Category: Politics

Oct 4, 2006 (AFP) – A powerful Claymore mine was found in a Tamil area of the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Wednesday and defused by the bomb disposal squad, police said.More than 60,000 people have been killed in three decades of ethnic bloodshed in Sri Lanka.The mine, weighing 15 kilos (33 pounds), was discovered […]

October 4, 2006 (LBO) – Norway has failed to secure agreement on resuming Sri Lanka’s peace talks following the latest diplomatic move, but reports suggest a breakthrough using hi-tech.Even as Norwegian peace envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer struggled to get agreement between the government and the Tamil Tigers over a date and a venue for resuming talks, […]

Oct 4, 2006 (AFP) – A renewed Norwegian bid to coax Sri Lanka’s government and Tamil Tiger rebels back to the negotiating table ran into fresh difficulties Wednesday amid disputes over the timing and venue for talks. Oslo’s special peace envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer was in fresh talks with Sri Lankan officials to try to set […]

Oct 3, 2006 (AFP) – A top Norwegian envoy headed for talks with Tamil Tiger rebels Tuesday in a fresh bid to save Sri Lanka’s troubled peace process, but cautioned that a quick fix to the conflict could not be expected.Special envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer is trying to get the Colombo government and the Liberation Tigers […]

Oct 3, 2006 (AFP) – Peacebroker Norway struggled Tuesday to bring Sri Lanka and Tamil Tiger rebels to the negotiating table and avert full-scale war as Colombo sought to delay any talks until at least the end of the month. The Sri Lankan government, which earlier had said it was ready for negotiations after a […]

Oct 3, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lankan air raids against Tamil Tiger rebels Tuesday dimmed prospects of early peace talks between the two sides despite fresh attempts by Norway to avert a return to full-scale war, officials said.Israeli-built Kfir war planes pounded an area held by Tamil Tigers even as Oslo’s top envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer […]

Oct 2, 2006 (AFP) – A Norwegian envoy held talks Monday with top Sri Lankan government officials aimed at reviving the island’s stalled peace process and ending an upsurge in ethnic bloodshed.Government officials said Colombo hoped the envoy’s visit could lead to a breakthrough in finalising dates for talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil […]

Oct 1, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s president has asked his party to prepare for general elections before year’s end if the main opposition fails to back his minority government, a state-run newspaper said Sunday.President Mahinda Rajapakse has summoned members of his Sri Lanka Freedom Party and asked them to get ready for elections, the […]

Oct 1, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s peace broker Norway is set for a fresh attempt to end a seven-month deadlock in talks after the warring parties agreed to meet, diplomats said Sunday. Special envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer will begin meetings with political leaders on Monday during a four-day visit aimed at jump-starting stalled negotiations between […]

WASHINGTON, Sept 29, 2006 (AFP) – US authorities said Friday they had charged six Asian men with conspiracy to ship arms, including submachine guns and sniper rifles, to Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers and unnamed customers in Indonesia.The men, arrested in Guam, are accused of acting as brokers between weapons manufacturers and the Tigers, which is […]

Sept 30, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police commandos killed 15 Tamil Tiger rebels who attacked their camp in the east of the country on Saturday, while three constables died in other violence.The defence ministry said the guerrillas attacked the Pullumalai camp of the police’s Special Task Force (STF) early Saturday. “The STF had good […]

Sept 29 (LBO) – The simmering power-struggle within the JVP, or People’s Liberation Front, came out into the open today with a stalwart disclosing his differences with the leadership of Somawansa Amarasinghe.Nandana Gunathilake, a politburo member of the Marxist-nationalist party said he sent in his resignations from the high party positions on February 7, but […]