IN GENEVA MOODS
The Geneva talks had an icy start last week. Anton Balasingham couldn’t bring himself to summon up anything better than a grimace (left) and, despite the fairly bright grin on Nimal Siripala de Silva’s face, he, too, had to be urged by photographers to closer" to his LTTE counterpart. By the end of the second day, however, it was grins all round (main picture). The body language, which became the centre of much discussion among journalists, had changed dramatically. Balasingham was considerably more relaxed, Nimal was beaming and Thamilchelvam was equally upbeat. The Norwegians just looked plain relieved.
(Pix by AFP)

• Post-mortem of talks: Analysts look at outcome
  Political observers and diplomats analysed the outcome of last week’s Geneva confab as positive but warned that words or statements won’t determine the fate of the next round—instead, they said, the proof of the pudding will very much be in the eating.nths."
   

• Muslim factor crucial to peace process: Ferial
  Minister Ferial Ashraff warned the parties to the Oslo-arranged Cease-Fire Agreement and Co-chairs to the Tokyo Donor Conference that normalcy could not be restored and no lasting solution found unless they accepted what she termed as the Muslim factor at all stages of the peace process.
   

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  Not Dushy
  The story ‘London terrorist cadre arrested in Geneva’ in The Island of February 24 inadvertently carried under the by-line of our special correspondent Dushy Ranetunga reporting from Geneva was e-mailed by an LTTE propagandist. The story which was also posted on our website appeared under Ranetunge’s by-line due to a technical fault. The error is regretted.

• Ranil like the cat who swallowed the canary
  UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe did not look quite the cat that had swallowed the canary when he came on television on Friday night when the first news of the outcome of the Geneva meeting between the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka broke pegged on the 8-paragraph statement Erik Solheim read out at the end of an encounter that took the predictable course. As was widely expected, the major agreement was that the two sides will meet again, probably in Geneva, at end April after the Aluth Avuruddu kevun and kiributh have been duly consumed and Sri Lanka has comes out of its traditional extended holiday season. The SLMM will duly make its behaviour report on how good or bad the two parties have been. 


 
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• The Tiger’s Siren Song
  "The tantrum of a thief who is given everything"
  Elias Canetti (The Human Province)
  Why are the Tigers so intent on compelling the government to disarm the Karuna rebels? Doktor Anton Balasingham has been kind enough to give us the answer in his opening remarks at the Geneva talks: "Our political cadres can only function in government controlled areas if the paramilitaries are disarmed and normalcy returns to Tamil areas." Normalcy to spy on Lankan Forces, to conscript children, build new bases, to kill our intelligence operatives and anti-Tiger Tamils - all the advantages enjoyed by the Tigers under the ceasefire until the Karuna rebellion happened.
   
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• Lanka IOC’s woes continue as the company takes a Rs.7 billion hit
  The woes the Indian state oil giant IOC’s Sri Lankan unit continues, as the firm took an unprecedented hit on its accounts to provision off a disputed subsidy due from the government.
  Lanka IOC’s profits for the 9-months ended December 2005 slipped deep into red after the company made a provision of Rs. 7 billion against a subsidy it is claiming for selling fuel at controlled prices.
   

• Ravi Thambiayah joins NDB board Changing its ‘no shares’ complexion
  Mr. Ravi Thambiayah of the Renuka group of companies which together with related parties own close to 10% of the National Development Bank (NDB) has accepted an invitation to take a board seat on the NDB, he confirmed.
  Thambiayah becomes the first shareholder/director of the NDB since Mr. Dhammika Perera who bought substantially into the bank requested and was granted a board seat. He resigned this position after he sold off his NDB shares taking a big capital gain.
   

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• Komari’s miracle worker: big heart and iron will
  Frank Seevaratnam left Sri Lanka thirty years ago with a wife, a daughter and three pounds ten in his pocket.
  Back then, the family had vowed to stay away from this turbulent little island that never seemed to get it right. Canada promised more stability, better living and less racial tension. The Seevaratnams set up home in Toronto and eventually became immensely successful.
  For three decades, Frank avoided Sri Lanka. In December 2004, however, his resolve melted. He and his wife, Pushpa, were holidaying in Cuba when they learnt of the Asian tsunami. Pictures flashed across television screens, depicting death, destruction and consummate grief.
   
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• Sangakkara ton boosts Sri Lanka in deciding one-dayer
  CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh, Feb 25, 2006 (AFP) - Vice captain Kumar Sangakkara struck a superb century as Sri Lanka scored an imposing 309-7 in the final one-day international against Bangladesh here on Saturday.
  Sangakkara's 109 put Sri Lanka in a strong position to wrap up the three-match series which is level 1-1 after their shock four-wicket defeat to Bangladesh in Bogra on Wednesday.
   

• 42nd Isipatana – Thurstan Big Match
  Pathans take charge
  Isipatana’s fourth wicket pair of Lakshan Samarasena (36 n.o.) and ‘diminutive-yet-explosive’ Gamidu Amarasinghe (29 n.o.) recklessly accepted a call for bad-light by the two field umpires as they were cruising along, passing the Thurstan College first innings total of 145 all out, to diminish their chances of posing a challenging lead on day-one of their 42nd annual Big Match held at SSC grounds, Colombo Friday.
   
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  Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara makes a play during the third one day international match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at Bir Shrestha Shahid Ruhul Amin Stadium in Chittagong, 25 February 2006. Bangladesh skipper Habibul Bashar won the toss and decided to field against Sri Lanka in the third and final one-day international AFP