The first batch of 2,400 Tamils lodged in camps for internally displaced persons in Sri Lanka were sent back home on Thursday as assured by the Sri Lankan government, said Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam Member of Parliament T R Baalu, who led a team of Tamil Nadu MPs to the island nation.
The summit will be held in the picturesque city of Kandy, with Colombo planning 'foolproof' security arrangements to ward off any attack from the LTTE as it battles the rebel forces in the north.
"The LTTE is, perhaps, fighting its last battle and the security forces are continuing their fight to emancipate the country and the people of the north and east from terrorism," Rajapakse said after giving away gallantry awards to the armed forces personnel in Colombo on Thursday.
The United States has said it is working with India to find a political solution in Sri Lanka now that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam "is now flat on its back having lost most of its leaders," but has no intention of putting pressure on New Delhi to change its policy toward Sri Lanka, which has been perceived by some Tamils to be favoring the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse.
He praised former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for giving more powers to the local self government.
"The ceasefire should continue and both sides should come to the negotiating table to resolve the problem," the minister said.
Menon's visit follows serious concern expressed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over renewed violence in the island's embattled regions.
Sri Lanka has offered to hold talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam after a two-year gap, saying the outfit does represent a fair amount of Tamils but ruled out the immediate revival of the ceasefire scrapped in January.
With his forces encircling the fighters of the Liberation Tigers of Tami Eelam in a tiny strip of land in the northern region of the country, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse held out an olive branch to the Tamil Tigers on Monday, asking them to lay down arms after which they will be 'readily accepted and treated humanely'. The President said all facilities would be made available for the LTTE cadres who lay down their arms and surrender.
Veteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya on Friday denied having sought Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse's intervention for his inclusion in the ODI team to the West Indies.
Japan's special envoy Yasushi Akashi is likely to meet LTTE leaders to kickstart the stalled peace process.
Emphasising India's committed support to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, President A P J Abdul Kalam Wednesday night said New Delhi favoured a peaceful and negotiated settlement of the ethnic issue of the island nation.
The visiting Indian minister also met his Sri Lankan counterpart Mangala Samaraweera.
Sri Lanka's new president has ordered a government probe into Jayasuriya's sacking from the Test squad for India.
Sri Lanka's new president seeks stronger ties with India
He is widely regarded as the mastermind of increased military operations in recent months -- including ground shelling and aerial bombing -- against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee met visiting President Mahinda Rajapakse.
Vaiko also strongly objected Narayanan's meeting with Douglas Devananada in New Delhi. Devananda is a Sri Lankan Tamil politician who is part of the ruling alliance and a supporter of Rajapakse.
Menon was in Colombo to discuss the ethnic strife with the President.
Dr Singh said the centre would reiterate to the Lankan government that there is no military solution to the problem in that country.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse said he will do everything within his power and that of the government to defend the off spinner.
The President is seeking an end to the spurt of violence.
The LTTE on Monday bombed the Katunayake military airbase, about 35 kilometres north of Colombo, using two light aircraft, killing three airmen and injuring 16.
Meanwhile, the state protocol officer said there was no room for a controversy over the issue as it had been ascertained from Colombo that Rajapakse's wife is a Buddhist.
The Indo-Sri Lanka joint statement issued at the conclusion of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse's visit to India is "biased against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam," Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief Vaiko said in Chennai Sun.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse left for Colombo from the Nedumbassery International Airport in Kochi Friday evening at the end of a four-day visit to India.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse arrived in New Delhi Tuesday on a four-day visit during which he is expected to seek greater involvement of India in his country's fragile peace process.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse has said he does not want joint patrolling with India to check smuggling of arms to Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
Sri Lanka is seeking naval assistance from India to curb the influx of arms into the island nation.
'General Musharraf came to power after an Army coup. After sometime India recognized him. Like that, in future India will have to recognize us.'
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse said Muttiah Muralitharan is not only the pride of Sri Lanka but entire South Asia.
The site of the blast is just a kilometer away from the hotel in which the Indian cricketers are staying. The hotel has been cordoned off and the players who were in the hotel at the time of the blast are safe.
After his visit to Sri Lanka, Norway's top peace envoy Erik Solheim on Saturday said the situation in the island nation was "dangerous".
The Lankan president threatened serious action if the LTTE does not stop the killings.
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