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Prabhakaran pre-empted Chandrika HT, 25 February 2002. The LTTE chief, Velupillai Prabhakaran, pre-empted likely opposition from President Chandrika Kumaratunga to some clauses favourable to the Tamil Tigers in the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sri Lankan government by signing on the draft sent to him for comments. More... Published: Sun Feb 24 20:55:22 EST 2002

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Ask Mahinda Answers 1-6 now available! The Lanka Academic is delighted to announce the 8th guest in its series of Q & A sessions: Hon. Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Leader of the Opposition in the Sri Lankan Parliament. With the recent change in leadership in the Sri Lankan government, the peace process appears to be gaining fresh new momentum. This is your opportunity to ask questions from Hon. Mahinda Rajapaksa related to Sri Lankan politics and receive answers by clicking here. The answers will appear here.

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Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat Refutes Cabinet Spokesman's Statement Xinhuanet, 25 February 2002. Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat has refuted the statement of government spokesman and Constitutional Affair Minister G...

PM explains details of MOU with LTTE Frederica Jansz in Colombo, 1 p.m. SLT Sunday February 24. Addressing a press conference this morning Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe reiterated that any negotiations with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam would not at any point consider a separate state...

LTTE alacrity surprised him The Hindu (International), 25 February 2002. The Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, today admitted to have been taken by surprise when the LTTE signed the truce agreement earlier than expected and said this had prevented him from giving the President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, time to examine the final document before signing it himself...

Sri Lanka appeals for aid to rebuild war zone Yahoo India, february 24. Sri Lanka appealed on Sunday for international aid to help rebuild its war-devastated north and east as it prepares for the first peace talks in seven years with its Tamil Tiger rebels...

Next step is to begin preliminary talks: Sri Lankan PM The Hindustan Times, Colombo, February 24 . Buoyed up over putting in place an indefinite truce with the LTTE, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday said he hoped to open preliminary talks soon on future negotiations with the rebel group and sought global help in finding a political solution...

Norway takes on mediator's role Gulf-News, 25 February 2002. Norway has promoted itself from being just the facilitator in Sri Lanka's peace process to the role of mediator, according to the ceasefire agreement they brokered between the Colombo government and the rebel Tamil Tigers (LTTE)...

Sri Lanka to Begin Peace Talks in Three Months Xinhuanet, 25 February 2002. The Norwegian-brokered peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and separatist Tamil Tigerrebels are to begin in three months, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Sunday...

CII delegation to visit Sri Lanka Yahoo India, 25 February 2002. A CII trade delegation is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka for two days from tomorrow to hold talks with Sri Lankan ministers of commerce and industries and trade bodies with a view to improving bilateral trade between the island nation and India...

Sri Lanka inches toward talks, Nordics to watch truce Yahoo India, february 24. Sri Lanka's prime minister said on Sunday he expected peace talks with Tamil Tiger rebels in three months, as foreign ceasefire monitors arrive in the island this week for the first time in nearly two decades of conflict...

Chandrika refused to sign agreement Gulf-News, february 24. The Sri Lankan government released a statement of intent delivered by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday to ward off criticism on two major issues in the ceasefire accord they signed with rebel Tamil Tigers (LTTE) even as the prime minister rejected a claim by President Chandrika Kumaratunga that she was not consulted on the agreement...

Lanka inches towards talks, Norway watches The Indian Express, 25 February 2002. Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Sunday he expected peace talks with the LTTE in three months, as foreign ceasefire monitors arrive in the island this week for the first time in nearly two decades of conflict...

Sri Lankan guerrilla dream comes to an end National Post, february 24. Early in Sri Lanka's civil war, Vellupillai Prabhakaran, the reclusive leader of the Tamil Tiger rebels, ordered his followers to shoot him dead if he ever deviated from his aim of achieving total independence for the country's ethnic Tamil minority...

Lanka not to monitor MoU Hindustan TImes, february 24. In a major concession to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Sri Lankan government has agreed not to monitor the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi districts, exclusively held by the Tamil Tigers...

Domestic hostility clouds global welcome for govt-LTTE truce Press Trust of India, Colombo,Saturday, February 23, 2002. An indefinite truce begins in Sri Lanka from tonight under a formal government-LTTE accord that enjoys international backing, but faces fierce domestic opposition from President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the main Marxist party...

Lift ban on LTTE: Nedumaran The Hindu (Southern States), 25-02-2002 . The Centre should lift the ban on the LTTE following the signing of the ceasefire agreement between the Sri Lankan Government and the outfit, the Tamil Nationalist Movement leader, P...

Furuhovde to head Truce Monitoring mission Saroj Pathirana in London. Saturday 23/02/02 1350 GMT Retired Major General of Norwegian army Trond Furuhovde is to arrive in Sri Lanka at the end of next week as the head of the international monitoring mission (SLMM) which will observe the cease-fire agreement between Sri Lankan government and the LTTE...

Ex-minister's sons arrested over Sri Lanka massacre MSNBC, february 23. Police arrested two sons of a powerful former Sri Lankan minister on Saturday in connection with the massacre of 10 Muslim opposition supporters after elections in December...

Sri Lanka truce begins BBC, Saturday, 23 February, 2002, 09:40. A permanent ceasefire has come into force in Sri Lanka which it is hoped will lead to peace talks between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels...

Lankan oppn disagrees on truce pact Deccan Herald. An indefinite truce begins in Sri Lanka from tonight under a formal government-LTTE accord that enjoys international backing, but faces fierce domestic opposition from President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the main Marxist party...

Sri Lanka ceasefire brings hope of final settlement The Guardian, february 23. The Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger guerrilla leaders formally agreed to an internationally-monitored ceasefire yesterday, opening the way to the first full-scale peace talks for seven years...

Foreign monitors due in Lanka The Hindu NUS, Colombo, Feb. 23. (DPA). Foreign monitors from Scandinavian countries are due to arrive in Sri Lanka to monitor a ceasefire between the Government and Tamil separatists, Constitutional Affairs Minister G...

Refugee boat intercepted The Hindu (International), 24-02-2002 . A boat carrying nearly 400 Sri Lankan refugees was today intercepted by coast guards off the coast of Sicily, Italian port authorities said...

ROUNDUP: Ceasefire Agreement Important Step Toward Peace in Sri Lanka by Zhang Y... Nothern Light, Saturday, February 23, 2002 3:57 AM EST . COLOMBO, February 23, 2002 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- With the Norwegian mediation, the Sri Lankan government and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels Friday signed a permanent ceasefire agreement, which has been seen as the first important step towards peace in the war-torn country...

Sri Lankans arrive in Italy after six week voyage Yahoo India, february 23. Almost 400 illegal immigrants from Sri Lanka arrived on the southern Italian island of Sicily on Saturday after six weeks at sea aboard a rusty old ship, a spokesman for the local coastguard said...

2.6 kgs of heroin seized Yahoo India, february 23. Heroin worth Rs 2.6 crore in the international market was seized from two persons including a Sri Lankan national on their arrival from Jaipur at the Central station here, Narcotics control Bureau (NCB) said...

PMK welcomes Lanka truce Yahoo India, february 23. The PMK today welcomed the agreement between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE for an indefinite truce...

Sri Lanka to play Pakistan in Asian test championship The Hindustan Times, Colombo, February 23 . The Sri Lankan cricket board said on Saturday that it would play Pakistan in the Asian Test Championship from March 6 to 10 in Lahore...

Sri Lanka ready to meet rebels anywhere Times of India, 23 February 2002. LINK

Chronology of peace bids in Sri Lanka MSNBC, february 23. The following is a chronology of major initiatives to end Sri Lanka's ethnic war that has killed an estimated 64,000 people since the conflict erupted after an anti-Tamil riot in 1983:

Commonwealth salutes historic Sri Lanka truce The Hindustan Times, London, February 23 . Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon welcomed Friday's historic truce signed between Sri Lanka's cohabitation government and Tamil Tiger rebels, saying it represented "an opportunity for lasting peace"...

Prabhakaran sprang a surprise on Ranil Times of India, 11:33 PM SLT.  [ SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2002  8:27:45 PM ] COLOMBO: LTTE leader V Prabhakaran sprang a surprise on the Sri Lankan government by signing a ceasefire agreement even before the Cabinet could be apprised of the approved draft on Wednesday, according to the sequence of events disclosed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday...

Sri Lanka to begin rebel talks BBC South Asia, Sunday, 24 February, 2002, 11:25 GMT . The Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremasinghe, has said he is not ruling out anything in resolving the country's civil war - except granting Tamil Tiger rebels a separate state...

U.S. hails truce The Hindu (International), 24-02-2002 . WASHINGTON, FEB. 23. The U. S...

Allow Sri Lanka peace talks here: Veeramani The Hindu (Southern States), 24-02-2002 . CHENNAI, FEB. 23. While welcoming the ``permanent ceasefire accord'' reached between the Sri Lankan Prime Minister and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the Dravidar Kazhagam general secretary, K...

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