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1. Sri Lankan parliament dissolved 2. Call for Tamil parties to unite 3. News from the war zones 4. Peace related news 5. Other news 6. Articles

A news bulletin on Sri Lanka produced by Australian and New Zealand activists working for peace in Sri Lanka. contact: Australia - Willie mailto:willie@apex.net.auwillie@apex.net.au New Zealand - Malathy mailto:malathy@ihug.co.nz

1. Sri Lankan parliament dissolved ==========

President Chandrika Kumaratunga in a gazette notification on 10 October ordered the dismissal of parliament. This notification came just a day ahead of a vote on a motion of no-confidence against the Peoples' Alliance (PA) government. The government was set to lose the vote following the defection of a number of its parliamentarians to the Opposition, including four former cabinet ministers.

One of the defectors, Prof. G. L. Peiris said his decision to leave the ruling party was due to the fact that the president did not consult with her ministers when taking major decisions that would affect the entire nation. He cited the example that the president did not consult him, though he was the minister of constitutional affairs, before she called the now defunct referendum for a yes/no vote on the need for constitutional change. The leader of the opposition UNP, Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe condemned the dissolution of parliament and said it had prevented the opposition from proving its majority on the floor of the House.

Despite the sacking of the parliament, the President's own position as the chief executive is not threatened as she is elected directly by the people and her six-year term ends in December 2005.

Fresh elections to the Sri Lankan parliament will be held on December 5 and a new parliament will be constituted on January 1, 2002. It is estimated around Rs 650 million would be required to conduct the General Elections of December 5.

A few days ago, the president announced steep salary increases, heavy tax cuts and subsidies for bread and gas ahead of the snap parliamentary elections due in December. The PA has, however, denied the generous handouts were aimed at buying votes and said the measures had been decided last month to give relief to people affected by the slow down in the economy.

2. Call for Tamil parties to unite ==========

An organisation called People Development Association (PDO) issued a statement on 15 October calling for the Tamil parties, TULF, TELO and ACTC to join hands to regain the Tamil parliamentary representation in Trincomalee district which was lost in October 2000 general election. The PDO, a pressure group comprising students, undergraduates and professionals said that at the last general election Tamils in Trincomalee completely lost their Parliamentary representation in October 2000 because their vote was divided by many Tamil parties and independent groups.

A pro-LTTE Web site, www.eelamnation.com, recently reported that a group called "Ellalan Force" has circulated leaflets in Batticaloa urging all Tamil political parties to come under one umbrella and otherwise they will be eliminated from the homeland. The Web site described the Ellalan Force as a clandestine movement among the Tamil community in Sri Lanka, which operates in the region to aid the Tamils fight against "tyranny".

The Tamilnet website reported today that the TULF, TELO and ACTC agreed last night to form a Tamil nationalist alliance to contest the general elections. The parties have decided to cement the alliance by signing a memorandum of understanding on Friday 19 October.

3. News from the War Zones ==========

A four-day youth camp in the northeast province organised by the National Youth Council (NYC) drew severe criticism from the Tamil and Muslim participants. Three hundred youth from the districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Mannar, Vavuniya and Amparai participated, of whom 260 are Tamil and Muslim and the rest are Sinhalese. Criticism were level led that the organisers did not widely consult different groups. As a result: a lot of errors were found in all Tamil publications; welcoming ceremonies were conducted only along Sinhala traditions; those who wore Tamil attire for the parades were Sinhalese. 500 people were rounded up and interrogated during a combined search operation by Sri Lanka Army soldiers and Police in Vavuniya town and its suburbs last Thursday.

The Jaffna courts ordered an investigation after construction workers of the Jaffna Municipal Council who were digging at the site came upon human bones and a saree.

Tigers overran the Sri Lanka Air Force camp situated about 12 km northwest of Trincomalee town killing at least three airman and injuring six.

War news as reported by TamilNet: Three soldiers were killed in an ambush by the Liberation Tigers near the boarder between Batticaloa and Polonaruwa; three soldiers were killed and another wounded in a claymore mine attack by the Liberation Tigers in the Manal Aaru (Weli Oya) region in the north-east; Two soldiers were killed and at least four were wounded in an engagement with the Liberation Tigers Jaffna; Two Sri Lanka Navy personnel were killed and one injured in a mortar attack by the Liberation Tigers in Trincomalee.

4. Peace related news ==========

Ambassadors and representatives of Norway, Japan, Germany, India and the European Union (EU) participated in a two-day peace conference held on 5-6 October in Trincomalee. The conference was jointly organised by the Japan Centre for Preventive Diplomacy, the National Peace Council and the Sewa Lanka Foundation. The conference was aimed at facilitating the interaction of views from religious leaders and individuals of different professions from both the war-torn North- East as well as the South.

Norwegian Ambassador Jon Westborg said that Norway would continue in its efforts based on the interest of the Government and the LTTE. "The Norwegian Government has no aspirations of gaining monetarily from helping Sri Lanka end its conflict. I want to specify that the Norwegian Government became involved as a facilitator because the Sri Lankan Government wanted us to become involved", he said. The Ambassador for Japan Seiichiro Otsuka, Ambassador for Germany, Juergen Elias and Ilkka Usitalo the Ambassador for the EU pledged the continuity of monetary assistance to the people of Jaffna peninsula and other war wrecked areas, through the non-governmental organisations funded by the respective countries.

A few days prior to the dissolution of parliament, the PA informed the UNP that its recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with JVP does not preclude them from proceeding towards a negotiated settlement with the LTTE and that the JVP concurs with this position. Given the country is now in election mode, it is unlikely that the PA and the UNP will now consider the peace talks with the LTTE as a priority.

Last week, the International Working Group (IWG) on Sri Lanka hosted a small meeting with various representatives of the Sri Lankan community residing in the Toronto region. The guest of honour was Ruth Archibald, the present Canadian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. High Commissioner Archibald led the discussions covering many issues including the humanitarian and human rights situation in Sri Lanka, both in the North and South, and the political situation following the recently announced MOU between the PA and the JVP.

5. Other news ==========

The former Speaker, Mr Anura Bandaranaike yesterday (17 October) resigned his membership from the main opposition UNP. In a letter to the UNP leader, Mr Bandaranaike said he will be joining the ruling Peoples Alliance as a member.

The government and the LTTE has agreed for a two-day cease-fire on 19 and 20 of this month, in order to facilitate the second stage of the polio vaccine to be held in the war torn areas, says the UNICEF. UNICEF also said that the national program to enlist every school going age child to schools is also scheduled to be launched on this day.

On 15 October, Canada introduced wide-ranging legislation aimed at combating terrorism. The proposed Anti-Terrorism Act, which is expected to be supported by all opposition parties and could become law by the end of 2001, is aimed at providing law-enforcement officers with more tools to impose stricter prison sentences on those convicted of terrorist activities.

The United States in its annual review of its list of terrorist groups, redesignated 26 groups, including the LTTE, but dropped the Japanese Red Army and Peru's Tupac Amaru guerrilla movements. It added two groups - the Real IRA and the Colombian paramilitary United Self-Defense Forces (AUC). In the meantime, US Ambassador in Colombo, E Ashley Wills, while addressing the Rotary Club of Colombo on October 11, has said: "I sincerely hope the LTTE will renounce violence, as such an action will be in the interest of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka."

Sri Lanka is hosting the 13th Meeting of Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer - at the BMICH in Colombo from October 15 to 19. The Conference is attended over 350 international representatives including 42 Environmental Ministers and over 110 delegates comprising officials, scientists, NGOs and other resource personnel, aims at reviewing and accelerating efforts to phase out ozone depleting chemicals in the world.

On Friday 12th, Police fired tear gas to disperse a section of thousands of Muslims protesting outside mosques, showing their opposition against the United States and Britain attacks on Afghanistan. Police used tear gas in one of the demonstrations in Colombo where the protesters attacked the police with bricks and attempted to march along the streets.

6. Articles/reports ==========

The Sunday Times of 14 October published extracts from Anita Pratap's (an Indian journalist) recent book, "Island of Blood"; http://www.is.lk/times/011014/plus3.html#3LABEL1

An article By D B S Jeyaraj appeared in Frontline October 13-26, 2001 Issue about recent killings of a number of top rank LTTE leaders; http://www.flonnet.com/fl1821/18210560.htm

Amnesty International's appeal of 11 October to the leadership of the LTTE regarding the ongoing recruitment of children as combatants; http://www.web.amnesty.org/web/news.nsf/WebAll/C9EC33D4A142076A80256AE 1003C02B3?OpenDocument

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