|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coordinated naval patrolling formalised
Hindu,
february 25.
CHENNAI: The `coordinated patrolling', which the Indian and Sri Lankan navies have taken up along the International Maritime Boundary Line, has been formalised.
Officers of both navies met on Thursday to work out the arrangements, Eastern Naval Commander, Sureesh Mehta, told The Hindu here on Friday. "We have finalised something just yesterday. We are working on the modalities... we have almost got it sorted out. And it will be in place very soon."
India and Sri Lanka began `coordinated patrolling' along the IMBL over six months ago on an experimental basis to ensure that there was no instance of firing at genuine fishermen and to prevent criminals from travelling freely between the countries.
During the experimental stage, many limitations of the forces were studied and a working methodology was evolved. These included the crossing of the international boundary line and identification of various types of crafts in the region. Both sides routinely exchanged information on the location of their vessels and details of suspicious activities in the region.
More...
Discuss this story
Published: Fri Feb 24 22:56:58 EST 2006
|
|
|
|
|
LTTE violates Ceasefire yet again by constructing two new bunkers in Omanthai
Munza Mushtaq in Colombo,
February 24, 2006, 11.24 p.m..
In yet another gross violation to the Ceasefire Agreement, the LTTE
has begun constructing two bunkers on either side of the A-9 road in
Omanthai.
The matter was brought to the notice of the Sri Lanka Monitoring
Mission (SLMM) yesterday evening (23).
According to Army sources, the construction of these two bunkers are
taking place ahead of the LTTE's forward defence line at Omanthai on
either side of the A-9 road.
"The construction of new bunkers amounts to a gross violation of the
Ceasefire Agreement signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and
LTTE in February 2002," the sources pointed out.
Discuss this story
Published: Fri Feb 24 12:25:13 EST 2006
|
|
|
|
|
Peace holds in Sri Lanka, for the time being - Opinion
Hindu,
february 25.
"POLITICS," CHAIRMAN Mao famously said in 1938, "is war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed." Sri Lanka's latest politics of war and peace was set in an Alpine chateau in Switzerland, where the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ended yet another round of direct talks on Thursday.
The Geneva talks, which coincided with the fourth anniversary of the ceasefire agreement (CFA), were more about politics than the immediate prospects of conflict resolution. The main outcome — the two sides will meet again in Geneva in April — is that the prospect of the island relapsing into war has seemingly waned, momentarily. In effect, it represents the continuation of the holding operation.
Norwegian facilitator Erik Solheim's declaration announced no major breakthrough. None was expected either. The commitments fall under two categories: those jointly made by the Government and the LTTE and those specific to each party. By themselves, the commitments do not foretell a big change in the near-term. It is in the minutiae of the CFA that there are clauses of concern in the medium and long terms that could determine the nature of post-conflict northeastern Sri Lanka.
More...
Published: Fri Feb 24 22:58:53 EST 2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Express your opinions, meet others at the
