UK envoy on fact finding tour in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 April 2003, 17:01 GMT]
The British High Commissioner Mr. Stephen Evans is on a three-day visit to Trincomalee district. He is to meet the political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Trincomalee Mr.S.Tilak on Thursday at Sampoor in the LTTE held Muttur east, south of Trincomalee district, sources said.
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Norwegian ambassador meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 April 2003, 13:40 GMT]
The newly appointed Norwegian ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Hans Brattskar, accompanied by the outgoing ambassador, Mr. Jon Westborg, Wednesday held extensive talks with the political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan, at the LTTE's headquarters in Kilinochchi, Vanni sources said.
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Vavuniya news in brief

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 April 2003, 11:12 GMT]
Japanese medical team performs surgery, May day to be observed as peace day and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) blocks visitors to Pallai celebrations at Omanthai checkpoint.
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Security tightened for May Day in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 April 2003, 01:13 GMT]
More than five thousand Police personnel will be deployed to maintain law and order in Colombo when several political parties hold May Day rallies, processions in Colombo on May 1st Thursday, Deputy Inspector General of Police Mr.Bodhi Liyanage said Tuesday.
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Balasingham to visit Vanni next week

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 20:41 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Chief Negotiator and Political Advisor, Mr. Anton Balasingham, will return to Vanni next week for deliberations with the LTTE leadership on the Norwegian peace process and related matters, sources said Tuesday. Mr. Balasingham is expected to be in Vanni when Japan’s peace envoy, Mr. Yasushi Akashi and the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Mr. Jan Petersen visit the Vanni separately in early May, the sources said.
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Muslim-Tamil amity crucial for peace - Ramesh

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 14:10 GMT]
Though the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has temporarily suspended participation at the peace talks, its talks with Muslim representatives will continue, as strengthening Tamil-Muslim amity is crucial to the two communities regardless of the state of the peace process, Mr. Ramesh, the LTTE’s special commander for Batticaloa-Ampara, told journalists after the second round of talks between the LTTE and Muslim representatives Tuesday.
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Security to be tightened for Ratwatte trial

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 14:08 GMT]
The trial-at-bar inquiry into the Udathalawinne massacre case has been put off for May 5 for security reasons when the defence brought to the notice of the three-member bench of High Court Judges when the case resumed Tuesday that the life of one of the accused, former deputy defence minister General Ratwatte, is under threat, legal sources said.
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German assistance to contain malnutrition in Trinco district

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 02:59 GMT]
The Integrated Food Security Programme (IFSP) in Trincomalee Monday donated a consignment of forty mother and child-weighing scales to the Department of Health Services to be supplied to the public health midwives in the Trincomalee district to monitor malnutrition prevalent especially amongst women and children less than five years of age, sources said.
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White Pigeon branch opened in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2003, 22:26 GMT]
The Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) sponsored White Pigeon Technical Institute, headquartered in the Vanni region, opened its third branch Monday at Ananadapuri, three km to the north of Trincomalee town, TRO sources said.
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STF attack sparks shutdown in Kaluwanchikudy

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2003, 22:05 GMT]
A general shutdown was observed in Kaluwanchikudy in the Batticaloa district on Monday to protest against the attack by Special Task Force (STF) personnel on people who were participating in a rope pulling game against the STF team at the New Year Sports competition, held in the town on Sunday, sources said.
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Late Bishop's services recalled at funeral

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2003, 20:06 GMT]
The late Bishop of Jaffna, Most Rev. Dr. Bastiampillai Deogupillai, fought until his last for the removal of the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act, said the Bishop of the Trincomalee-Batticaloa Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr. Kingsely Swampillai, in his eulogy delivered at the Holy Mass held at the Jaffna Mary's Cathedral Monday evening prior to the burial of the religious leader’s body.
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LTTE denies Moragoda gave assurance over Washington conference

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2003, 19:33 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers denied Monday that Sri Lanka’s Economics Reform Minister, Milinda Moragoda, had given them an assurance they would be able to attend the international aid conference in Washington on April 14 as quoted in weekend press reports. The LTTE’s Chief Negotiator Anton Balasingham told TamilNet Monday the organisation was unable to attend the meeting as it is proscribed in the United States and reports suggesting Mr. Moragoda had given assurances otherwise were incorrect.
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Opposition parties should not disrupt peace process - LSSP

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2003, 16:06 GMT]
The opposition parties in Sri Lanka should not derail or be hostile to the peace process for their own political gain, said the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) in a statement to the public on Monday.
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Fall of Elephant Pass celebrated

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2003, 13:24 GMT]
The third anniversary of the fall of the strategically crucial Elephant Pass garrison and the successful defeat of the Operation Agni Khiela by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was celebrated Monday on a grand scale in the grounds where the Sri Lanka Army artillery base in Pallai once stood. LTTE senior commander and Intelligence chief Pottu Amman participated in the event, sources said
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Defence Minister orders inquiry into Dehiwela killing

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2003, 11:40 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Defense Minister, Tilak Marapone, has ordered Commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Lionel Balagalle to conduct a thorough investigation into the killing of Lance Corporal Lingarajah Thavarajah Saturday night in Dehiwela, security sources said. Thavarajah was attached to the intelligence division of the SLA.
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International aid necessary to rehabilitate NE hospitals - Minister

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2003, 11:02 GMT]
Without interntational aid it will not be possible to renovate and rebuild hospitals damaged or destroyed by war in the Northeast province, said Minister of Health Services P. Dayaratne, addressing an event held in conjuntion with upgrading the Vavuniya General Hospital.
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TNA leader demands reduced army presence in population centers

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2003, 01:14 GMT]
"It is the birthright of the Internally Displaced People (IDP) to resettle in their own lands. There is no need for the internally displaced Tamil families in Jaffna district to seek permission from the government or the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to return to their own lands," said Tamil National Alliance (TNA)parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan addressing a gathering at the Jaffna office of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Sunday on the current political situation, sources said.
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Compensation delay for Kanjirankuda victims decried

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2003, 17:44 GMT]
Relatives of the 7 Tamil civilians shot dead by the commandos of the Special Task Force, an elite wing of the Sri Lankan armed forces, during a public protest in Kanjirankudah, 84 kilometres south of Batticaloa, on 9 October 2002 have not received any compensation, said Batticaloa district parliamentarian Chandra Nehru.
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Army informant shot dead in Dehiwela

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2003, 16:18 GMT]
Lingarajah Thavarajah (32), a native of Kokkadichcholai in Batticloa district in the eastern province, was gunned down in Dehiwela Saturday night by unidentified gunmen who came in a three-wheeler, Police sources in Colombo said. Thavarajah was working with the intelligence wing of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in the eastern province.
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Pallai prepares to commemorate capture of Elephant Pass

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2003, 13:12 GMT]
Preparations are underway to hold a commemorative event in Pallai to celebrate the third anniversary of the fall of the strategically crucial Elephant Pass garrison and the successful defeat of operation 'Agni Khela' by the Liberation Tigers (LTTE), sources in Pallai said.
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PM's advisor in Jaffna to see ground situation

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2003, 12:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka Prime Minister's senior advisor Mr.Bradman Weerakone at the end of his two-day visit to Jaffna Sunday said at a conference held at Jaffna District Secretariat that the reply to be sent shortly to the LTTE political advisor Mr Anton Balasingham would contain assurances that will help the resumption of the peace talks. Meanwhile Mr.Weerakone Saturday instructed the Government Agent to hand back the municipal lands to the Jaffna municipal council, sources said
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Muttur lacks basic medical services - TNA MP

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2003, 04:13 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham Saturday brought to the notice of the Minister of Health, Nutrition and Welfare that even after fourteen months of the ceasefire coming into operation Muttur residents are still without basic medical services, sources said.
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Take forward Chelva's ideals - Tamilnadu Don

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2003, 16:32 GMT]
"We Tamils in Tamilnadu are openly supporting the Palestine liberation struggle. We are free to oppose the aggression of Iraq by the United States of America. But it is sad to state that we in Tamilnadu are prevented from expressing our moral support to our Tamil brethren in Sri Lanka," said former vice chancellor of Thirunelvaely Manonmaniyam Suntharanar University in South India, Professor Dr. K.P.Aravanan, delivering 'Thanthai' Chelvanayakam commemoration speech at the Jaffna University Kailasapathy auditorium Saturday afternoon.
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Bishop Deogupillai passes away

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2003, 15:59 GMT]
Jaffna's twelfth Bishop Most Reverend Dr Bastiampillai Deogupillai (1917-2003) passed away peacefully in the early hours of Friday at the age of 86. The entire Catholic community and Tamils, irrespective of religion, are mourning the death of a veteran Bishop who stood for justice and peace through dialogue. His funeral is to be held on Monday evening at Jaffna St. Mary's Cathedral church, sources said.
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Thanthai Chelva’s 26th death anniversary observed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2003, 13:59 GMT]
The twenty sixth-death anniversary of late Tamil leader "THANTHAI” Mr.S.J.V.Chelvanayakam (1898-1977) was observed through the northeast province Saturday. He was the acknowledged leader of Tamil people for the last 20 years of his life and presided over the 1976 TULF national convention that ratified the goals for a separate state for Tamils in the landmark 'Vaddukoddai resolution.'
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CID told to produce Nimalarajan murder suspect

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2003, 02:59 GMT]
Jaffna district court Judge T. Vignarajah warned the officials of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) that failure to produce, Nepolean, the military head of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) who is a key suspect in the Nirmalarajan murder case, will result in the court taking disciplinary action against the CID, local press in Jaffna said.
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Clergy appeal for resumption of peace talks

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2003, 01:49 GMT]
Leading members of the clergy Friday appealed to the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) not to go back to war and to resume peace talks immediately to find a negotiated political settlement to the ethnic conflict.
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SLMM clarifies issues in Proposals on Security at Sea

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 April 2003, 18:24 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission issued a press release on 25 Friday clarifying issues in its proposals contained in the ‘Initial Discussion Paper’ that outlined arrangements to avoid future incidents at sea between the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Sea Tigers.
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Sri Lanka's joint opposition wants India as sea monitor

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 April 2003, 18:01 GMT]
Mr.Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lanka's former foreign Minister and advisor to President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge, presiding over a press conference held Friday said that India and two other countries should be included as Naval monitors under the present ceasefire agreement. The joint opposition leaders also warned that the United States and United Kingdom are conspiring to destabilize India, political sources in Colombo said.
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LTTE responds to US Ambassador

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 April 2003, 16:25 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Friday denied they had walked away from negotiations with the Sri Lankan government and said they were temporarily suspending talks “to provide time and space for the government to implement crucial decisions.” Responding to comments by the United States Ambassador, Mr. Ashley Wills, the LTTE’s Chief Negotiator and Political Advisor, Mr. Anton Balasingham told TamilNet Friday “As the representatives of our people we reserve the right to express our displeasure if decisions at the talks are not implemented and bi-lateral agreements are not fulfilled.”
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JVP demonstrators condemn Muttur violence

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 April 2003, 15:02 GMT]
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a Sinhala nationalist opposition party in Sri Lanka that espouses radical Marxism, held a demonstration Friday afternoon at Lipton Square, in downtown Colombo, condemning the violence in Muttur in the East against Muslims and demanding that Norwegian monitors should be ‘thrown out’ of the country to safeguard the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the island, sources said.
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Indian fishermen released on AG's direction

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 April 2003, 14:22 GMT]
On the instructions of the Attorney General (AG), the Mannar Magistrate Friday released twenty six Indian fishermen who had been remanded by the court after being captured by local fishermen in Pesalai when they were poaching in Sri lankan waters, legal sources said.
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No threat of resumption of war - Minister Peiris

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2003, 18:58 GMT]
The ceasefire agreement signed last year by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is still in force and there is no threat of resumption of war following the pull out by the LTTE from peace talks, said Minister G.L. Peiris, addressing the weekly cabinet press briefing Thursday.
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Tamil fishermen complain of assault by southern fishermen

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2003, 18:42 GMT]
Two Jaffna fishermen were assaulted while fishing in the Vadamaradchi sea Thursday morning by Sinhalese fishermen who came from the south of the country in ?tank boats" to fish in the northern sea, fisheries co-operative federation sources said.
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Urban development sham in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2003, 13:11 GMT]
Batticaloa is a picturesque place. The town’s population has more than doubled in the last decade, largely owing to families moving in from the war-ravaged hinterland of the district. This is forcing a creeping crisis on the town’s urban development. Yet Colombo spares no money to address Batticaloa’s problem although the town has been under the purview of the Sri Lankan government’s Urban Development Authority (UDA) for more than 18 years.
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"LTTE won't derail peace process"- Pappa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2003, 12:12 GMT]
"We will not take any step that could derail the present peace process. We have not completely abandoned the peace talks. We have only suspended our participation in the peace talks for the time being," said Mr.Pappa, head of the Sports Department of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Thursday addressing workers of the non-governmental organizations in the Jaffna district on the current political situation and present peace process, sources said.
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Speedy relief essential for success of talks - TNA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2003, 11:26 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Wednesday requested the United National Front (UNF) government to formulate and implement a new approach that could provide speedy relief to the grievances of several thousands displaced Tamils without further delay fulfilling the justifiable expectations of Tamils since the signing of the ceasefire agreement, sources said.
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Tigers call off rehabilitation talks pending ‘tangible action on the ground’

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2003, 00:00 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Wednesday postponed the meeting of the Sub-committee on Immediate Humanitarian Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN) scheduled for this week, to “await action and implementation on urgent matters … of resettlement and rehabilitation of Internally Displaced People and of refugees.” In a letter to Mr. Bernard Goonetilleke, the head of the Government of Sri Lanka delegation on the SIHRN, Mr. S. P. Tamilselvan, head of the LTTE’s Political Wing and head of the LTTE delegation on the SIHRN, called for ‘tangible action on the ground’ before the Sub-committee meetings resumed.
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SLA tightening its grip on Northeast - Para

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 19:57 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army is strengthening its foothold where civilians live in the North-East even after the signing of the ceasefire agreement between the United National Front government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, said Mr. Pararajasingham (Para), Head of the Judicial Division of the LTTE, addressing a meeting in Jaffna town Wednesday.
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Trade Unions to hold joint May Day with LTTE, TNA in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 18:27 GMT]
Trade Unions in Vavuniya have agreed to hold a joint May Day with the TNA and the LTTE this year, and arrangements are being made for the May day event with the cooperation of the LTTE, sources said.
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Ratwatte’s final attempt at bail turned down

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 18:12 GMT]
The trial-at-bar comprising three High Court Judges Wednesday rejected a motion by the fifteen accused in the Udathalawinne massacre case, including the former Deputy Defence Minister General Anurudha Ratwatte and his two sons, seeking permission to file a bail application at the Supreme Court against a previous order refusing bail, legal sources said.
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Buddhist prelate appeals to LTTE to re-enter peace talks

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 18:01 GMT]
The Mahanayake Thera of Asgiriya Chapter, Most Venerable Udugama Buddharakita Thera, Wednesday appealed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam not to pull out from the ongoing peace talks with the United National Front government, political sources in Colombo said.
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LTTE to commemorate capture of Elephant Pass

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 14:28 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam will commemorate the capture three years ago of the Elephant Pass garrison from the Sri Lankan military on April 28, sources in Vanni said.
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Army volunteer killed in Vadamarachchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 13:27 GMT]
Fifty three year old Selliah Puvanendran, who is believed to be a member of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) volunteer force, was found dead Wednesday in Thunnalai, 3 km south of Point Pedro in Vadamarachchi division, Jaffna district, with hands tied, mouth stuffed with clothes and cut injuries in his neck, security sources said.
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TEEDOR imposes restrictions in felling Jaffna trees

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 11:47 GMT]
Cutting down coconut, palmyrah, margosa, mango and jak fruit trees in private properties, excavation of stones and hauling large amounts of sand and clay will require special permission from the district co-ordinater on recommendation from village officer, said Gnanavel, head of Jaffna district Tamil Eelam Economic Development Organization (TEEDOR), addressing the meeting of Kayts agricultural society held at the Assistant Government Agent's office, according to local news reports.
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SLN arrests youths on alleged boat theft

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 01:53 GMT]
Mannar District Judge Mr.M.P. Mohideen Monday ordered fourteen-day remand for four Tamil youths for allegedly trying to steal a fishing boat kept in the custody of the Sri Lanka Navy, legal sources said. The boat belonged to an Indian fisherman and was confiscated when the fishermen were caught poaching in Sri Lankan territorial waters in Pesalai recently.
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Netherlands aids NE resettlement, educational development

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 00:05 GMT]
The Ambassador for Netherlands in Sri Lanka, Ms. Susan Blankhart, Tuesday inaugurated the scheme for granting livelihood assistance for resettled families in the eight districts of the North-East province and the donation of school furniture to improve education in the province at a function held at the Trincomalee Town Hall, sources said.
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EPDP refuses to hand over RRAN vehicles

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2003, 19:19 GMT]
The local government ministry of the North-East provincial council and the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Authority for the North (RRAN) are in a dilemma to find ways to recover the pickup vehicles supplied to ten local bodies in the Jaffna district when the paramilitary group Eelam People's Democratic Party administered them, government sources said.
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JVP demands debate on SLMM, Muttur violence

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2003, 19:04 GMT]
The Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) demanded in a letter to the Speaker of the Sri Lankan parliament that a special meeting of the parliament to discuss the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission’s 'Initial discussion paper' of April 03 to the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) on recognizing Sea Tigers as a de facto naval unit, and the recent incidents of violence in Muttur, Mr. Wimal Weerawansa, the parliamentary group leader of the JVP and its propaganda secretary, said at a press conference held Tuesday at the Nippon hotel in downtown Colombo.
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LTTE condemns attack on Muslims in Allai Nagar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2003, 16:54 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Tuesday said it strongly condemns the attack on a group of Muslim people at Allai Nagar in Thoppur in the Muttur division Tuesday morning. "We believe that it is the work of forces working against peace," said the LTTE’s Trincomalee district military commander, Colonel Pathuman, in a press release Tuesday, sources said.
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People should fight for peace -Balakumaran

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2003, 15:59 GMT]
A senior leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Mr.V.Balakumaran addressing a press conference Tuesday at the LTTE Jaffna district political office said the time has come for the people to get out on the road to fight for peace.
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Persisting pass control spoils Jaffna fisheries growth

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2003, 14:45 GMT]
Sri Lanka army sentries on Jaffna’s Vadamaradchi coast are still insisting that fishermen in the region should possess the special identification passes it has issued them despite agreeing last February to accept identity cards issued by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (MFAR) in Colombo, a spokesman for the region’s federation of fishermen’s societies told TamilNet Monday.
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PM allocates fifty million rupees for Muttur rehabilitation

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2003, 10:50 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe has instructed the Treasury to allocate fifty million rupees as first installment for the rehabilitation of the thousands of displaced people in Muttur division, south of Trincomalee district. This was revealed at a conference held Monday evening at the Trincomalee district secretariat presided by Minister and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Mr.Rauff Hakim, sources said.
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LTTE and Muslim leaders reach peace agreement

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2003, 20:04 GMT]
Representatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Majlis Al Shura of Muttur division Monday agreed to prevail upon the Tamil and Muslim peoples to end all acts of violence against each other and to work towards ensuring peace, said a press release issued by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in Trincomalee.
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LTTE suspends negotiations with Sri Lanka pending implementation of agreements reached

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2003, 12:51 GMT]
Expressing deep displeasure over certain critical issues relating to the ongoing peace process, the LTTE leadership Monday informed the Sri Lankan government that it has decided to suspend its participation in the negotiations for the time being.
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East MPs, LTTE and SLMM to meet in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2003, 11:15 GMT]
Parliamentarians from the east including Minister Rauf Hakim of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and representatives from the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) are to meet in Trincomalee today to discuss matters related to actions necessary to diffuse tension in the east and to increase understanding between Tamils and Muslims, local news reports said.
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Medical practitioner felicitated by Pirapaharan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2003, 21:24 GMT]
V. Pirapaharan, Leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), applauded the services of Dr. Gengadharan on the golden anniversary (50 years) of his medical services to the Tamil community and presented him with a service award, sources in Vanni said.
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Entire Trincomalee district under curfew

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2003, 16:21 GMT]
The entire Trincomalee district has been brought under twelve-hour police curfew with effect from Sunday at 7 p.m. The curfew will be lifted Monday at 7 a.m. police announced through public address system in the Trincomalee town, sources in Trincomalee said.
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'Disappeared' Sinhala youths return home

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2003, 16:13 GMT]
Two Sinhalese youths alleged to have been abducted by some unidentified persons few weeks ago have returned home, according to police sources. Sinhalese activists had accused Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for the disappearance of these youths.
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Mosques step in to keep peace in Batti-Amparai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2003, 12:50 GMT]
Mosque trustee board officials Sunday foiled attempts to spread unrest in several Muslim towns in the Batticaloa and Amparai districts. Anonymous Islamic groups issued inflammatory leaflets Saturday in the two districts urging Muslims to protest against recent incidents in Mutur. “It caused concern that attempts were afoot to instigate violence in these parts too”, a Mosque official said.
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Eravur court idles as buildings await renovation

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2003, 20:33 GMT]
The village courts in Eravur, 10 km northwest of Batticaloa town, which stopped functioning during the communal riots in 1990 has been inactive for the last thirteen years initially due to continued military activities and later due to its war-damaged building in a state of disrepair, residents of Tamil dominated division-5 of Eravur district said.
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SLN permit required to transport timber to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2003, 19:02 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) Saturday imposed restriction on transporting palmyra logs to Jaffna town from Karainagar. The SLN authorities camped at Karainagar naval base told the public that they should obtain pass from the local SLN unit to remove palmyra logs to Jaffna town, sources said.
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Curfew imposed in Trincomalee town, suburbs

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2003, 18:20 GMT]
Curfew has been imposed in Trincomalee and its suburbs from Saturday night till Sunday morning 9 a.m. following sporadic incidents that took place Saturday evening at Muslim dominated Jamaliya area, police said.
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LTTE condemns Kattaiparichchan attack on Tamils

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2003, 17:27 GMT]
The Trincomalee district political secretariat of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Saturday issued a statement condemning the grenade attack and firing by a Muslim group and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) that killed two Tamil civilians on Friday close to Kattaiparichchan army camp. The camp separates army controlled area and LTTE controlled area in the Muttur east.
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Northeast celebrates Annai Poopathy anniversary

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2003, 15:45 GMT]
Fifteenth year anniversary of Annai Poopathy memorial day was celebrated across the Northeast. Special events are being organized in Navalady, Batticaloa, on district basis in Trincomalee, Vavuniya, Mannar, Vanni and Jaffna, sources said. In Nallur, Jaffna the commemoration events started with a symbolic fast.
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SLA demands clarification on LTTE event held in school

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 April 2003, 00:02 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Army’s (SLA) regional headquarters in Vavuniya has sought clarification from the Director of the Vavuniya South Zonal Education Division and the principal of the Vavuniya Nelukulam Kalaimahal Maha Vidyalayam, as to how permission was granted to hold a commemoration ceremony of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam at the school on March 21, sources in Vavuniya said.
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Peacetime maternity deaths rise in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2003, 19:30 GMT]
The medical facilities available in Kilinochchi during the current period of peace is worse than what was available during the war, medical officials in Kilinochchi said, quoting statistics from government officials that show that seven women died during their maternity care at hospitals in Kilinochchi in the last year.
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Tamil civilian killed in SLA fire

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2003, 18:38 GMT]
A Tamil civilian identified as Maheswaran Ravishankar (32) of Chenaiyoor was killed in firing from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) detachment based at Kattaiparichchan Friday afternoon increasing the death toll on Friday incidents in Muttur area to two. The firing incident took place soon the after the Defence Minister Mr.Tilak Marapone left Muttur after attending a conference at Kattaiparichchan SLA camp, police said.
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Curfew reimposed after grenade attack kills civilian

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2003, 16:06 GMT]
A Tamil civilian was killed and seven others were injured in a grenade attack on Friday afternoon near Kattaiparichchan bridge which separates army controlled and Liberation Tigers controlled area in Muttur east, police sources said. The curfew lifted Friday has been reimposed Friday afternoon immediately after the grenade attack.
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EPDP cadre shot dead in Akkaraipattu

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2003, 08:49 GMT]
An unidentified gunman shot dead a prominent member of the EPDP in Akkaraipattu, 64 kilometres south of Batticaloa, Friday around 11.45 a.m. Sri Lankan Police sources in the southeastern coastal town said. The EPDP cadre, Mr. Marimuthtu Rajalingam, 42, was the chairman of the Aalaiyadivembu Pradheshiya Sabha.
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52 Jaffna schools still occupied by SLA

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2003, 01:36 GMT]
Continued occupation of fifty-two government schools in Jaffna district by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and delay by the officials of the Education Ministry to fill the more than six thousand Tamil medium teacher vacancies in northeast schools, are causing irreparable damage to Tamil children’s education in Jaffna, said General Secretary of the Ceylon Tamil Teacher’s Union (CTTU) , Mr.T.Mahasivam, addressing a press briefing Thursday held at Navalar Government School in Jaffna.
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‘Annai’ Poopathy remembered in North-East

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2003, 00:05 GMT]
Ceremonies to mark the remembrance day of Mrs. Kanapathipillai Poopathy, a grandmother who fasted unto death against the atrocities of the Indian Peace Keeping Force and sacrificed her life in 1988, commenced on Thursday throughout the North-East, sources said.
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Curfew imposed in Muttur town, suburbs

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 April 2003, 17:11 GMT]
Dusk to dawn curfew has been imposed in Muttur town and its suburbs following sporadic clashes between sections of Muslims and Tamils Thursday evening. Several incidences of violence have been reported from Palathoppur and Thoppur, police sources said
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Accidents on the rise on A-9 highway

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 April 2003, 14:02 GMT]
Following the re-opening of the Jaffna-Kandy road (A-9) for traffic in 2002, there have been seventy-two vehicle accidents that resulted in eight deaths within the Kilinochchi division of the Tamil Eelam Police Service (TEPS), and accidents have increased in the first quarter of this year, LTTE officials said.
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Batticaloa-Valaichenai train service suspended

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 April 2003, 11:20 GMT]
Following three separate derailments within one week of resuming operation in the Batticaloa-Valaichenai stretch of the Colombo-Batticalo service, the train service to Batticaloa has been temporarily suspended, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Ambulances converted for private use, MP complains

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 April 2003, 11:00 GMT]
Three of the eight ambulances given by the World Health Organization (WHO), have been converted to pleasure vehicles with their medical equipment removed and additional seats fitted, and are being used for private purposes by high level health officers of the Northeast Health Ministry, complained Vavuniya district parliamentarian, Sivasakthi Anandan, in a letter sent to Sri Lanka Government's Minister of health, P.Dayaratne, sources in Vavuniya said.
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TNA appeals to strengthen Tamil-Muslim unity

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 April 2003, 10:26 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Trincomalee district parliamentarians Mr.R.Sampanthan and Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham Wednesday appealed to Tamils of Muttur area, south of Trincomalee, to work hard to safeguard and strengthen the support of Muslims in their areas.
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SLA puts up sentries on Vadamaradchi reef

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 April 2003, 15:14 GMT]
The Sri Lanka army has tightened security along Jaffna’s Vadamaradchi coast by setting up sentry points in the sea, fishermen said. The sentries have been built on the reef which runs parallel to this coast, at the openings through which fishing boats enter shallow waters near the beach for mooring.
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SIHRN Jaffna branch to be opened

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 April 2003, 11:09 GMT]
The Sub Committee on Immediate Humanitanarian Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN) is to open a branch next week to function from the Jaffna Secratariat to supervise and manage SIHRN projects in Jaffna district, local reports from Jaffna said.
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Two Muslim youths disappear, LTTE denies involvement

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 April 2003, 01:24 GMT]
The Trincomalee political secretariat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Tuesday in a statement denied any involvement in the alleged abduction of two Muslim youths in the Mutur sea a few days ago, sources said.
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New Year day shooting in SLA camp

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 April 2003, 15:40 GMT]
A soldier of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) was arrested by the Kodikamam Police for allegedly shooting a fellow soldier on the Sinhala and Tamil New Year day, in an army camp located at Eluthumadduval, in the Thenmaradchchi area of the Jaffna district, sources said.
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SLA soldier commits suicide in Eluthumadduval

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 April 2003, 15:37 GMT]
A corpse without skull, found at an army sentry point in Eluthumadduval in the Thenmaradchchi area of the Jaffna district, was identified as that of a soldier of the 554 Brigade of the Sri Lanka Army by his fellow soldiers at the inquest held by the Chavakachcheri Magistrate Tuesday, legal sources said.
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SLA relocates Sarasalai camp

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 April 2003, 15:35 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army on Monday relocated its camp from Sarasalai area in Thenmaradchchi to another site in a coconut grove near Kanagan Puliady junction, sources said.
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Preliminary aid conference held in Washington D.C

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 April 2003, 11:05 GMT]
A preliminary conference to the forth coming international aid conference in Japan was held in Washington D.C on 14 Monday at Loy Auditorium. The seminar, hosted by the State Department, was attended by representatives from 26 countries and 16 international organizations. Japan's special envoy to Sri Lanka Yashushi Akashi, Norway's Deputy Secretary of State, Vidar Helgessen and India's ambassador to U.S, Lalith Mansingh, were also present.
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Grenade attack kills two in Arayampathy

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 April 2003, 20:36 GMT]
Alaguthurai Ganesan (30), a father of three children, and Mr. Vinoth, a member of the Varathan group were killed and eight people were wounded in a grenade attack, allegedly by the paramilitary Varathan group, and subsequent shooting in Arayampathy in the Batticaloa district on Sunday night, sources said.
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Dynamiting for fish kills fisherman in Mannar

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 April 2003, 18:43 GMT]
Abdul Amunah of Puthukuddiruppu, Pesalai in the Mannar district, died, and two others were seriously wounded when they were engaged in dynamiting fish in the Mannar Sea Saturday morning, medical sources said.
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Returnees face uphill task in rebuilding Illupaikulam

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 April 2003, 11:16 GMT]
Displaced people from Illupaikulum, a village located six kilometers north of the east port town along the Trincomalee Kuchchaveli main road, are returning to resettle in their lands with the signing of the ceasefire agreement. After fifteen years of neglect with the village overgrown with jungles and its basic infrastructure facilities destroyed in war, the returning residents face an uphill task in rebuilding their village, sources said.
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Batticaloa-Colombo train derails near Eravur

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 April 2003, 01:50 GMT]
No passengers were injured when three carriages of the Colombo bound night train that departed Batticaloa railway station Saturday night derailed near Eravur, said Batticaloa station chief A. Sivanesarajah. This was the same train that made the maiden journey from Colombo to Batticaloa carrying the Minister of Transportation, Minister Upali Piyasoma, and reached Batticaloa station Saturday 2.45pm.
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Santhiveli hospital lacks staff, medicine

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 April 2003, 01:16 GMT]
The only hospital in Santhiveli village in Koralaipattu Pradhesya sabha, Batticaloa district, built in 1950, is struggling to provide services without any permanent doctor and without adequate supplies of medicines or medical equipment, sources said.
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Five day cultural festival concludes in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 April 2003, 17:34 GMT]
The five day Festival of Music, Dance and Drama concluded Saturday attended by large crowd at Trincomalee Orr's Hill Vivekandanda College auditorium. Trincomalee district parliamentarian Mr.R.Sampanthan and national list parliamentarian Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham declared open the final day festival by lighting the traditional oil lamp. The festival was organized by the Arts and Cultural Department of the LTTE.
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Trains to Batticaloa back on track

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2003, 13:20 GMT]
Minister of Transportation of Government of Sri Lanka, Minister Upali Piyasoma ceremonially inaugurated the Polannaruwa to Batticaloa train service Saturday morning easing transportation to and from Batticaloa town, sources in Batticaloa said. Recent completion to repairs of the final stretch of the track from Valaichenai to Batticaloa paved the way for the opening of the Polannaruwa to Batticaloa service.
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NECORD's ambulance gift boosts NE Health services

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2003, 12:09 GMT]
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded North East Community Restoration and Community Development Project (NECORD) Saturday handed sixteen ambulances to the provincial ministry of health to upgrade the health services in the war-torn northeast province.
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Trincomalee veteran artists honoured

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2003, 11:25 GMT]
Six most senior outstanding artists in the Trincomalee district were honoured with special awards at the fourth day Festival of Music, Dance and Drama held Friday at the Trincomalee Orr's Hill Vivekandanda College auditorium. The festival was organized by the Arts and Cultural Society of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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LTTE to boycott Japan aid conference

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2003, 09:58 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said Saturday it would review its decision to participate in the international conference in Tokyo in June in protest at its exclusion from the preliminary conference to be held in Washington on Monday. "The authentic representatives of the Tamil people should have been invited to this major international conference to articulate the interests and aspirations of our people," the LTTE said in a statement issued in the Vanni Saturday.
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SLA blocks engineers from entering Point Pedro HSZ

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 April 2003, 00:45 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Friday refused permission for a team of engineers of the State Engineering Corporation to enter the Point Pedro post office premises to assess the damage caused to the post office buildings, saying that the post office is located within the high security zone (HSZ), sources said.
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Volunteer teachers' protest called off on PM’s assurance

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2003, 18:04 GMT]
The forty day sit-in protest campaign by the Northeast provincial Tamil medium volunteer teachers, demanding permanent appointment, was called off Friday morning in the presence of the Trincomalee district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian, Mr.R.Sampanthan, Provincial Ministry of Education Secretary, Mr.R.Thiagalingam, and the President of the Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union, Mr.S.Thandauthapani, sources said.
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TNA opposes locating SLA camps in populated areas

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2003, 17:02 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Thursday reiterated its stand to the Prime Minister that the Sri Lanka Army should not be allowed to establish or relocate its camps and main bases in densely populated places in the Northeast province, TNA parliamentary group leader, Mr.R.Sampanthan, said in a press release issued Thursday evening.
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Permanency to Tamil volunteer teachers with AG's approval

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2003, 17:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe Thursday directed the Minister of Human Resources Development, Education and Cultural Affairs, Dr.Karunasena Kodituwakku, to obtain the approval of the Attorney General before granting permanent appointment to one thousand Tamil medium volunteer teachers serving in the Northeast province, Tamil National Alliance sources said.
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SLN patrols increase, UAV sighted in Mullaitivu

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2003, 11:38 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) has increased its patrol activities in the Mullaitivu seas recently, and five fishermen who were threatened and had their boats inspected by the SLN this week while fishing in Mullaitivu seas have made complains to the local authorities, sources in Mullaitivu said.
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Workshop on welfare of war affected children held

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2003, 00:30 GMT]
A workshop on the welfare of war-affected children, organized with the assistance of the UNICEF, is being held Thursday and Friday at the Tamil Eelam Economic Development Organization's (TEEDOR's) Conference Hall in Kilinochchi. Representatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Peace Secretariat of the Sri Lankan government, Government agents, Education Officials and Medical Officers of the North-East, representatives of NGOs are participating at the conference, sources said.
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Youth suicide in Jaffna high among displaced

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 April 2003, 15:09 GMT]
Suicide among young persons in Jaffna is relatively higher in areas where many refugees live, according to court records in the northern peninsula. Twelve in the Jaffna division, ten in the Sandilipay-Masiyapiddy area and thirteen in the Chunnakam –Uduvil area committed suicide in 2001-2002. All were young persons under 20.
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TELO holds annual conference

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 April 2003, 12:00 GMT]
Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO), a constituent of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), held its 3-day sixth annual national conference in its Mannar office starting from Saturday, sources said.
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Sri Lanka justice system said conducive to torturers

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 April 2003, 10:10 GMT]
‘The Sri Lankan criminal justice system is contributing to a climate of impunity for police and security officials who commit torture’ observed the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) in oral submission Wednesday on 'Torture in Sri Lanka' at the 59th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights.
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SLA-TNA garrison talks fail to reach consensus

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2003, 19:00 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance’s talks with the defense ministry officials at the Jaffna district secretariat Wednesday afternoon failed to arrive at a consensus on the question of finding an alternative site for the SLA’s Jaffna town brigade headquarters, and the TNA is to hold further discussions with the Prime Minister Thursday morning in Colombo, TNA parliamentary group leader, Mr.R.Sampanthan, told TamilNet on his return to Colombo Wednesday.
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Sri Lanka Government team arrives for Jaffna garrison talks

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2003, 12:12 GMT]
Commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Lieutenant General Lionel Balagalle, and Additional Secretary to Ministry of Defence, Karaliyadde, are arriving in Jaffna Wednesday afternoon for discussions with Tamil Officials related to identifying a suitable location to move the existing SLA garrison, sources in Jaffna said.
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Telephone connections in Kathankudy cut ‘mysteriously’

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 April 2003, 20:34 GMT]
Within the last week, the telephone cables have been mysteriously cut in three regions of the Batticaloa district. In the Kathankudy area, the cables were methodically cut at several important locations on Saturday and thousands of telephone connections were lost, sources said.
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Workshop for Primary Teachers held in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 April 2003, 19:45 GMT]
A resource guide workshop for primary teachers in the Batticaloa district commenced Monday at the Sarvodaya Training Center in Sathurukondan. Forty primary teachers from the Batticaloa zonal district are participating at the workshop, which will continue on Tuesday and Wednesday, sources said.
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LTTE holds arts festival in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 April 2003, 19:08 GMT]
"We are not against the Sinhalese and we are not for violence; we do not use the word 'peace' as a mere slogan. Our future depends on the success of peace," said Jaffna district political head of the LTTE, Mr.C.Ilamparuthi, delivering the keynote address at the five-day music, dance and drama festival inaugurated Tuesday at the Orr's Hill Vivekananda College Auditorium in Trincomalee, sources said.
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SLMM head meets LTTE’s Trinco leaders

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 April 2003, 18:53 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Tuesday agreed to hold a meeting with the local heads of Sri Lankan Government armed forces on April 21 at the no-man zone in the Mutur area, south of Trincomalee town, to sort out the problem that has arisen over the question of LTTE members crossing through the army controlled areas to LTTE controlled areas, sources said.
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Tamils march in Geneva on Human Rights day

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 April 2003, 11:52 GMT]
Thousands of expatriate tamils from United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, France and other European countries, Monday, joined a march to the United Nations (UN) building in Geneva where sessions on Human Rights issues are being held at the UN, Tamil daily Uthayan from Jaffna reported.
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HRC inquires into police assault on LTTE cadre

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 April 2003, 00:05 GMT]
The Jaffna regional office of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) of Sri Lanka Monday held an inquiry into a complaint of Police assault on a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadre, Mr. Iyaivaanan on March 29, sources said.
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EPDP member's body found in pit

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 April 2003, 16:51 GMT]
The bullet ridden body of a member of the para military group Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) was recovered Monday morning from an abandoned sewage pit at Soorawatte American School in Chunnakam area in the Jaffna district, sources said.
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SLA reinforces Batticaloa camps

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 April 2003, 12:57 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp in Karuthappalam in Chenkaladi-Badulla road in Batticaloa district is hurriedly being reinforced causing concern among residents living close to the camps, sources said.
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Body washed ashore in Mullaitivu awaits identification

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 April 2003, 11:22 GMT]
The body discovered in Mullaitivu shores Monday last week and sent to Colombo for identification was not of one of chinese fishermen killed in a recent incident at Trincomalee seas according to Chinese Embassy officials, sources in Colombo said.
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JMPGA to meet Justice Minister

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 April 2003, 10:48 GMT]
The Jaffna Missing Persons' Guardian Association (JMPGA) Sunday decided to meet Sri Lanka's Minister of Justice, Law Reform and National Integration Mr.W.J.M.Lokkubandara regarding several hundreds disappeared Tamil youths after the arrest by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) following 1995 military operation, sources said.
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A9 opens for traffic on Sundays

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 April 2003, 11:58 GMT]
The A9 highway to Jaffna will be open for public traffic on Sundays, starting today, Sri Lanka military sources said. The road was opened last year following the cease fire agreement between the LTTE and Colombo. But it remained closed on Sundays despite pleas by the Tigers to keep it open 7 days of the week. The road to the Vanni in Mannar through the Uyilankulam entry point was also opened to public traffic on Sundays from today.
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Cultural festival begins Tuesday in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 April 2003, 02:30 GMT]
The five-day music, dance and drama festival of the Association of Art and Culture is to begin Tuesday at the Trincomalee Orr's Hill Vivekananda College auditorium. More than four hundred and eighty Tamil and Sinhala artistes are expected to participate in the festival, Poet Puthuvai Ratnathurai, head of the Art and Cultural Department of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said Saturday.
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Jaffna agricultural farming unprofitable, Minister learns

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 April 2003, 00:17 GMT]
Jaffna district farmers Saturday made an urgent appeal to the visiting Deputy Finance Minister of the United National Front (UNF) government Mr. Bandula Gunawardene to take immediate steps to allow them to cultivate their fertile lands now being occupied by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) said. The said lands fall within the SLA demarcated High Security Zone (HSZ) in the peninsula.
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Second SGI meeting held in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 April 2003, 00:05 GMT]
The Sub-Committee on Gender Issues (SGI), established during the third round of negotiations between the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka in December 2002, held its second meeting in Kilinochchi on April 4 and 5. The delegates decided to work towards achieving equal representation of women in politics, eliminate gender biases in education, and to take up issues related to violence and sexual harassment of women, said a press release by the Sub-Committee.
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JVP observes 71’ insurrection day

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 April 2003, 16:59 GMT]
The Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Saturday observed the 32nd anniversary of its first insurrection to overthrow the Sri Lankan government. On 5 April 1971, the JVP launched an armed insurrection to capture state power and to establish a communist regime in Sri Lanka. Thousands of Sinhala youth were massacred when Colombo brutally crushed the rebellion.
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Colombo wants to create illusion of a political settlement– Karuna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 April 2003, 16:29 GMT]
“We should be mindful that we are living in the information age. Information technology has grown tremendously. Our information skills should be on par with this growth. The information revolution can be put to wrong uses too. It can be used to wage psychological warfare against us subtly through TV and other popular media,” said Col. Karuna, senior commander of the Liberation Tigers, addressing the opening of the offices and press of the ‘Thamil Alai’ (Tamil Wave) newspaper in Kokkaddicholai, 12 kilometres southwest of Batticaloa, Saturday.
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Indian boatmen ferrying refugees arrested

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 April 2003, 16:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police produced in the Mannar courts Saturday 23 refugees who had come by boat from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Sources said that the Sri Lanka Navy had arrested them Friday morning and had assaulted the men in the group after allegedly finding gelignite in the possession of one of them.
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Tamil villages without post boxes

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 April 2003, 15:34 GMT]
Several Tamil villages in the Trincomalee district are not provided with post boxes. Villagers are forced to walk several miles to the nearby villages to post their letters, complained Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham in a letter to the Posts and Media Minister Mr.Imtiaz Bakeer Markar.
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UPF holds peace campaign in Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 April 2003, 15:29 GMT]
The Upcountry People's Front (UPF), a constituent party of the ruling United National Front (UNF) Saturday morning picketed in front of the Fort railway station, in the heart of Colombo, supporting the present peace process and condemning the activities of anti-peace elements.
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Swiss group awards certificates to de-mining personnel

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 April 2003, 08:35 GMT]
Forty persons who underwent a training program in de-mining organised by Swiss based Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) were awarded with certificates at a function held in Vavuniya Friday. Mr.Christoph Hebeisen, the Project Leader for Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) in Vavuniya, speaking at function said the repatriation and resettlement of all internally displaced people is the primary objective, and added that the training of Sri Lankan personnel had been very thorough and extensive.
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Koneswaram water-cutting ceremony draws devotees

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 April 2003, 08:22 GMT]
The water cutting ceremony ('Theertha Thiruvizah') of the historic Trincomalee Koneswaram temple was held Friday morning at the 'Papanasa Theertham' (holy water that destroys sins) well, which is located inside the Fort Frederick in the Eastern port town. Several thousand devotees participated in the Theertha Thiruvizah, sources said.
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Reconstruction of Chavakachcheri town discussed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 April 2003, 01:17 GMT]
Proposals to reconstruct the Chavakachcheri town in Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district were tabled Friday at a conference attended by the Regional Director General of the Planning and Operation unit of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) Mr.K.V. Dharmasiri. Multi-barrel artillery attacks by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to halt LTTE advances flattened Chavakachcheri town and its suburbs in 2000.
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IOM opens branch in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 April 2003, 12:20 GMT]
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) opened a branch office in Jaffna Friday. The IOM is involved in research and prevention of migrant trafficking, assists voluntary return of rejected asylum seekers, trafficked migrants, stranded students and refugees referred by the UNHCR.
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Exclusion from donor conference undermines peace process - LTTE

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 April 2003, 10:08 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Friday protested its exclusion from an international donor conference to be hosted by the United States in Washington on April 14 to back reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in the Tamil north and east of Sri Lanka. In a press release issued from its Political Headquarters in Kilinochchi, the LTTE expressed its ‘disappointment’ at the move, saying this would undermine confidence in the ongoing peace process.
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LTTE opposed to referendum

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 April 2003, 10:04 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Friday dismissed as “illogical, impractical and unnecessary” Sri Lankan government suggestions for an island-wide referendum on the ongoing peace initiative. Pointing out that the government had already got a resounding mandate from the people of Sri Lanka for peace, the LTTE’s Chief Negotiator, Mr. Anton Balasingham, said that his movement was totally opposed to a plebiscite at this stage to reaffirm public endorsement.
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Swiss organization opens health clinic in Ayathiyamalai

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 April 2003, 03:59 GMT]
International voluntary organization, Terre des homme (Tdh) which has its head quarters in Switzerland, Thursday, opened a Medical and Health Clinic in Ayathiyamalai, a village located 52km southwest of Batticaloa town, health officials in Batticaloa said.
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New LTTE cadres pass out from training camp

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 April 2003, 03:10 GMT]
A ceremony to mark the passing out of 400 men fighters from the 55th training camp and 300 women fighters from the 30th training camp in Batticaloa was held Thursday at the Tharavai central training camp in the LTTE controlled area of Batticaloa, sources said.
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Threats by poaching Indian fishermen escalate tension

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 April 2003, 02:48 GMT]
Indian trawlers have again started trespassing into Sri Lankan terroritorial waters in the northern sea to engage in illegal fishing depriving the livelihood of Vadamarachchi fishermen in the Jaffna district and depleting the marine resources, said a complaint lodged at the political office of the Sea Tigers in Valvettithurai division Thursday, sources said.
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Chariot festival at Koneswaram after 350 years

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 April 2003, 00:20 GMT]
For the first time after more than 350 years chariot ('Ther') festival was held in the historic Trincomalee Koneswaram temple Thursday morning. The chief deity of Koneswaram temple Lord Konesar and Maathumai Ambal was taken around the temple in the newly built chariot while deities Vinayagar and Murugan, two sons of Lord Siva were taken ahead amid chanting by thousands of devotees.
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Jaffna town’s redesign discussed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2003, 18:31 GMT]
A senior official of Sri Lanka’s Urban Development Authority (UDA) held a consultative meeting at the Jaffna District Secretariat Thursday on re-designing and rebuilding the Jaffna town. The head of the consortium of civil society organisations in Jaffna, Mr. S. Cyril, who took part in the consultation suggested that war damaged buildings should be demolished and that the new plan should do away with unplanned constructions which are causing congestion in the town.
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Swiss group de-mines in Talaimannar, Periyamadhu

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2003, 16:48 GMT]
A Swiss de-mining organisation operating in the north said Thursday that it is expanding its team to clear more areas afflicted by land mines and unexploded ordnance. A spokesperson for the organisation, FSD, said that it has trained a new batch forty persons in mine clearing techniques, including twenty from the Humanitarian De-mining Unit (HDU) in Kilinochchi.
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Thamilchelvan meets Nobel Peace laureate

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2003, 16:29 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers believe that people’s support for the peace process could be obtained if the cease fire agreement is implemented fully, the head of the LTTE’s political division Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan told Nobel Peace Price winner Mr. John Hume, during discussions between the two in Kilinochchi Thursday, sources said. Mr. Hume was accompanied by Britain’s High Commissioner in Colombo and two senior officials from the British foreign office.
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SLMM releases report on recent incidents at sea

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2003, 11:51 GMT]
"The recent attacks on the Chinese trawler off Mullaittivu and the troops transport ship off Trincomalee are not only attacks against Chinese civilians and the Sri Lanka armed forces, but attacks aimed at destabilizing the Ceasefire and the Peace Process in Sri Lanka. Neither the Sri Lankan Government nor the leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) benefit from such attacks taking place since they are undermining their credibility and endangering the progress the parties have made so far," said Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in a press release published today.
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UNF considers holding referendum on peace process

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2003, 11:16 GMT]
"The government is in the process of seriously considering a proposal to hold a referendum with the objective of seeking public opinion on the peace process," said the Cabinet spokesman and Minister of Constitutional Affairs Mr. G.L.Peiris at a press briefing held Thursday, sources said.
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TNA parliamentarians join teachers' protest

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 April 2003, 00:31 GMT]
Five parliamentarians of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Messrs Selvam Adaikalanathan, Raja Kuhaneswaran, Sivasakthi Anandan, K.Thurairetnasingham and Mavai Senathirajah, joined the sit-in-protest campaign of the volunteer teachers, which entered 31st day Wednesday in front of the offices of the northeast provincial ministry of education and provincial department of education in Trincomalee, sources said.
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Health volunteers demand permanent appointment

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2003, 17:11 GMT]
Hundreds of health volunteers in Jaffna district Wednesday launched a picketing campaign in front of the regional health department office demanding that they should be made permanent by filling the minor grade vacancies in health institutions, sources said.
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IG visits Jaffna, promises to tackle Police graft

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2003, 14:34 GMT]
“There aren’t good relations between the people of Jaffna and the Police as a consequence of twenty years of war”, said Sri Lanka’s Inspector general of Police, Mr. T. E Anandarajah, speaking to presspersons in the northern town Wednesday. He said his visit is part of the effort to rectify the situation while acknowledging that there is a shortage of Tamils in the Police.
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SLA drops garrison move

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2003, 14:17 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Wednesday agreed to drop its plans to build a permanent garrison in Jaffna municipal lands close to Jaffna Fort and Library in the face of protests by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and several civil groups in the peninsula, sources said.
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$800m World Bank funding for Sri Lanka Development

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2003, 12:19 GMT]
Under Country Assistance Strategy (CAS), World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) is set to provide US$800 million of new assistance, in the form of grants and interest-free loans over the next four years. This amount is significantly higher than IDA lending to Sri Lanka over the last five years—which averaged about US$60 million per year, World bank sources said.
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Paramilitary leader shot dead

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2003, 10:48 GMT]
An unidentified gunman shot dead the leader of a paramilitary group working with the Sri Lanka army (SLA) and the Special Task Force (STF), Wednesday around 11.15 a.m. in Aariyampathi, 8 kilometres south of Batticaloa, Police said.
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Trinco development projects to cost Rs.359 million

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2003, 00:57 GMT]
The political division of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) submitted twenty-four project proposals for the development of Trincomalee district to the Secretariat for Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs in Northeast (SIHRN), sources said. The total cost of the projects is estimated to be 359 million rupees.
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Sri Lanka peace talks a travelling circus says President

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 April 2003, 00:05 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga said Tuesday that the peace talks between Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government and the Liberation Tigers are like a travelling circus (Thaninthana natana circus kandayama). She was addressing a function at the President’s House Tuesday evening to honour and assist disabled soldiers and the families of the war dead and missing of the Sri Lankan armed forces.
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Gurunagar Fishermen oppose new SLA garrison

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2003, 17:24 GMT]
Representatives of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Jaffna and District NGOs Consortium Tuesday held discussion with municipal council officials regarding taking over Municipal Council lands near Jaffna fort and Gurunagar area by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to establish its main garrison, sources said.
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Inferior quality rice to be distributed to Jaffna displaced

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2003, 16:53 GMT]
Civil groups Tuesday complained that officials of the Jaffna district secretariat are planning to distribute to the displaced families in the peninsula as free dry ration, inferior quality rice from six month old three thousand bags stock that was kept at a co-operative store in the Point Pedro high security zone, sources said.
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Electricity supply restored to Karadiyanaru region

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2003, 13:43 GMT]
Minister of Power and Energy of the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL), Karu Jeyasuriya, Sunday declared open electricity supply scheme to Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled areas of Karadiyanaru, Illupadichchenai and Pankudaveli in Batticaloa district, ministry officials said.
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Tamil MPs object to new Jaffna garrison

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2003, 10:31 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) raised strong objections to the construction of a new Sri Lanka Army (SLA) garrison on Jaffna Municipal Council grounds when it met Prime Minister Ranil Wicremesinghe at his office in Parliament Tuesday morning. The 12 TNA MPs who met the Prime Minister told him that the military has begun work on permanent structures for the garrison.
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Civilians injured in grenade attack

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2003, 10:27 GMT]
K.Velupillai (47) and his wife V. Nagaludchumi (36) in Thimilaithivu, Batticaloa district, were injured in a grenade attack by two unknown assailants at 10.15pm Saturday night and are admitted to the Batticaloa teaching hospital, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Eastern Undergrads criticise TULF vice president

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2003, 02:34 GMT]
The Eastern University Students' Union (EUSU) in a press release issued on Monday publicly condemned the statements made by the TULF leader, Mr. V. Anandasangaree on March 25 that the TULF could not accept the LTTE as the sole representative of the Tamil people, sources said.
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Vanni MP lends moral support to protesting teachers

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2003, 01:52 GMT]
Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan, Vanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian wearing black band participated in the one month old sit-in-protest by the North East Tamil Medium Volunteer Teachers Monday morning now being held in front of the provincial ministry education office in Trincomalee, sources said.
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'Thanthai' Chelva remembered

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2003, 00:43 GMT]
One-hundred and fifth birth day of S.J.V.Chelvanayakam, late Tamil leader who launched Tamils' freedom struggle fifty five years ago, was celebrated in Jaffna Monday morning. Thanthai Chelva Trustee Board Vice Chairman and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Mr. Mavai Senathirajah opened the ceremony garlanding the statue of Chelvanayagam, sources in Jaffna said.
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