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Solheim meets Kumaratunga, winds up Lankan visit
The Hindu NUS,
20.00 hrs (IST) on January 12, 2001.
Norwegian Special Envoy Erik Solheim today left Sri Lanka after "encouraging" discussions with leaders including President Chandrika Kumaratunga on revival of the deadlocked peace process. "They had an encouraging discussion on the ongoing process of negotiation with the LTTE with a view to taking the process forward. In the meantime, there will be no ceasefire," the Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement.
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Published: Fri Jan 12 16:30:57 EST 2001
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LTTE idealogue warns peace hopes fading
Times of India,
13 January 2001 .
Top Tamil Tiger rebel
theoretician Anton Balasingham has warned
that distrust and suspicion were driving the
rebels and the government further apart,
despite two years of efforts by Norway to start
a peace dialogue. In an interview with the London-based Tamil
Guardian newspaper, which appeared on the
stands Friday, Balasingham called for a
cease-fire to allow negotiations. The report
was reproduced in the TamilNet, a website
which gives the Tamil perspective of the
17-year civil war.
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Published: Fri Jan 12 16:28:15 EST 2001
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Sri Lanka talks still in doubt
BBC South Asia,
Friday, 12 January, 2001, 12:53 GMT .
Mr Solheim met with the country's leaders in his latest attempt to broker peace talks aimed at ending the country's civil war. But the government said it would not reciprocate a Tamil Tiger separatist ceasefire, raising doubts about the peace process.
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Published: Fri Jan 12 09:55:37 EST 2001
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Sri Lanka rules out truce with Tamil Tigers
123India.com,
Jan 12 2001 12:58 IST.
COLOMBO, Jan 12 (AFP) - Sri Lanka told Norwegian special envoy, Erik Solheim, there would be no government ceasefire until Tamil Tiger rebels entered into substantive negotiations, officials said Friday. The government's position was spelled out to Solheim when he met with President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar late Thursday.
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Published: Fri Jan 12 03:44:53 EST 2001
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Lanka Opposition up in arms against Kumaratunga's statement
NDTV/MSNBC,
Thursday January 11, 4:30 PM.
The opposition in Sri Lanka are up in arms over President Chandrika Kumaratunga's
statement in Paris that the amendments to Constitution would be made with or without a
two-thirds majority in Parliament. In a statement to the local media, the United National
Party (UNP) Vice Chairman, Daya Pelpola said, ''The impugned statement poses a threat to
the country's constitutional government.''
The UNP has appointed a committee of three legal luminaries to inquire into the possibility
of impeaching the President over her statement on the Constitution. The working committee
of the Party has empowered them to find out whether the alleged statement made by the
President would amount to international violation of the present Constitution.
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Published: Thu Jan 11 09:06:49 EST 2001
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Sri Lankan fishermen on two-day strike
Times of India (Breaking News),
112 January 2001 .
About 10,000 fishermen hauled
their boats ashore Friday, beginning a
two-day strike to demand that the
government reduce the price of kerosene they
use to power their crafts."Fishermen in more than 50 coastal towns on
the western and northwestern coast are on
strike and there is no fish for sale in most
markets supplied by us," said Warnakulasuriya
Maximus, president of the Sea Street
Kudapadu Joint Fishermen's Federation,
which spearheaded the protest.
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Published: Fri Jan 12 16:32:33 EST 2001
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Full Story >>
India Abroad,
Jan 11, 2001 16:10 Hrs (IST) .
HE United States has reiterated its stand that it is against an Eelam State in the island. The statement of US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Ashley Wills' comes at a time when Norwegian peace Envoy Erik Solheim is busy trying to convince the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) that a negotiated political settlement is the only solution to the ethnic conflict. “It is the responsibility of the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE to stop war and resolve their problems through discussions. The war is being dragged on as there is no trust between the two sides,” the State- run The Daily News quoted Ashley as saying. “It is the aspirations of the United States to see the minorities live together with the majority community within a united Sri Lanka. The US is against an Eelam State in the island for whatever reason,” he said. Meanwhile, Solheim who arrived here Wednesday on a four-day visit in a bid to put the peace process on the right track, met Indian High Commissioner Gopalkrishna Gandhi and apprised him of his mission. His meeting with Gandhi is part of the established pattern that India will be kept informed about the progress of peace initiative, a High Commission official said.
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Published: Fri Jan 12 03:47:13 EST 2001
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Sri Lanka slams Tiger truce, seeks to extend emergency rule
123India,
January 11.
Sri Lanka's government formally told parliament Thursday that Tamil Tiger
separatists had declared a unilateral truce in a bid to prepare for all
out war and urged the assembly to extend a state of emergency. "It was
very clear that this ceasefire was declared by the LTTE to consolidate
and strengthen themselves for war
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Published: Thu Jan 11 09:43:11 EST 2001
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LTTE's defences should be crippled before peace talks
- Says Gen.Wijendra
Frederica Jansz in Colombo,
1.15 p.m. SLT Thursday January 11.
Major General A. Wijendra today said that the LTTE's defences should be
crippled before the government enters into peace talks with the rebels as this
will lend the State a better advantage over the Tigers.The Major General
made
this remarks while on a routine survey of newly occupied defence lines in the
Jaffna Peninsula.He had further stated that the reason the LTTE are willing
to negotiate is because they are militarily in a weak position.
Deputy Defence Minister, Anuruddha Ratwatte meanwhile told Parliament today
that it was clear that an LTTE declared cease fire which began at midnight on
December 24 for a period of one month was mainly to help the Tigers
consolidate
their positions and regroup.He was seeking support in Parliament today to
extend the state of emergency which has been in force since 1983 with short
breaks in-between.This law lends sweeping powers to state security and
allows
for detaining and arresting of persons under the Prevention of Terrorism Act,
(PTA).
Published: Thu Jan 11 08:51:45 EST 2001
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Sri Lanka military says it controls Jaffna
Yahoo India,
Thursday January 11, 5:47 PM.
Sri Lanka's top military commander in northern Jaffna said on Thursday that government troops were firmly in control after four months of heavy fighting. Government troops have battled since the beginning of September to regain land and key positions which were lost earlier in the year in the offensive by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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Published: Thu Jan 11 13:07:00 EST 2001
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US against Eelam state: Envoy
Yahoo India,
Thursday January 11, 12:00 AM.
The 'Daily News' has quoted the US ambassador to Sri Lanka Ashley Wills as saying, ''it is the responsibility of
the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE to stop war and resolve their problems through discussions. The war
is being dragged on as there is no trust between the two sides.'' ''It is the aspirations of the United States to see the minorities live together with the majority community within
a united Sri Lanka. The US is against an Eelam st
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Published: Thu Jan 11 09:22:24 EST 2001
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Solheim under fire
The Hindu (International),
Friday, January 12, 2001.
COLOMBO, JAN. 11. The lone member of the hardline Sihala Urumaya (SU) in Parliament, Mr. Thilak Karunaratne, today described the Norwegian special envoy, Mr. Erik Solheim, as a ``womaniser'' who had no right to take on the role of a facilitator to resolve the conflict in Sri Lanka. Mr. Solheim was in the parliamentary complex for a series of meetings with Government and Opposition leaders when his personal life came under attack in the House. He held a 30-minute meeting with the Opposition leader, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, in Parliament.
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Published: Thu Jan 11 21:18:12 EST 2001
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Norway Envoy,India Diplomat Meet Ahead Of Sri Lanka Talks
Yahoo India,
11 January 2001.
COLOMBO (AP)--A Norwegian peace envoy trying to broker an end to Sri Lanka's protracted civil war met with India's top diplomat in Colombo Thursday, ahead of a crucial meeting with Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga. India isn't directly involved in the Tamil separatist war, but the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu is home to 56 million Tamils who have traditional ties with Sri Lanka's 3.2 million Tamils.
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Published: Thu Jan 11 06:57:05 EST 2001
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Solheim meets with Indian HC
Frederica Jansz in Colombo,
10.10 a.m. SLT Thursday January 11.
Norwegian Special Envoy, Eric Solheim, on a four day visit to Sri Lanka to
help
revive a flagging peace initiative, yesterday met with Indian High
Commissioner
to Colombo Gopalakrishna Gandhi.Solheim held a two hour discussion with
Gandhi and thereafter also met with government minister Rauf Hakeem, co-leader
of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress.
Solheim is scheduled to meet with President Chandrika Bandaranaike
Kumaratunge,
the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Opposition Leader today.
The Norwegians have taken great pains to keep India briefed of every step in
the initiative facilitated by Norway to bring the government and the LTTE
together and discuss a political solution to the country's 18 year old war.
Published: Thu Jan 11 08:51:45 EST 2001
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Fear of cyclone reigns
Frederica Jansz in Colombo,
3.05 p.m. SLT Thursday January 11.
Fears have arisen that a cyclone will again hit Sri Lanka's east coast on the
15th of this month.The meteorological department says it has no indications
yet if indeed another cyclone will hit the country in the middle of this
month.The MET department asserts that these turbulent weather conditions are
caused as a result various pressures in the Bay of Bengal.
Afraid of a repeat syndrome similar to the cyclone which hit the east coast
last month rendering thousands homeless, residents who live in areas along the
east coast are already making preparations to minimize damages in the event
the
cyclone does hit.The MET department said it can only alert the public a day
or two before the gale force winds strike.
Published: Thu Jan 11 08:51:46 EST 2001
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Sri Lanka asks Mauritius to crack down on Tamil Tigers
123India.com,
Jan 11 2001 12:18 IST.
COLOMBO, Jan 11 (AFP) - Sri Lanka has asked the Indian Ocean state of Mauritius to prevent Tamil Tiger separatists raising money there to finance their separatist war at home, a state-run daily reported Thursday. Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar asked visiting Mauritius minister for foreign and regional cooperation, Anil Kumarasinghe Gayan, to take "extra steps" to crack down on Tiger rebels.
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Published: Thu Jan 11 04:10:24 EST 2001
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Sri Lanka slams Tiger truce, seeks to extend emergency rule
123India.com,
Jan 11 2001 11:11 IST.
COLOMBO, Jan 11 (AFP) - Sri Lanka's government formally told parliament Thursday that Tamil Tiger separatists had declared a unilateral truce in a bid to prepare for all out war and urged the assembly to extend a state of emergency. Energy Minister Anuruddha Ratwatte announced that the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had continued with their attacks despite their unilateral one-month ceasefire from Christmas day.
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Published: Thu Jan 11 04:10:31 EST 2001
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Dav Whatmore:Difficult times for the team
Cricinfo,
11 January 2001.
These are difficult times for the team. So far in South Africa we have been thoroughly outplayed by the opposition. However, the players are not panicking. They understand that we have to learn from defeat in Cape Town and they also realise that we are one match away from leveling the series. South Africa came back from an innings defeat in Galle to square the series and there is no reason why we cannot do the same.The pitch at Newlands looked a good one for batting but there was just a little more moisture below the surface than we originally thought. However, I believe that we were still right to bat first and I am sure that South Africa would have done the same.
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Published: Thu Jan 11 06:50:11 EST 2001
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South Africa take series as they crush Sri Lanka
Yahoo India,
january 11.
South Africa eased to their ninth successive one day victory when they crushed Sri Lanka by 99 runs in the fourth limited overs international at Newlands here on Thursday to clinch the six-match series. South Africas victory - which gave them a 4-0 lead - was virtually assured after they piled up a total of 290 for seven.
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Published: Thu Jan 11 21:19:37 EST 2001
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Taj group repositions Lankan hotels
Yahoo India,
january 11.
Jan. 11 THE Taj group has repositioned its hotels in Sri Lanka as business hotels to counter the fall in European tourist arrivals. The hospitality major also plans to promote the region with special Indian Ocean packages. Talking to reporters in Chennai, Mr P.K. Mohankumar, General Manager and Area General Manager (Sri Lanka), said that Taj Samudra, in Colombo, had been refurbished and upgraded as a business hotel. The total cost of the refurbishment was around 2.5 million. The Taj Samudra has 292 rooms, including 32 suites.
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Published: Thu Jan 11 21:22:38 EST 2001
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Indus solution for Lankan bank
Yahoo India,
january 11.
PUNE: The Pune-based Indus Software Pvt Ltd has implemented the LSI (Lending Solutions from Indus) at the Union Bank of Colombo (UBC), Sri Lanka. This agreement has enabled the company to penetrate into the Sri Lankan territory, an official company release said. It added that the LSI has been made compatible with the existing system of the UBC as well as to directly update records online.
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Published: Thu Jan 11 21:23:44 EST 2001
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Sri Lanka: Solheim flies out
BBC South Asia,
Friday, 12 January, 2001, 07:26 GMT .
The Norwegian special envoy, Erik Solheim, has left Sri Lanka after his latest attempt to revive the island's stalled peace process. Mr Solheim saw the president, Chandrika Kumaratunga, but there are no reports as to how their talks went.
More...
Published: Fri Jan 12 03:45:31 EST 2001
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