5th Column

Prabha wants UNF, PA declared terror outfits
Good Evening, this is the evening news from Kilinochchi on 23 November 2005.
Fresh fighting has erupted between UNF and PA guerrillas waging a two year old civil war, demanding control of the south of the country.

Several civilian casualties were reported today from clashes in Colombo Central, Kotte, Biyagama, Attanagalle, Anamaduwa, Hambantota, Udatalawinna and Anuradhapura.
President Prabhakaran condemned the renewed fighting and appealed to the two factions to return to negotiations, brokered by international mediators led by Norway.

In a special address to the nation broadcast on national television this afternoon. President Prabhakaran, who is also Minister of Defence, Interior and Mass Communication said all measures to maintain law and order would however be enforced. Tiger troops would be deployed for this purpose.

There was no immediate response from either of the two rebel groups, both controlling parts of the south of the country. Both sides have expressed a willingness to negotiate in the past but such efforts have only resulted in the appointment of many committees over the last two years.

A spokesman for the UNF, a former professor claimed any settlement would have to incorporate the restoration of all privileges the UNF government enjoyed before overall control of the South was taken over by the Self Governing Authority headed by President Prabhakaran.

UNF supporters would lay down arms and cease attacks on their rivals only when these demands are met, the professor said speaking from his heavily guarded hideout in the former Parliamentary complex in Kotte. The UNF would also continue to hold mock sessions of Parliament presided over by the former Speaker, he said.

A PA spokesman, a former fashion designer has responded saying his party still controlled executive power which could not be handed over to the UNF. The spokesman was unwilling to set a time frame to cease hostilities with the UNF. Negotiating a ceasefire with the UNF would be difficult because the JVP faction of the alliance opposed it, he conceded, speaking from the PA rebel headquarters at the former President's House in Colombo.

In his address to the nation, President Prabhakaran today also called upon the international community to take note of the deteriorating situation in the South of the country which has resulted in thousands of refugees entering the North daily.

"The continued fighting in the South has resulted in the breakdown of essential services causing the people to flee the region" President Prabhakaran declared and said the international community should consider declaring the UNF and the PA terrorist organizations, if they do not cease their fighting which has resulted in severe casualties and hardships among civilians in the South.

Despite the fighting in the South, no incidents have been reported in the North or East. A two year old ceasefire, agreed to between a former UNF regime and the Tigers was still holding despite being declared illegal by a former President.

In Sports news meanwhile, the Eelam cricketers easily defeated Sri Lanka at their one day international at the Kuttimani International Stadium in Kilinochchi. The Man of the Match award went to Muttiah Muralitharan. Murali now plays for Eelam after he received death threats warning him not to play for Sri Lanka. Several TULF leaders who received similar threats and ignored them were later assassinated.

Sri Lanka Cricket has assured that the Sri Lanka cricketers' tour of Eelam would continue despite the unrest in the South. "It is important that the tour continues because it makes people in the South forget their problems, temporarily at least," the spokesman said.

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