Tamilnet.com!
LTTE, GoSL to hold talks on truce 
implementation in Geneva!

[TamilNet, January 25, 2006]  Liberation Tigers said Wednesday that they have agreed to hold talks in Geneva with the Government of Sri Lanka on "smooth implementation" of the February 2002 Cease Fire Agreement. Chief Negotiator and Political Strategist of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. Anton Balasingham, told reporters that the talks, expected to begin in mid-February, would be limited to the implementation of  the truce which has come under increasing strain recently. Talks on further matters could only take place after complete cessation of the Sri Lankan military's violent repression of the population in Government held areas of the Northeast, he said.

The announcement of talks in Wednesday  comes after the much-anticipated meeting between the Norwegian International Development Minister, Mr. Erik Solheim and the leader of the LTTE, Mr. Vellupillai  Pirapaharan, Wednesday morning.

The Leader of the LTTE, Mr. V. Pirapaharan was accompanied by LTTE's Chief Negotiator Mr. Balasingham, LTTE's Political Head Mr. S.P. Thamilchelvan, Head  of Tamileelam Police Mr. B. Nadesan and Mrs Adele Balasingham, in his meeting with Mr. Erik Solheim and the Norwegian delegation. 

The LTTE and the Norwegian Delegation addressed the reporters in separate  press conferences at the Planning and Development Secretariat (PDS) in Kilinochchi. 

Mr. Erik Solheim, addressing the reporters, described it was a costructive step  taken by the parties to the conflict. 

Mr. Balasingham pointed out that military repression against Tamil civilians had from Jaffna and many other government-controlled places.

The prevailing situation in Sri Lanka’s Northeast had been discussed at length during the meeting. Mr. Pirapaharan had detailed the violence and harassment  inflicted on the Tamil people by Sri Lanka’s military in recent weeks, Mr. Balasingham said.

The modalities of the talks, limited to the implementation of the existing CFA  agreement, are to be finalized by both sides through Norwegian facilitators, Mr.Balasingham told reporters in Kilinochchi.

The LTTE delegation to Geneva will comprise Chief Negotiator Mr. Anton Balasingham, Political Head Mr. S. P. Tamilchelvan, Col. Jeyam, Police Chief
Mr. B. Nadesan, Ms. Adele Balasingham and Batticaloa District Political Head Mr.  Ilanthirayan (Marshall), Balsingham told the reporters. 

Responding to journalists’ questions, Mr. Balasingham said the LTTE had suggested Oslo as a venue for talks as Norway was both the facilitator and  head of the truce monitoring mission.

As this suggestion had unfortunately been interpreted as a condition for talks, the LTTE had decided to be flexible and agreed to hold talks in Geneva.

This new opportunity for peace was, moreover, intended to give the newly elected Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapakse, “another opportunity” to  take up the peace process, Mr. Balasingham said.

He was referring to Mr. Pirapaharan’s annual Heroes Day address last November in which he made “an urgent appeal to the new Sri Lanka Government of Mr Mahinda Rajapakse to offer a reasonable political solution to  the ethnic conflict without further delay” and warned “if the new government rejects our urgent appeal, opts for a hard-line position and adopts delaying tactics, we will, next year, in solidarity with our people, intensify our struggle for self-determination, our struggle for national liberation to establish self-government in our own homeland.”

Although the Sri Lankan government had given an undertaking to take steps to curb its military and paramilitary forces, nothing has hitherto been done, he said. [ Courtesy: Tamilnet.com ]

Tamilnet.com!
Sri Lanka continues to violate 
state obligations towards Tamils!
say Tamil parties!

[TamilNet, January 21] The Government of Sri Lanka not only failed to carry out proper investigations into the assasinations of reputed Tamil leaders, parliamentarians, journalists and activists, but it has also failed to take appropriate actions to prevent the recurrence of such crimes against the ordinary Tamil civilians, all four Tamil parties in the Lankan parliament charged in a joint memorandum sent to SL President Mahinda Rajapakse Friday. The joint statement was issued by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), Upcountry Peoples' Front (UPF) and Western Province Peoples' Front (WPPF) that jointly staged a protest campaign within the chambers of the Sri Lankan Parliament. 

Mr.R.Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of the TNA, Mr.Arumugan Thondaman, President and General Secretary of the CWC, Mr.P.Chandrasekaran, Leader of the UPF and Mr.Mano Ganeshan, Leader of the WPPF signed the memorandum. Full text of the memorandum follows: 

"We write to you further to the Satyagraha campaign that the members of parliament of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), CWC, UPF and WPPF carried out within the Chambers of the Parliament on January 17th, 18th and 19th and the meeting TNA parliamentarians had with you and some Ministers at your request on the evening of the 18th of January 2006. 

"During this meeting the grave situation pertaining to the Tamil people in the NorthEast and in all parts of the country was discussed at length. 

"We appreciate your desire to meet with us and ascertain the reasons for the Satyagraha campaign staged within the chambers of Parliament. 

"We brought to your notice that none of the assurances given to us earlier on the floor of Parliament pertaining the assassination of Mr.Chandra Nehru, Mr.Koushalyan, Mr.Sivaram when you were Prime Minister, and rape and murder of Ms Eliyathamby Tharshini, had been honored or implemented. 

"We strongly believe that the Government has failed to carry out any proper and meaningful investigations into these crimes and bring the offenders to justice. We also strongly believe that the Government's failure to take appropriate action to prevent the recurrence of such crimes has led to further crimes, some of which are referred to below: 

"The conduct of the security forces towards Tamil civilians has been particularly aggressive in the recent past. 42 Tamil civilians have been killed within the Jaffna district, around 20 Tamil civilians have been killed in other districts in the NorthEast, and around 50 Tamil civilians have disappeared in the NorthEast. Tamil civilians are being increasingly manhandled, threatened and assaulted in the NorthEast. Theya are being deprived of the opportunities to carry on their occupation particularly farming and fishing. Many Tamil families have begun to flee to India. Many have sought refuge in LTTE controlled territory.. 

"We wish to refer specifically to the following crimes involving the security forces. 

• Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham, a senior Member of Parliament of the TNA was gunned down within the premises of the St.Mary's Roman Catholic Church at Batticaloa in the early hours of 25th of December 2005 on Christmas night while he was at prayer. The road leading to the church was manned by armed forces while police personnel were on duty outside the church. This is in government-controlled territory. It is clear that the assailants carried out the assassination with the involvement of some section of the security forces. Though the identity of atleast one assailant is ascertainable, no steps have been taken to apprehend anyone. 
• Five innocent Tamil youth, all students engaged in higher education, were deliberately shot and killed in clod blood at Trincomalee by an identifiable group of the security forces sent to Trincomalee without due authority around 7.45 p.m. on 2nd January 2006. This was in government-controlled territory. On the evidence available, both direct and circumstances the offenders can be identified and brought to justice. The judicial inquest has ruled that these young men came by their death as a result of gunshot injuries and directed that the crime be investigated. More than two weeks after the crime there is hardy any credible progress in the investigative process. 
• On the night of 16th January at Manipay, Jaffna within the government-controlled territory members of the security forces and Tamil paramilitary groups functioning together have shot five members of a family, three female members fatally, while the other two have been admitted to the Jaffna general hospital with serious injuries. The father Mr.Bojan was the President of the Northern Region Scouts Association. 
• On the 23rd of December 2005 four Tamil civilians were shot and killed and the bodies burnt in their house by security forces at No: 44, Victoria Housing Scheme at Pesalai, in Mannar. The four persons belonged to one family, father, mother, son and daughter. This was an unwarranted attack by the security forces against the Tamil family inside the government-controlled territory. 

"The above stated matters reveal that the Tamil people in the NorthEast are facing a grave and serious situation. Members of he Tamil civilian population have been indiscriminately arrested in large numbers, many females in their nightclothes without any reasonable suspicion or justifiable reason, purely on the ground of their ethnicity, photographed in their nightclothes and released after questioning at various police stations. This is a blatant violation of their fundamental human rights. This has happened in the Colombo city. Tamils in the upcountry areas have been similarly arrested. 

"The presence of the armed forces in large numbers in civilian inhabited areas in the NorthEast, particularly in Jaffna and in Trincomalee, is most oppressive and humiliating to the Tamil people. In Trincomalee this situation has continued for more than eight months causing immense inconvenience and discomfort. We strongly urge that the armed forces be replaced by the police in these areas. 

"These were the reasons that compelled us to perform us to perform a Satyagraha campaign within the Chambers of parliament. 

"At our discussion with you on the 18th of January 2006 evening you indicated that these matters would receive your attention and that you would take appropriate action. 

"We strongly urge that you take adequate action to ensure the safety to life and property of NorthEast Tamils. "We look forward to early action on your part." [ Courtesy: Tamilnet.com ]