial mediators between the government and the LTTE.

Rajapakse said that the mistrust was based on the past experience of Sri Lankans. ``We know it because we have been ruled by Portuguese, the Dutch and the British in the past. We have had very bad experiences with western countries,'' Rajapakse told reporters.

The statement has embarrassed Colombo, which is pinning its hopes on the Norwegian initiative. President Chandrika Kumaratunga has thrown her weight behind the Norwegian efforts to bring the rebels to the negotiating table. She recently reiterated her offer for talks following the visit of Norway's deputy foreign minister Raymond Johanson. More... Published: Sun May 28 11:07:31 EDT 2000

Aid workers said the area near Jaffna city appeared quiet yesterday Saturday, and there was no sign that many people had left. More.. Published: Sun May 28 03:23:25 EDT 2000

''The evacuation of an estimated 15,000 civilians from the embattled Chavakachcheri sector failed Saturday, as heavy shelling by the Sri Lankan army prevented them moving to designated points where the UNHCR officials were waiting,'' the LTTE said in a statement released in London.

The government dismissed the LTTE statement as propaganda aimed at unnerving the people on Jaffna and lowering morale in its forces. More.. Published: Sun May 28 03:08:08 EDT 2000