LTTE finance division forms Price Regulatory Authority

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 January 2004, 19:43 GMT]
The Finance Division of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has formed a Price Regulatory Authority to protect customers against sudden increases in price of consumer goods, tamil media reportes from Jaffna said Saturday.
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Ten youths from UNICEF list sent to Kilinochchi Transit Center

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 January 2004, 18:04 GMT]
A Committee, appointed by the Liberation Tigers (LTTE), while reviewing the UNICEF underage list has so far found four boys and six girls to be under 18 years old, LTTE's media co-ordinator, Daya Master, told TamilNet. The youths are being sent to the Kilinochchi Children Transit Camp today. They were all found to have feigned their ages by submitting false papers when they joined the movement, Daya Master added.
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Sri Lanka military fails to dissuade Jaffna death fast

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 January 2004, 17:45 GMT]
The Sri Lanka army Saturday urged community leaders of people displaced from Maravanpulavu, Thanangkilappu and Koilakandy in Jaffna’s Thenmaradchi division not to begin a fast unto death on Sri Lanka’s Independence Day next week. A group of displaced persons led by Mr. Sellakkili Anandaranjan say it would fast to death from 4 February if the Sri Lanka army does not permit them to go back to their garrisoned villages.
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Talk only to LTTE -Anandasangaree tells Sri Lanka President

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 January 2004, 14:57 GMT]
Mr. V. Anandasangaree, the President of the Tamil United Liberation Front met President Chandrika Kumaratunga Friday evening and impressed upon her that the Sri Lankan government should talk only to the Liberation Tigers and not simultaneously with any other Tamil group, according to a press note issued by the controversial Jaffna MP Saturday. “My view that ‘what is acceptable to the LTTE will be acceptable to the Tamils also’ seems to have impressed the President who had seen the reasonableness in my suggestions”, Mr. Anandasangaree said.
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Colombo political crisis discussed in Jaffna Seminar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 January 2004, 13:37 GMT]
A two-day seminar on "The current political crisis and the peace process" organized by the Centre for Women and Development (CWD) began Saturday morning in Jaffna Navalar Cultural Hall where topics related to political crisis in Colombo, LTTE's Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposals, problems in the current Sri Lanka constitution and other matters related to the Peace Process were discussed, civil sources said.
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Public Services Trade Unions to support Railway Workers' strike

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 January 2004, 02:03 GMT]
The Public Services Trade Union Federation (PSTUF), an umbrella organization for several trade unions warned the United National Front (UNF) government that it would rally all public sector institutions and would launch an island wide strike if the railway employees' strike is not settled by revoking or invalidating the controversial Railway Authority Act (RAA), trade union sources said.
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Attacks on Sri Lanka churches said well planned

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2004, 18:08 GMT]
National Christian Council, the umbrella organization of protestant and Catholic churches in Sri Lanka, Friday said it is "gravely concerned over the continuous stirring up of resentment against Christians and increasing incidence of unchecked violence directed at Christian places of worship." "It is obvious from the pattern of these attacks that they are well planned and coordinated and are meant to intimidate Christians," the NCC said. The council deplored that Sri Lanka Police have not taken steps to curb the attacks on churches and Christians.
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Seven SLA soldiers discharged from murder case

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2004, 15:17 GMT]
The Chavakachcheri Magistrate Mr.P.Subramaniam Friday, on the instruction of the Attorney General, discharged all seven soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) who were arrested and later released on bail in connection with the murder of a Tamil civilian, Pararajasingham Parameswaran, of Kodikamam in the year 2000. The magistrate made the order , legal sources said.
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Tamil villages to be annexed to Sinhala-dominated Seruwila AGA

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2004, 15:00 GMT]
Tamil villages of Upooral and Cheenenveli in the Muttur division should remain under the administration of the Verugal-Eachilampathu Assistant Government Agent (AGA) division and not moved under Sinhala dominated Seruwila AGA division, said Trincomalee district parliamentarian Mr.R.Sampanthan in a letter sent to the Trincomalee Government Agent, sources said.
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TNA calls for postponement of Amparai local authorities' elections

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2004, 12:47 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance Friday requested the Commissioner General of Elections to postpone the elections to local authorities in the Amparai administrative district from 22 February 2004 to 24 October 2004 when the elections to the rest of the districts of the northeast province are to be held, party sources said.
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Maj.Gen.Furuhovde assumes duties as Head of SLMM

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2004, 12:29 GMT]
Major General Trond Furuhovde, Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), will arrive in Colombo Saturday 31st January 2004. He will assume command of SLMM from Sunday 1st February 2004, a press release issued by the SLMM Head Quarters in Colombo, Friday said.
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Russia, Sri Lanka sign military co-operation treaty

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2004, 11:23 GMT]
Russia and Sri Lanka signed a military technical co-operation treaty in Colombo Friday, Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence said Friday. The agreement will entail exchange of military expertise, supply of military hardware required by the Sri Lankan military and training, according to a MoD statement in Colombo Friday.
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Tamil fishermen to fly black flags on Sri Lanka’s Independence Day

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2004, 10:35 GMT]
Fishermen in Jaffna will fly black flags on their boats, homes and union offices on Sri Lanka’s Independence Day next week, the spokesman for the Federation of Jaffna District Co-operative Fishermen’s Unions told TamilNet, Friday. “February 4th is not Independence Day for Tamils. We want to show the world how we are still being denied our basic freedoms”, he said. Britain gave Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon) independence on 4 February 1948.
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Religious bigotry used for political mobilization - Prof.Uyangoda

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2004, 00:15 GMT]
Describing the recent spate of attacks on Catholic churches as "anti-minority terrorism," Professor Jayadeva Uyangoda, Head of the Department of Political Science at Colombo University, in a column that appeared in Friday edition of Daily Mirror, said that "Sinhalese nationalist fringe have seized religious bigotry for [political] mobilization through violence." He accused the PA and UNF for "not taking adequate political action to counter politics of militant Sinhalese nationalism."
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Jaffna Police officer arrested for assaulting civilians

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 2004, 17:40 GMT]
The Jaffna regional co-ordinator of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka Mr.Ruwan Chandrasekara Thursday night caught red-handed a police constable who is alleged to have been assaulting civilians in the heart of Jaffna town on a complaint made by civil representatives, HRC sources said.
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WorldBank funded NEIAP Phase II to commence

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 2004, 16:55 GMT]
The Phase II of the World Bank funded of the North East Irrigated Agricultural Project (NEIAP) would commence from October 2004 with an investment of S $70 million for a period of six years, NEIAP sources said. The preliminary preparatory work of the Phase II has been already started, sources said.
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Kumaratunge's message read out at UPFA rally

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 2004, 16:07 GMT]
"The formation of United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA ) is a great victory for democracy in Sri Lanka," said Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge in her message to the maiden rally of the UPFA held Thursday evening in Colombo. Mr.Maithiripala Sirisena, general secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, which is a constituent of the UPFA, read out president's message at the rally, sources said.
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JVP for elections -Amarasingha

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 2004, 14:29 GMT]
Leader of the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Mr. Somawansa Amarasingha, said Thursday his party is for holding general election in Sri Lanka soon, addressing a massive public meeting of the new alliance between the JVP and President Kumaratunga's Sri Lanka Freedom Party in Colombo.
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Thondaman raises questions on alliance call

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 2004, 13:15 GMT]
Arumugam Thondaman, Leader of Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), responding to Minister Chandrasekaran's call to form a national alliance with NorthEast Tamil parties, said that there are fundamental questions related to the need for such alliance, local media in Jaffna reported.
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Jaffna to launch pro-peace signature campaign on 4th February

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 2004, 12:26 GMT]
A signature campaign to collect signatures for a memorandum to be sent to the international community with six demands related to the Tamil national question would be launched on February 4 in the Jaffna peninsula, according to a decision taken at the conference held Wednesday afternoon at the Jaffna Navalar Cultural Hall, sources said.
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Protesting parents want school back from military

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 2004, 12:23 GMT]
Parents protested in front of the Thenmaradchi Zonal Education office in Chavakachcheri Thursday urging the authorities to re-open the Eluthumadduval North Government Tamil Mixed School (GTMS), which is occupied by the Sri Lanka army now. The protestors say their children face numerous problems because the school remains closed. Children from five hamlets in Eluthumadduval north were studying in the school before it was occupied by the SLA in 2000.
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Kokadichcholai massacre anniversary remembered

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 January 2004, 02:21 GMT]
Seventeeth anniversary of the Kokkadichcholai massacre, where Sri Lanka's Special Task Force (STF) killed 86 Tamil workers in a shrimp farm on 28 January 1987 was commemorated near the memorial in Mahiladithivu Wednesday, sources said.
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Sri Lanka navy rams boat, two injured

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 2004, 17:55 GMT]
Two fishermen were wounded when a Sri Lanka navy (SLN) vessel rammed their boat Tuesday night in the seas off Pt. Pedro in Jaffna. The injured fishermen were taken ashore by the SLN and admitted to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. The fishermen’s boat was rent asunder by the SLN vessel, according to relatives.
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UNICEF donates vehicles to education officials

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 2004, 16:43 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Country Representative of the UNICEF Mr. Ted Chaiban Wednesday handed over a consignment of vans, motorbikes and computers with printers valued at about Rs 17.7 million to the North East Provincial Ministry of Education, Cultural Affairs, Sports and Youth Affairs, as a step to support and strengthen the monitoring capacity of UNICEF's projects in education.
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India should not assist expansion of Palaly Airbase- Minister

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 2004, 16:39 GMT]
"India should desist from providing financial assistance to expand the runways of Palay airbase as it will help the Sri Lanka Government to annex additional fertile lands and residences of Jaffna people into the High Security Zone (HSZ)," said Minister of Hindu Affairs, Mr.Maheswaran, popular Tamil daily Uthayan reported in its Wednesday edition.
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TULF central working committee to meet Sunday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 2004, 16:36 GMT]
The central working committee of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), major constituent of the Tamil National Alliance, will meet on 1st February Sunday on a compromise formula arrived at the hearing of the case instituted by its leader Mr.V.Ananandasangaree before Colombo District Judge Tuesday, legal sources said.
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Trinco students excel at national level exam

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 2004, 13:08 GMT]
Trincomalee students took the first, second and fourth places at the national level in Tamil medium in the Year-5 scholarship examination conducted by the Sri Lanka's Department of Examination. In addition Trincomalee district secured the first place for the second consecutive year, Commissioner General of Examinations Mr. Mahinda Wijesiri said.
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6000 families received aid from SLRC

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 2004, 12:13 GMT]
"5995 families resettled in the NorthEast have received assistance from Rs60m given by the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Organization (ECHO) and the Spanish Red Cross," said National Secretary to the Sri Lanka Red Cross (SLRC), Mr. Nimal Kumar, during a press conference held in Vavuniya Tuesday.
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Student protests force Eastern University VC to resign

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 2004, 11:35 GMT]
Professor M.S.Mookaiah, Vice Chancellor of the Eastern University submitted his resignation Tuesday night and left the campus after the undergraduates surrounded his office and protested against the lack of progress in the development of the Easter campus, sources said.
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MIS seminar held in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 2004, 00:10 GMT]
"Management Information System (MIS) is a necessary component for facilitating efficient implementation of projects and better utilization of project funds This is particularly important in respect of the North East where communication and transportation are major problems," said the Prime Minister's Secretary Mr.Bradman Weerakoon in his message to the one day Stakeholders Consultation Seminar on MIS held during the weekend in Trincomalee Provincial Guest House auditorium.
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Norwegian Ambassador meets Col.Karuna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 January 2004, 19:59 GMT]
The Norwegian ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Hans Brattskar, Tuesday morning met with the Senior Commander of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Col.Karuna at the Thenaham Guest House in Karadiyanaaru, Batticaloa. The meeting lasted more than an hour. Discussions centered on the political situation prevailing in the South and the Muslim, Tamil relationship in the east, according to sources.
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SLN soldier found dead with gunshot wounds

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 January 2004, 19:02 GMT]
Prashanth Wijewardene from Bandarawela who was manning Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) Ganjadeva Navy Brigade sentry in Karainagar, Jaffna, was found dead with gunshot wounds to his head around 5.45am Monday, local media reports in Jaffna said.
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Signature campaign to restart peace process planned in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 January 2004, 16:38 GMT]
Representatives of civil groups in the Jaffna peninsula are to meet Wednesday at Nallur Navalar Cultural Hall to launch a campaign to collect signatures for a memorandum stressing the urgency to restart the stalled peace process by bringing the current political crisis in the south to an end early and to take action to hand over the interim administrative structure to the Liberation Tigers as proposed in the ISGA, sources said.
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Strike cripples Sri Lanka's train service

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 January 2004, 16:28 GMT]
The strike launched by railway employees from Monday midnight has brought the Sri Lanka's train services to a halt. Talks held between a delegation of railway trade unions and two Cabinet Ministers Tuesday evening ended in a failure, sources said.
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Sri Lanka Catholics to fast, pray for religious amity

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 January 2004, 15:07 GMT]
The Catholic Church of Sri Lanka has called for a day of fasting and prayer next Sunday, 1 February 2004, and to bring back religious tolerance in the hearts of Sri Lankan people. The Archbishop of Colombo Rt.Rev. Oswald Gomis has appealed to all Catholics in the country to conduct special Holy Hour Prayers with the exposition of Blessed Sacrament.
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UNICEF donates vehicles, computers to aid project supervision

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 January 2004, 14:18 GMT]
UNICEF Sri Lanka's representative Mr. Ted Chaiban on Wednesday will officially hand over twelve vehicles, six motorbikes and three computers with printers worth 17.7 million rupees to the North East Provincial Education Ministry Secretary Mr.R.Thiagalingam at a ceremony at the provincial ministry premises in Trincomalee, as a part of the assistance to strengthen monitoring and supervision of UNICEF funded special education development programmes in the war-torn province, sources said.
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Sri Lanka minister urges Britain to lift ban on Tigers

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 January 2004, 13:23 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s minister for Hindu Affairs, Mr. T. Maheswaran Tuesday urged the British government to lift the ban on the Liberation Tigers. The minister gave a memorandum to the British High Commissioner and the Sri Lanka desk officer of the British Foreign Office who met him at his office in Colombo Tuesday. Minister Maheswaran said it is no longer fair or justifiable on the part of the British government to continue its ban on the LTTE.
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U.S Court declares Patriot Act provision Unconstitutional

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 January 2004, 11:53 GMT]
In a landmark decision declaring Patriot Act's addition of "expert advice and assistance" to the definition of material support is unconstitutionally vague, Judge Audrey Collins in Los Angeles enjoined the U.S.Government from enforcing the USA PATRIOT Act's prohibition on providing 'expert advice or assistance' to foreign terrorist organizations against the plaintiffs Ralph Fertig, Dr. Jeyalingam, the Humanitarian Law Project, the Ilankai Thamil Sangam and its members, and the Tamil Welfare and Human Rights Committee and its members.
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‘Donors can assist through local organisations’- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 January 2004, 10:39 GMT]
“During our visit, we will explain to European governments that the immediate humanitarian needs of our people require urgent attention. We will explain to them that the political impasse in Colombo should not delay this anymore. Therefore donor nations can disburse funds for urgent humanitarian needs through organisations here and through our own mechanisms”, said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, the head of the LTTE’s political division, speaking to the press in Kilinochchi before flying to Colombo on Tuesday for a visit to Europe.
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CPA honours talented Trincomalee youths

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 January 2004, 01:27 GMT]
Centre for Performing Arts (CPA) presented awards to talented youths in Trincomalee during its annual cultural event held at Trincomalee Sri Koneswara Hindu College Sunday evening, sources in Trincomalee said. Trincomalee Divisional Secretary Mr. Sundaram Arumainayagam was the chief guest at the event.
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Health workers launch hunger strike

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 January 2004, 17:28 GMT]
A group of forty senior members of the Health Services Trade Union Alliance (HSTUA ) Monday around noon launched a fast unto death campaign opposite to the Health Ministry office in Colombo, demanding the removal of salary anomalies and payment of arrears fully in one installment once a solution is found. Earlier, the HSTUA high command rejected the compromise formula prepared by the Health Ministry on a directive from Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, health ministry sources said.
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Man injured in Manalkaadu landmine explosion

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 January 2004, 17:14 GMT]
A man lost his left leg when a landmine exploded Monday around 10.30 a.m. in the general area of Manalkaadu. Mr. Maaribas Asokananda, 24, father of two children, was returning with four of his colleagues after chopping firewood in the Kandalkaadu area of Manalkaadu when he stepped on the landmine, relatives said. Residents of Manalkaadu lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission office in Jaffna last month that the Sri Lanka army had laid a new mine field on the outskirts of the village. SLA denies that it ever planted mines in the area.
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SL train services canceled due to strike threat

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 January 2004, 15:05 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Railway Authority Monday cancelled all night passenger and mail train services to and from Colombo to Badulla, Vavuniya, Batticaloa and Trincomalee following the announcement by the United Railway Trade Union Alliance (URTUA) that about fifteen thousand employees would go on an indefinite strike from Monday midnight protesting against convertion of the Railway Department into Railway Authority, government sources said.
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UNF sets deadline for solving political crisis

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 January 2004, 15:04 GMT]
"All obstacles that lie in the path of intensifying the peace process should be removed before the February 17th Washington Donor Conference," United National Front (UNF) government media spokesman and Constitutional Affairs Minister Professor G.L.Peiris said at the weekly press briefing held Monday.
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LTTE expresses 'serious concern' over Indo-Lanka defence pact

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 January 2004, 14:31 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has expressed serious concern over the envisaged Indo-Sri Lankan Defence Agreement (DCA) arguing that it could have far-reaching negative consequences for the current peace process, sources told TamilNet Monday.
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Lack of funds hurts NorthEast Health services

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 January 2004, 12:41 GMT]
"Provincial Health Ministry is unable to fund rehabilitation of damaged hospitals or to make permanent more than 2065 volunteer health service workers who have been helping the hospitals for the last 15 years without any wages. Basic health service provision to people of NorthEast is deteriorating to dangerously inadequate levels," said Dr.M.Kumaravetpillai, Commissioner of Health Services of NorthEast.
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Mother's Front demands candidacy in next election

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 January 2004, 04:06 GMT]
Subbu Satkunam, Secretary of the Jaffna Missing Persons Guardian Association (MPGA), tabled a motion during a meeting of the representatives of MPGA and Jaffna Mothers Front (JMF), Sunday, demanding the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to include candidates from JMF as part of the alliance to compete in the next elections, local media in Jaffna reported.
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NECORD funded school buildings opened in Eachilampathu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 January 2004, 17:56 GMT]
The Trincomalee district military commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Colonel Pathuman, Saturday declared open two new buildings in two schools in the Eachchilampathu division, in the LTTE held Muttur east, constructed by the Asian Development Bank funded North East Community Restoration Development (NECORD) project at a cost of about 3.8 million rupees at the invitation of NECORD Project Director Mr.T.Lankaneson.
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JVP-SLFP alliance seriously jeopardizes Peace Process - American Academics

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 January 2004, 17:42 GMT]
North American academics expressed pessimism about the future of the peace process after the JVP-SLFP alliance. Prof.Oberst of Nebraska Weslyan University said, "it has complicated the peace process...LTTE leadership [will be] hesitant to agree to anything until after the next general election." Prof Mia Bloom from McGill University said the alliance "seriously jeopardizes the peace process since it provides legitimization of the SLFP shifting even further to the right."
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Rule of Law, values said basis of Tamil society

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 January 2004, 10:02 GMT]
“Foreigners who visit the Vanni assume that two decades of war would have torn apart the fabric of our society. They expect a total break down of law and order; that crime and corruption would be rife as in societies ravaged by war in other parts of the world. They tell us they are surprised that, instead, they see a society where the Rule of Law prevails, where high social, moral and cultural values are still earnestly upheld. ”, said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, addressing the fourth convocation of the Tamil Eelam Law College in Kilinochchi in Sunday.
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"Foreign nations understand LTTE’s central role to Sri Lanka's progress" –TNA MP

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 January 2004, 00:47 GMT]
“Currently, diplomats of foreign countries, ambassadors and representatives of donor nations who visit Sri Lanka and meet those in power in Colombo, are also visiting the Vanni to meet with the Liberation Tigers. This shows a clear understanding by the international community that without the participation of the LTTE, no progress can be made in the country,” said Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham, the Tamil National Alliance MP from the Batticaloa district, speaking at the opening of the maternity home in Mandur Saturday.
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UNICEF underage list under review - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 January 2004, 20:12 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), responding to a report released by UNICEF which expressed concern in the use of "children as soldiers," said that only about 10% of the individuals listed by the UNICEF as below 18 years have birth certificates and that a 3-person committee is reviewing UNICEF's list, taking steps to ascertain the ages of the rest of the individuals.
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Valvettithurai fishermen remanded pending AG report

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 January 2004, 16:57 GMT]
The Mallakam Magistrate Ms Sarojini Ilangovan Saturday ordered two weeks' remand for the four fishermen of Athikoviladi in Valvettithurai when the Kankesanthurai police produced them in court on a report from the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) that the suspects had been arrested when trespassing in the Kankesanthurai sea area Friday morning, legal sources said.
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Sinhala leaders lack capacity to understand national crisis - Uyangoda

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 January 2004, 03:11 GMT]
"[The SLFP-JVP alliance] raises some disturbing questions about the incapacity of the old as well as the emerging political leadership in the Sinhala society to even simply understand what the Sri Lanka's present crisis is all about," said Prof.Jeyadeva Uyangoda in an article assessing the impact of the new alliance on the current political dynamics in Colombo in the Friday's edition of Daily mirror.
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TNA refuses to sign electoral reforms interim report

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 January 2004, 00:10 GMT]
Parliamentary group leader of Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Mr.R.Sampanthan, representing the TNA refused to sign the interim report of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on Electoral Reforms tabled in parliament on Friday, saying that electoral reforms within the existing constitution is meaningless for Tamil people as the constitution cannot accomodate a just and fair political solution to the Tamil national question, parliamentary sources said.
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Workshop for NE cultural officers begin in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 January 2004, 00:03 GMT]
A three-day residential workshop for North East Cultural Officers began Friday at the provincial guesthouse auditorium in Trincomalee under the guidance of Provincial Management Develpoment and Training Department (MDTD). About fifty Tamil and Muslim cultural officers working under the provincial education and cultural affairs ministry attended the inaugural event.
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British Embassy officials meet Pararajasingham

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 January 2004, 20:06 GMT]
Deputy Secretary for Political Affairs at the British Embassy in Colombo, Ms.Margaret Tongue, and Official in-charge of SouthAsian affairs, Ms.Catherine Ceeve, met Batticaloa Parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham Thursday evening and had discussions on the current political situation in Colombo, sources said.
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NorthEast to get 1000 more Tamil medium teachers

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 January 2004, 18:59 GMT]
The Ministry of Human Resources Development, Education and Cultural Affairs has decided to recruit another batch of one thousand Tamil medium teachers from advanced leveled qualified persons to fill the vacancies exist in the northeast Tamil medium schools, Provincial Education Ministry Secretary Mr.R.Thiagalingam said Friday.
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Linganagar Tamils complain of SLA harassment

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 January 2004, 18:41 GMT]
The People Welfare Society (PWF) of Linganagar Friday made a complaint to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRC) and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee that soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers manning a check point in the area are harassing the residents of Linganagar, a crowded suburb of Trincomalee town, civil rights sources said.
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SLN arrests four Valvettithurai fishermen

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 January 2004, 17:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy Friday arrested four Tamil fishermen of Athikoviladi, Valvettithurai in Jaffna district when they had gone to the sea in search of missing fishing gear. The Palaly Military Headquarters has informed the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission monitors in Jaffna later Friday evening that the fishermen in custody would be produced in Mallakam court Saturday, fisheries sources said.
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New NATO spokesperson, Canadian Tamil

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 January 2004, 15:47 GMT]
James Appathurai, 35, a Canadian Tamil, has been appointed as the spokesperson of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Friday, Associated Press reported.
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Chandrasekaran calls for a Joint Tamil Front

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 January 2004, 13:41 GMT]
Mr.Periyasamy Chandrasekaran, Leader of the Upcountry People's Front and a Member of Parliament for the Nuwara Eliya district appealed to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to join forces with parties of upcountry Tamils to strengthen the political power of Tamils. "Tamils should unite to consolidate their political power if we are to effectively confront the re-emerging unification of Sinhala chauvinist forces," said Mr.Chandrasekaran talking to reporters after meeting LTTE's Head of Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan in Kilinochchi today.
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Anura Bandaranaike denies secrecy in SLFP-JVP pact

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 January 2004, 12:15 GMT]
Peoples Alliance parliamentarian Mr.Anura Bandaranaike in a statement issued Friday denied any secrecy in the agreement signed by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Sinhala Nationalist Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in forming the United Peoples Freedom Alliance ( UPFA ).
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'Singhalese should reject chauvinist forces'- LTTE

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 January 2004, 11:25 GMT]
“If the Sinhala people elect racist political leaders at the next election then Tamils might have to decide their own future. The Sinhala people should identify and reject chauvinist forces among them. It is in the hands of the Singhalese to prevent another bloodbath in this island," said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, the head of the Liberation Tigers political division during a goodwill meeting with journalists from the northeast in Kilinochchi Friday.
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Moragoda to Delhi for more talks on defence pact

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 January 2004, 09:57 GMT]
Mr.Milinda Morogoda, a senior minister in the United National Front (UNF) government, is due to leave for India Friday to hold further talks with Indian Foreign Minister Mr.Yaswanth Sinha and Defense Minister Mr.Geroge Fernandez on the proposed defense agreement between the two governments.
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Amarasinghe to address UPFA's first national convention

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 January 2004, 01:01 GMT]
Exiled leader of the Sinhala nationalist Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Mr.Somawanse Amarasinghe who returned to Sri Lanka on Tuesday, will appear in public on January 29 to address the first national convention of the newly formed United People Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in Colombo, party sources said.
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Wickremesinghe challenges UPFA to publicize secret pact

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 January 2004, 17:02 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe Thursday challenged the newly formed United Peoples' Freedom Alliance to place its secret pact signed by the SLFP and JVP before the people, when speaking at the United National Front parliamentary group meeting to discuss the new political formation, political sources said.
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Bhikku Front demands anti-Buddhist NGOs banned

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 January 2004, 15:46 GMT]
The National Bhikku Front (NBF) Thursday afternoon held a demonstration to protest against the functioning of several non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which the NBF claimed as endangering the Buddhist religion and sovereignty of Sri Lanka. In a memorandum submitted to Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge, the NBF urged her to take immediate steps to ban such organizations to safeguard Buddhism, sources said.
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NECORD funds school buildings for Muttur east villages

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 January 2004, 15:14 GMT]
New buildings constructed at a cost of about 3.8 million rupees in two Tamil schools in the villages, Ilankathurai Muhathuwaram and Poomarathadichchenai in the Eachilampathu division in Trincomalee district by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded North East Community Restoration and Development (NECORD) project will be declared open on Friday, NECORD Trincomalee Deputy Project Director Mr. R.Umakanthan said.
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SL Airlines assists Trincomalee students

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 January 2004, 13:36 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Airlines, at an event in Trincomalee Vigneswara Maha Vidiyalayam Thursday donated a consignment of exercise books and other learning kits to more than three hundred fifty students of rural schools badly affected in the two-decade-old war in the Trincomalee education zone, education officials said.
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CMEV warns of electoral violence

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 January 2004, 12:26 GMT]
The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), in a press released issued in Colombo today said that the CMEV "noted with serious concern a number of factors that threaten the integrity of electoral process," pointing out that the "transfers of police officers in recent months" is an ominous sign and added that "reports of violence in the last two days against supporters of the SLFP-JVP alliance indicates that electoral violence will once again mar the exercise of the franchise, unless political parties take effective action against members who foster and perpetrate violence."
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JVP-SLFP MoU introduces new complexity- Akashi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 January 2004, 07:54 GMT]
"We declined to accept Mr. Akashi’s invitation to participate in Sri Lanka donors’ conference in Colombo tomorrow because there is no political stability and unified leadership of government in Colombo now. Our participation in this circumstance would cause doubts in the minds of the Tamil people," said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, speaking to the press at the conclusion of his meeting with Japan’s special representative to Sri Lanka Thursday in Kilinochchi. Mr. Akashi told presspersons the JVP-SLFP MoU ''introduces a new complexity to Sri Lanka."
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Akashi, Thamilchelvan discuss NE development, peace crisis

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 January 2004, 06:32 GMT]
Mr. Yashushi Akashi, Japan's special representative to Sri Lanka began discussions with Mr. S.P Thamilchelvan, head of the political wing of the Liberation Tigers on development strategies for Northeast and recent political developments in Colombo in Kilinochchi Thursday from 11.30 a.m.
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Manivannan in Jaffna to plan movie

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 January 2004, 02:10 GMT]
“I am here to see the conditions in which Eelam Tamils live. I intend to make a movie about their lives. I want to make it authentic. That’s what brought me here at the invitation of Tilco Holidays”, said south Indian film star and producer ‘Manivannan’ speaking to the press in Jaffna town Wednesday night.
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‘Sri Lanka army does not want war’ says Jaffna commander

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 January 2004, 12:52 GMT]
‘War is not the solution to the problem. The army does not want war. But we wont let the country be divided by war’, said Maj. Gen. Susil Chandrapala, the Sri Lankan armed forces commander for Jaffna speaking at a meeting on problems faced by refugees and civilians in the peninsula’s Valigamam North Division Wednesday. Former Sri Lanka army spokesman, Brig. Sanath Karunaratna, general officer commanding of SLA’s 51 Division in Jaffna was associated with Maj. Gen. Chandrapala at the meeting.
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TNA delegation meets Akashi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 January 2004, 12:05 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Wednesday told the Japanese special peace envoy Mr.Yasushi Akashi that the international community should come forward to help the Tamils in the north east province with an alternative plan to restore normalcy in their lives and to develop their war-ravaged homeland if the political rivalry among Sinhala political leaders stalls the peace process, TNA sources said.
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SLMC leader Hakim meets Akashi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 January 2004, 12:00 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader and a senior Minister in the United National Front government Mr.Rauff Hakim told Japanese special peace envoy Mr.Yasushi Akashi that necessary steps should be taken to ensure that the foreign aid earmarked for the development of the northeast province to reach all communities in the province in a just and fair manner if the international community is prepared to channel such aid direct to the northeast rehabilitation and reconstruction without waiting for the stalled peace process to restart , party sources said.
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JVP-SLFP pact threatens peace and is set to provoke ethnic war- LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 January 2004, 10:01 GMT]
“The Memorandum of Understanding signed by the JVP and the SLFP after a year of intense dialogue fails to produce any concrete, realistic formula for a negotiated settlement of the Tamil national question. Rather, this anti-peace political pact articulating an incoherent, confused and mutually contradictory position on a serious national issue might create objective conditions for the resumption of ethnic war," Mr. Anton Balasingham, the chief negotiator and political strategist of the LTTE told TamilNet Wednesday.
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'Tamils ready to face war'-minister

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 January 2004, 09:08 GMT]
''We are prepared to face a war'' declared Minister Chandrasekeran at the Pongu Thamil rally in Batticaloa Wednesday referring to recent political developments in Colombo. He urged Tamils in all parts of Sri Lanka to unite under one banner.
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LTTE commander warns of grave consequences

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 January 2004, 07:57 GMT]
"If the Sinhala government thinks that our leader's sincere efforts to find a peaceful solution is a manifestation of weakness and thrusts a war on us, the consequences would be very grave," said Mr. T. Ramesh, LTTE's special commander for the Batticaloa-Ampara District, addressing a massive Pongu Thamil rally in Batticaloa Wednesday.
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NECORD supplies ambulances to Trinco rural hospitals

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 22:59 GMT]
The North East Community Restoration Development (NECORD) project has supplied twenty-one ambulances to rural government hospitals in the northeast province at a cost of about three million rupees. The last consignment of five ambulances was handed recently handed over the provincial ministry of health by the NECORD Tuesday, health officials said.
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Court asks SL Police for progress report on Nimalarajan case

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 19:27 GMT]
The Jaffna Magistrate Mr.R.T.Viknarajah Tuesday instructed the Jaffna Police to submit a progress report on the Journalist Mylvaganam Nimalarajan murder case on the next date of hearing, February 24, legal sources said.
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JVP leader Amarasinghe returns home

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 18:58 GMT]
Mr.Somawanse Amarasinghe Tuesday evening arrived in Katunayake international airport. Senior leaders of the Sinhala nationalist cum Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Messrs Tilvin Silva, Wimal Weerawanse, Nandana Gunathilaka and others received him, party sources said.
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JVP leader says totally opposed to SLFP’s power sharing policy

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 13:46 GMT]
Mr. Somawansa Amarasingha, the secretive leader of the JVP said that his party is totally against the SLFP policy of sharing power despite the alliance both parties have formed. In a wide-ranging interview with an online publication before his departure from an unnamed western country to Sri Lanka on Monday, Mr. Amarasingha castigated Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for behaving like an American puppet and for “speaking like a ruler of a land occupied by the US”. He asserted that the India - Sri Lanka Defence Pact should be made a cornerstone of the island’s foreign policy.
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NorthEast local government elections postponed

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 13:29 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Commissioner of Elections Mr.Dayananda Dissanayake Tuesday issued a notice postponing the thrice-postponed local authority elections in the northeast province for later dates. Except elections to local authorities in Amparai district, elections to local authorities in other districts in the province have been postponed by another nine months. Elections to local authorities in Amparai district are rescheduled to be held on 21 February 2004, government sources said.
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Two killed in MoU celebration clashes

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 11:57 GMT]
Two men who were putting up flags and festoons to celebrate the signing of the MoU between SLFP and JVP were killed in a grenade attack on them in Senaikkudiyiruppu in the Puttalam district Monday, Police said. Three cars were burnt in the northwestern district in clashes between opposition supporters celebrating the MoU and UNP sympathisers Monday.
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SLFP-JVP MoU slams Sri Lanka’s peace process

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 10:27 GMT]
The memorandum of understanding signed by Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Tuesday slammed the peace process, asserting that it “threatens the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the country, degrading its dignity”. The MoU also lambasted Mr. Wickremesinghe’s government for promoting “crony capitalism, racketeering, corruption and subservience to international financial institutions”.
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SLFP-JVP alliance signed in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 05:10 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna signed an agreement to form a new political alliance called 'United People's Freedom Alliance' at 10.40 a.m Tuesday in Colombo. Speaking after the signing ceremony, JVP Gen. Sec. Mr. Tilvin Silva said that the JVP had formed the alliance to prevent the plan to divide the country. The JVP and the SLFP say that the peace process and the ceasefire agreement between the Liberation Tigers and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s are part of a western backed conspiracy to divide Sri Lanka.
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Muttur east education needs identified

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 02:27 GMT]
North East Provincial Department of Education held a series of seminars and workshops for teachers, principals and parents in the Muttur east in Trincomalee district to uplift the standard of education from January 17th to 19th, education officials said.
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Akashi arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 02:04 GMT]
Japanese special peace envoy Mr.Yasushi Akashi arrived at Katunayake International Airport in Colombo Monday around midnight for a weeklong stay in Sri Lanka. "We will not interfere in the current political impasses now prevailing in Colombo. It is the duty of the political leaders of of Sri Lanka to find solution to their problem," Mr.Akashi told journalists on his arrival, media sources said.
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Tamil businessman shot dead in Dehiwela

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 00:44 GMT]
Daniel Sathasivam, 47, a wealthy businessman from Dehiwela was shot dead Saturday night by unknown gunmen inside the Communications Center he owned in Dehiwela, Uthayan, a popular daily in Jaffna reported.
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SLMC to plan future political strategy

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 January 2004, 16:28 GMT]
Politburo of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), a constituent of the United National Front government will meet on January 23 at its headquarters "Darussalam" in Colombo to plan out its future political strategy in anticipation political developments likely to follow the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), SLMC sources said.
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Sihala Urumaya opposes direct foreign aid to NorthEast

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 January 2004, 16:21 GMT]
The Sihala Urumaya (SU) Monday appealed to all political parties in the south to come forward to oppose channeling foreign aid direct to the five-year development plan of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, according to a report carried by the State controlled Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation in its Monday's late night news bulletin, sources said.
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SLFP, JVP branches to celebrate MoU signing

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 January 2004, 13:57 GMT]
Elaborate arrangements are being made in several parts of the country by the branches of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna to celebrate the event of signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the two political parties with religious observances and public meetings, political sources said.
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SL Telecom-Cricket Chairman Thilanga Sumathipala remanded

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 January 2004, 13:24 GMT]
The Colombo Additional Magistrate Mr.Vikum Kaluarachchi Monday ordered remand for the Chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom and Sri Lanka Cricket Mr.Thilanga Sumathipala till January 30. Mr.Thilanga Sumathipala who failed to attend courts on four earlier occasions appeared in court in a wheel chair Monday under tight security, legal sources said.
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Cannot delay basic needs of NE accede donors

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 January 2004, 11:43 GMT]
"It has been accepted at this conference that the people of the northeast cannot wait for their basic needs until a political solution to the ethnic conflict is found," said Mr. Daya Master, the media co-ordinator of the Liberation Tigers speaking to the press at the conclusion of the northeast donor conference Monday. "People in the northeast have many needs. They cannot be expected to wait until there is a solution to the conflict," a Dutch diplomat who took part in the conference said.
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Thamilchelvan deplores Sri Lanka President's 'arbitrary action'

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 January 2004, 10:40 GMT]
The Sri Lankan "governing apparatus that should take forward the peace process with commitment and sufficient strength is in shambles. This no doubt is an imminent threat to the maintenance of the ceasefire with due integrity," said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, head of the LTTE’s political division addressing the conference of northeast donors Monday in Kilinochchi. He said that "the arbitrary action" of Sri Lanka’s President "has created problems of vast magnitude vis-à-vis the integrity of the CFA and the progress of the political negotiations."
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Indian Coast Guard, trawlers enter Jaffna seas

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 January 2004, 08:51 GMT]
More than a hundred Indian trawlers escorted by Indian coast guard vessels entered the seas off Jaffna's Vadamaradchi coast Sunday night, fishermen in Pt. Pedro told TamilNet. There were about sixty smaller Indian fishing craft with the trawlers they said.
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Northeast donor conference begins in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 January 2004, 06:25 GMT]
The donor conference on northeast development and rehabilitation began as scheduled at the Planning Secretariat of the Liberation Tigers in Kilinochchi at 11.30 a.m. Monday, LTTE officials said. Diplomats and officials from Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Canada, Switzerland, UK, Germany, France European Union, ADB, World Bank, JICA, JBIC, UNDP, UNICEF and CIDA are taking part in the meeting. Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, the head of political division, is leading the LTTE team at the conference, officials in Kilinochchi told TamilNet.
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Trinco Technical College resource shortages spotlighted

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 January 2004, 03:36 GMT]
Severe shortage of full-time instructors and teaching equipment at the Trincomalee Government Technical College are jeopardizing educational standards of students who seek higher technical education, said the principal of the college Mr.V. Suntharalingam presiding over the concluding event of the tenth anniversary celebrations of the institution held last weekend.
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Popular Tamil filmstar Manivannan to visit Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 January 2004, 03:15 GMT]
Manivannan, a popular film producer and actor from Tamil Nadu is scheduled to visit Jaffna this Wednesday, to exchange views with Jaffna artists and to see the conditions prevailing in war affected Jaffna for himself, local media reported.
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UNICEF reinducts school-dropouts back to education

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 January 2004, 19:21 GMT]
UNICEF is providing funds to the Kalkuda educational region in Batticaloa district to setup special classes in 14 centers to reinduct children who dropped out of school due to poverty and war back into the educational stream, officials said.
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‘Sinhala leaders not interested in peace proposals’ - Ilamparuthy

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 January 2004, 18:00 GMT]
“Events which followed the submission of our proposal for an Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA)- take over of ministries, the campaign to whip up Sinhala extremism- showed that Sinhala leaders are not interested in negotiations,” said Mr. C. Ilamparuthi, head of the LTTE’s political division in Jaffna, addressing a meeting in Oslo Saturday to mark the eleventh death anniversary of Col. Kittu, a senior Tiger commander. He urged India to come forward to develop a positive relationship with the LTTE.
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Separate body a must to reconstruct NorthEast - TNA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 January 2004, 15:24 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan Saturday appealed to the international community to take steps to create a separate structure to the Tamil speaking people to rehabilitate themselves and reconstruct their war ravaged province if the current political power struggle between the executive presidency and head of the parliamentary legislature in the south continues without settlement to take forward the stalled peace process.
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Anura Bandaranaike tipped to become SLFP-JVP alliance leader

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 January 2004, 14:40 GMT]
The prospective leader of the new political alliance to be formed between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party Mr.Anura Bandaranaike said Sunday that "the formation of the new political group would be the beginning of the country's long political journey towards solving Sri Lanka's problems and for ensuring peace and justice for all."
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Plans for Batti-Amparai Pongu Thamil said complete

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 January 2004, 04:23 GMT]
The organizing committee of the Pongu Thamil (Tamil upsurge) event to be held at the Sports grounds of the Eastern University in Vantharumoolai on January 21 has completed its arrangements for the event and sent invitations to Sri Lanka’s President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, and Prime Minister, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, committee sources said.
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LTTE promotes Advanced Level education in Amparai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 January 2004, 03:47 GMT]
Based on the directive of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’s senior commander for Batticaloa-Amparai, Col. V. Karuna, an education center to teach Tamil students at the Advanced level and improve their chances of admission to Universities has been opened at the Karaithivu central college in Amparai, sources said.
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Trinco Chamber of Commerce to open Business College

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 January 2004, 00:01 GMT]
A Memorandum of Understanding between the CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants), Sri Lanka Division, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Trincomalee District (CCITD) to open a CIMA information desk in Trincomalee was signed at an event held at the Trincomalee Rotary House Friday evening. The CIMA information desk will function in the CCITD office from January 19 as a first step to open a Business College in the eastern port town, officials said.
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Judge extends remand for detained LTTE cadres

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 January 2004, 18:31 GMT]
Eight LTTE cadres including four women cadres who have been detained for allegedly carrying ammunition in their pickup truck on 14 July 2003, had their remand extended till 30 January by the Batticaloa High Court Judge M.H.M.Ajmeer when they appeared in Court Friday, legal sources said.
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Colombo urged to repeal PTA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 January 2004, 18:02 GMT]
A meeting to urge the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and to release detainees arrested under the PTA and held in prison for several years without a court hearing was organized by the Center of Human Rights and Development (CHRD) held at the Conference hall of Batticaloa Public Library Saturday, civil sources said.
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NECORD begins capacity building workshop in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 January 2004, 14:00 GMT]
The North East Community Restoration Development (NECORD) funded capacity building 3-day workshop for contractors in NorthEast province began Friday morning in the Uppuveli Pastoral Center in Trincomalee. In his keynote address at the inaugural event NECORD Project Director Mr.T.Lankaneson appealed to contractors to look beyond immediate profit to help the affected population rebuild their war shattered lives.
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SLA Commander to assist tracing Jaffna disappeared

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 January 2004, 13:39 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army's Jaffna area commander Major General Susil Chandrapala Friday at a discussion assured a delegation of the Jaffna District Missing Person Guardians' Association (MPGA) and the Jaffna District Women's Front (JDWF) that he would provide the necessary support and assistance in tracing the more than persons disappeared in Jaffna district following military operations between1995 and 1997, sources said.
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Tamils should be vigilant of JVP - Jaffna VC

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 January 2004, 13:23 GMT]
"The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna is a force that is opposed to the Tamil people's struggle for their rights. It is now striving to become part of national politics. We, the Tamil people, should be vigilant about this," said Prof. S. Mohanadas, Vice Chancellor of the Jaffna University, addressing a meeting Saturday to mark the third anniversary of the Pongu Thamil festival in the northern peninsula.
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NE development conference to be held in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 January 2004, 06:11 GMT]
The political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan, is to preside over a high-level development conference at the Kilinochchi Development Secretariat on Monday, January 19, sources said. The representatives of the Sri Lanka donors' summit held in Tokyo in Japan last year are scheduled to meet in Colombo on January 23 to review the present political situation in Colombo, and the Kilinochchi conference will be a prelude to that meeting, the sources said.
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JVP leader expected on pact signing day

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 January 2004, 18:57 GMT]
Mr. Somawansa Amarasinghe, the secretive leader of the Sinhala nationalist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) who lives in London, will return to Sri Lanka on 20 January, the Political Bureau of the party said Friday. The JVP and President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party are scheduled to sign an agreement cementing a political alliance on 20 January.
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Couple, infant murdered in Jaffna high security area

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 January 2004, 16:29 GMT]
A couple and their eight month old infant were found murdered near the Kanakampuliyadi Junction in Jaffna Friday, Police in Chavakachcheri said. The couple’s home is in an isolated spot surrounded by a large number of Sri Lankan military positions and camps. Police said that the family may have been murdered three days ago. Their throats were slit.
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Jaffna parents protest, want schools reopened

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 January 2004, 15:55 GMT]
Parents demonstrated in two separate places in the Thenmaradchi division of Jaffna Friday demanding that schools where their children studied before they fled the war in 1999-2000 be reopened without delay. The parents’ protest were held amid claims by Colombo that 20000 children have returned to their schools in Sri Lanka’s war ravaged northeast since the Liberation Tigers signed a ceasefire agreement with the Sri Lankan government in Feb. 2003.
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Jaffna district observes Kittu death anniversary

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 January 2004, 15:38 GMT]
Jaffna district Friday observed the eleventh death anniversary of LTTE senior commander Colonel Kittu and other nine LTTE cadres who sacrificed their lives on 15th January 1993 when the Indian Navy intercepted their vessel in the Indian Ocean. The main event was held Friday at Theeruvil Commemoration Square in Jaffna district, sources said.
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Col.Kittu memorial held in Vakarai

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 January 2004, 15:17 GMT]
The 11th death anniversary of Col.Kittu and nine LTTE cadres who died with him on 16 Jan 1993 was held in Panichchangkerni, Vakarai in Batticaloa district Friday, sources said. Panichchangkerni is village located 50km north of Batticaloa town.
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Trinco commemorates Col.Kittu death anniversary

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 January 2004, 15:09 GMT]
The eleventh death anniversary of Colonel Kittu, senior commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam who was killed with nine other LTTE cadres when the Indian Navy intercepted the vessel they traveled in the Indian Ocean on 16th of January 1993 was observed in the Trincomalee district Friday.
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Furuhovde to return as new SLMM Head

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 January 2004, 13:51 GMT]
Maj. Gen (ret.) Trond Furuhovde will assume duties as the new head of the Nordic mission monitoring the ceasefire between the Liberation Tigers and the armed forces of Sri Lanka, Norwegian government said Friday. He will assume duties from 1 February 2004. Maj. Gen (ret) Furuhovde served as the first head of the monitoring mission from March 2002 to Feb. 2003. His successor was recalled by Norway following a complaint by Sri Lanka's President against him.
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Akashi to visit Colombo, Kilinochchi next week

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 January 2004, 06:34 GMT]
Japan's special envoy for Sri Lanka, Mr. Yashushi Akashi will visit Colombo and Kilinochchi next week for talks with Sri Lankan leaders and the Liberation Tigers. During his visit Mr. Akashi will chair the second follow up meeting of the Tokyo donors' conference on reconstruction and development of Sri Lanka on 23 January in Colombo.
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11th Anniversary of Col.Kittu to be commemorated

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 January 2004, 01:17 GMT]
The eleventh death anniversary of Senior Commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Sathasivam Krishnakumar (Col.Kittu), and nine other LTTE cadres is to be celebrated across the NorthEast, Friday, sources in Jaffna said. When the Indian Navy on Jan. 16, 1993, intercepted the ship Kittu was travelling, Kittu refused to surrender and blew up the ship killing himself and other LTTE cadres.
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‘Nothing from Colombo to rebuild Chavakachcheri’ – UC

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 January 2004, 15:43 GMT]
‘The Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) hasn’t provided any assistance at all so far to rebuild or repair public buildings and amenities in Chavakachcheri which were destroyed in the war although two years have gone by since the town’s residents resettled’, said the Secretary of the Chavakachcheri Urban Council, Mr. M. S Saravanabhava, addressing the inauguration of the newly formed Urban Development Advisory Board for the second largest town of Jaffna peninsula Wednesday.
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Police assures co-operation for Batticaloa Pongu Thamil event

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 January 2004, 15:29 GMT]
Batticaloa district Senior Superintendent of Police, Mahes Samradiwagara assured the President of Batticaloa Pongu Thamil Committee, Rajan Sathiyamoorthy and Batticaloa district Parliamentarian G.Krishnapillai (Vellimalai) that the Police would cooperate with them when they met him Wednesday to discuss the arrangements being made towards the 21 January Pongu Thamil event to be held in the Vantharumoolai University Campus grounds, civil sources said.
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NECORD conducts capacity building workshop for NE contractors

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 January 2004, 15:16 GMT]
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded North East Community Restoration Development project (NECORD) in collaboration with German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) is to hold seven capacity building workshops in the districts of NorthEast province for small and medium size contractors working in the northeast development projects. Workshops are aimed to enhance the knowledge of the local contractors about the construction industry, sources said.
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Two men drown in Point Pedro seas

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 January 2004, 15:03 GMT]
Celebrating Thai Pongal festival ended tragically when Peranantham Umasuthan (29) and Sribalaganeshamoorthy Suthakar (23) were caught in strong currents and drowned while bathing near Katkovalam, a beach village 5km east of Point Pedro town Friday morning.
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LTTE, Muslims, SL Police meet in Amparai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 January 2004, 13:25 GMT]
A delegation from Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), representatives from Muslim community and officers from Sri Lanka Police met at the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Akkaraipattu Wednesday from 9am to 12 am to discuss ways to resolve disputes that arise between communities, security sources said. Ms. Daria, Head of the Amparai branch of SLMM presided the meeting.
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Sinhala nationalists burn another church in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 January 2004, 09:52 GMT]
A group of Sinhala Buddhist protestors set fire to a Catholic chuch late Wednesday night in a town on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka Police said. Six churches of different christian denominations have been burnt in recent months in the rising tide of violence against Christians in the Sinhala majority districts of Sri Lanka.
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Tigers await Colombo outcome, vow to observe truce

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 January 2004, 00:07 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers have given a solemn pledge to the Norwegian facilitators of the peace process in Sri Lanka that their organization would abide by the terms and conditions of the two year old cease-fire agreement and maintain peace, irrespective of the continuing turmoil in Colombo.
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Amparai missing youth still not found

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 January 2004, 15:59 GMT]
Muslim youth, Niaz, from Sorikalmunai in Amparai, who disppeared on Friday 9 January is still missing. Nallaratnam Sivakumar who was arrested by Muslim youths and handed over to Kalmunai police has been transferred to the Batticaloa Police for further investigations, security sources said. Mr.Sivakumar was allegedly seen with the missing youth when he was last seen.
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Enjoining order in Anandasangaree case extended

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 January 2004, 15:44 GMT]
The Colombo Additional District Judge Mr.W.Ganepola Wednesday extended the enjoining order preventing the Secretary General and Senior Vice President of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) from summoning the central working committee or any meeting of the TULF without the permission of the party's President Mr.V.Ananadasangaree and rejected the application moved by respondents to vacate the enjoining order, legal sources said.
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Norwegian Ambassador meets Thamilchelvan in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 January 2004, 15:01 GMT]
Norway's ambassodor to Sri Lanka, Mr.Hans Brattskar met Head of Liberation Tigers' Political Wing, Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan Wednesday morning at the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi. Mr. Brattskar told local presspersons after the meeting that he discussed aid issues for the northeast and Mr. Thamilchelvan's upcoming visit to Norway.
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Sri Lanka President, Sinhala nationalists strike deal

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 January 2004, 12:25 GMT]
The Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and President Chandrika Kumaratunga's Sri Lanka Freedom Party will sign the long delayed agreement to form a political alliance on 20 January 2004, spokesmen for the parties announced Wednesday. The JVP has been campaigning for the cancellation of the cease fire agreement between Colombo and the Liberation Tigers.
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Sri Lanka PM commits to implement possible provisions of truce

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 January 2004, 12:03 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Wednesday that his government would continue to implement the provisions of the cease fire agreement with the Liberation Tigers for restoring normalcy in the northeast. He was addressing a forum for peace and democracy at the Sr Lanka Foundation Institute in Colombo Wednesday.
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GoSL signs $80 million loan package from ADB for NE rehabilitation

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 January 2004, 09:01 GMT]
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Government of Sri Lanka Wednesday signed first part of an US$80 million loan package to address the immediate rehabilitation needs of almost 2 million conflict-affected people in the north and east of the country, said a press release issued by the Sri lanka Resident Mission of the Asian Development Bank.
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SLA says can open A9 longer if ICRC consents

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 January 2004, 08:34 GMT]
The Sri Lanka army told a delegation of religious and civil society leaders in Jaffna Wednesday that the A9 can be opened for more hours for the convenience of the public if the International Committee of the Red Cross consents. The delegation of the People’s Council for Peace and Goodwill (PCPG) comprised the Catholic Bishop of Jaffna, Rt. Rev. Thomas Saundranayagam, the chief incumbent of the Nallai Aatheenam, Ven. Somasundara Paramaachchariya Swamigal, the President of the PCPG, Mr. D. R Arumainayagam and several civil society leaders.
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Colombo to decide on North East LG elections

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 January 2004, 04:26 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Elections Commissioner will have to decide on whether to hold the Local Government (LG) elections in the North East, which were postponed last year by the United National Front Government until January 24, said Mr. Alik Aluvihare, the UNF Minister for Local Government Councils.
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Chavakachcheri development board to be inaugurated

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 January 2004, 03:30 GMT]
The Chavakachcheri Town Development Advisory Board is to be formed on Thai Pongal Day, which falls on Thursday, with a view to formulating a development plan to be implemented with the funds available with the Chavakachcheri Urban Council. The Secretary of the Chavakachcheri UC has invited representatives of all civil groups in the town for the inaugural meeting of the advisory board, which is scheduled to be held Thursday afternoon at the UC office, sources said.
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"JVP-SLFP alliance before January 31" - Weerawanse

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 January 2004, 16:14 GMT]
"The Memorandum of Understanding between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the JVP forming a political alliance would be signed before January 31," said the Sinhala nationalist, Marxist, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) parliamentary group leader Mr.Wimal Weerawanse addressing a public meeting organized by the National Patriotic Movement (NPM) and held at Trincomalee private bus stand in the heart of the town Tuesday evening.
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Sri Lanka President sets hurdle for stateless Tamils

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 January 2004, 15:07 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga Tuesday ordered that the granting of citizenship to stateless Tamils in the island “should not be done in a manner that would provide political advantage to one party." The order refers to the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC), the Tamil trade union and political party that lobbied for and succeeded in passing legislation to grant citizenship to thousands of stateless Tamils in Sri Lanka last year. The CWC was recently involved in a program by the UNHCR to help stateless Tamils apply for citizenship.
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New Maternity ward opens at Nedunkerni Hospital

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 January 2004, 14:24 GMT]
Medical and Maternity wards of the Nedunkerni Hospital, renovated at a cost of Rs.2m, was ceremonially opened Monday by Secretary of Ministry of Health for NorthEast, Mr.R.M.S.Ratnayake, Health Commissioner for NorthEast, S.Kumaravetpillai and Secretary of Nedunkerni Pradeshya Sabha, K.Iyampillai, sources in Kilinochchi said.
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Torrential rain brings transportation to halt in Batticaloa villages

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 January 2004, 11:32 GMT]
Continuous heavy rain in parts of Batticaloa district has brought travel in recently resettled villages of Vadamunai and Oothuchenai to a halt, civil society sources in Batticaloa said. Non-Governmental Organization, ZOA Foundation, is assisting transportation using small boats, according to residents.
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Fishermen appeal for elimination of SLA Pass system

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 January 2004, 04:51 GMT]
Vadamarachchi North fisheries societies in Jaffna district appealed to the Sri Lanka Army to replace the existing army pass system by recognizing the fisheries identity cards issued by the Department of Fisheries. The appeal was made at a conference held last week at the 52-4 brigade headquarters of the SLA in Point Pedro, security sources said.
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Coal piles in Thampalakamam, potential health hazard - MP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 January 2004, 04:30 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham Monday sent an urgent letter to Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Mr.Rukman Senanayake to take immediate steps to remove large coal piles in a private land in Thampalakamam, on the Trincomalee-Colombo trunk road. The parliamentarian pointed out that the piles pose a severe health hazard to the villagers of Thampalakamam, according to civil sources.
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SLA opens new access road to Point Pedro seas

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 January 2004, 04:18 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has opened a new access road to seashore enabling the fisher folk of Point Pedro-Thumpalai east area to get to the beach fronts easily. SLA soldiers Monday started removing a portion of the security bund using heavy equipments to open the new access road to sea, fisheries sources said.
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"No decision on general election yet"- SL President

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 January 2004, 04:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge Monday dismissed media speculation that the current parliament would be dissolved on January 26 in preparation to a fresh general election. "I have not taken any decision regarding holding a general election. However I have been studying several requests for a general election," said Ms.Kumaratunge at a conference held at the President's House Monday evening, according to Colombo sources.
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"No truth in SLMM statement"- Trinco LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 January 2004, 13:39 GMT]
Trincomalee district political secretariat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Monday said ''there is no truth in the statement by the media spokesperson of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to BBC that the LTTE detained two monitors in Trincomalee district on 6 January, 2004.''
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SLA driver remanded in Vadamaradchy fatal accident

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 January 2004, 13:31 GMT]
Point Pedro Magistrate Mr.K.Ariyanayagam Monday ordered remand till 26 January for a Lance Corporal of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) who was involved in the incident in which a carpenter of Karaveddy Sinnathurai Sivaneswaran was killed on Saturday in a collision with an army vehicle, legal sources said.
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Batticaloa villagers live under SLA death threats

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 January 2004, 12:51 GMT]
Residents of Vembu, Kiran, Palaiyavettai and other villages that lie close to the Kumburumoolai Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp live in constant fear amidst death threats by the soldiers of the SLA camp, residents told TamilNet. Kumburumoolai SLA camp is located about 29kilometers North of Batticaloa town.
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Swedish opposition MPs meet Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 January 2004, 12:48 GMT]
Four Swedish opposition women MPs Monday met the head of the political division of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, for discussions on wide ranging issues. They were accompanied by head of mission of the Embassy of Sweden in Colombo, Mrs. Anne Marie Fallenius, and the UNICEF representative, Mr. Penny Brune, Head of Zone Office, Kilinochchi.
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Trinco, Batticaloa writers remembered

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 January 2004, 04:57 GMT]
The seventh death anniversary of Trincomalee born versatile Tamil writer, Mr.Tharmu Sivaramoo, and the 28th death anniversary of Batticaloa poet, Mr.Thuraineelavanan, were observed on Sunday with a public meeting held at the Sri Vigneswara Maha Vidiyalayam in Trincomalee.
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Security of Sri Lanka's law courts strengthened

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 January 2004, 04:36 GMT]
The security of law courts in Sri Lanka would be strengthened from Monday to ensure safety to suspects, litigants, witnesses, lawyers and judicial officers, in the wake of the killing of a notorious underworld leader, Dhamikka Amarasinghe, in the well of the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court last week, police headquarters said Monday.
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CWC reveals election strategy

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 January 2004, 02:42 GMT]
The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), a major constituent of the United National Front (UNF) government said it would decide about its future political alliance with any major political party only after the announcement of a general election. CWC leader and minister Mr.Arumugam Thondaman said at a press briefing held in Kandy, capital of the central province Sunday evening that "it is not the opportune moment to announce CWC's decision regarding future election alliances when the country is politically unstable."
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Fourteenth anniversary of Major Sothia commemorated

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 January 2004, 00:05 GMT]
Celebrations commemorating the Fourteenth death anniversary of Major Sothia and the eighth anniversary of inauguration of Liberation Tigers fighting unit, Sothia Brigade, were held in Vanni Sunday, 11 January, LTTE sources said.
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LTTE destroys Pornographic material found in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 January 2004, 16:54 GMT]
Liberation Tigers destroyed a set of pornographic books in Sinhala Language found in a package left unattended near the rest room at the Vavuniya Bus station Saturday, civil society sources in Vavuniya said.
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SLA truck collision kills Karaveddy carpenter

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 January 2004, 14:56 GMT]
Mr. Sinnathurai Manoharan, a carpenter by profession of Karaveddy, a town located 5km south of Point Pedro in Vadamaradchy, died on the spot when a Sri Lanka Army truck ran over him close to a damaged bridge at the Kaputhoo-Anthanathidal area, along Point Pedro-Sarasalai road in Thenmaradchchi in Jaffna district, Saturday night, police said.
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Pirapaharan felicitates Women artists

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 January 2004, 14:30 GMT]
In a cultural event organized by the Fine Arts and Cultural Division of Women's Wing of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Saturday in Kilinochchi, Leader of LTTE, Pirapaharan praised the contributions of Tamil women artists to Theatre, Drama, Tamil struggle and commended the artists for stimulating cultural awareness among the public, sources from Vanni said.
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Jaffna leaflet warns of war

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 January 2004, 13:55 GMT]
"War would be inevitable if Sri Lankan leaders insidiously reject the LTTE's Interim Self Governing Authority(ISGA) proposal and if they consider this peace period as a time to cheat," warned a leaflet issued in Jaffna Sunday by an organisation called Tamil National Awareness Movement.
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Batticaloa faces petroleum shortage as youths disrupt supply

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 January 2004, 13:42 GMT]
Unknown group of youths Friday, in Sitthandy, Batticaloa, forced a private bowzer carrying Petroleum products to Batticaloa from Colombo, forcing the authorities to suspend further petroleum shipments to Batticaloa. This has caused severe shortage of petroleum products in Batticaloa district resulting in temporary closure of Petrol (Gas) stations, sources from Batticaloa said.
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National Patriotic Movement calls for general election

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 January 2004, 13:29 GMT]
The National Patriotic Movement (NPM) Sunday said that the only way to solve the current political impasse is to dissolve the parliament and call for fresh general election.
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Will fast to death says Jaffna refugee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 January 2004, 11:28 GMT]
Mr.Sellakili Anandaraja, a refugee in Jaffna whose home and fields are occupied by the Sri Lanka amy said Sunday he would fast to death if he and more than 600 diplaced families in the Thenmaradchi divison of Jaffna are not permitted resettle in their villages before the end of January 2004.
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Nedunkerny hospital to recruit doctor

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 January 2004, 04:04 GMT]
A search is being conducted for a doctor to serve at the Nedunkerny hospital, in the Vavuniya district, under a scheme to recruit doctors funded by the World Health Organization (WHO), said Dr. Armugam Ketheeswaran, the Deputy Director of Health Services in Vavuniya.
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Buddhist monks mind their language

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 January 2004, 19:18 GMT]
A leading Sri Lankan Buddhist monk, Ven.Ellawala Methananda, slammed Norway Saturday for funding a program to teach English to Buddhist clergy.
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Vavuniya private bus owners call off strike

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 January 2004, 18:37 GMT]
Vavuniya private bus owners and drivers called off their strike 10 am Friday after discussions with Vavuniya police organized by the Government Agent, Vavuniya, transportation sources said. The strike was called on Wednesday to protest against the danger to bus drivers and passengers in Maravila, Puttalam, where the local residents were alleged to be attacking the buses following an accident in which a Christian Priest was killed and several others injured earlier in the week.
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"Harsini's demise irreparable loss to women liberation"

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 January 2004, 15:49 GMT]
North East Provincial Ministry of Education, Cultural Affairs, Sports and Youth Affairs Saturday said that the untimely death of Trincomalee leading women rights activist Miss Harsini Antonysamy was "an irreparable loss to women liberation movement in the NorthEast province."
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Mysterious gang kills youth in Kalvayal

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 January 2004, 15:43 GMT]
A youth was shot dead by an unidentified group in Kalvayal in the Thenmaradchi division of Jaffna Saturday, Sri Lankan Police said. The youth was brought in a Toyota van and shot dead by the group around 10.30 a.m. behind the Aiyanar Kovil near the Thurkkai Amman temple in Kalvayal.
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Civil group appeals for Muslim, Tamil unity

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 January 2004, 14:32 GMT]
In a leaflet addressed to "Dear Muslim Brothers and Sisters," distributed in Batticaloa-Amparai district, the Batticaloa Development Committee appealed for co-operation between Tamils and Muslims in the two districts and called on the community leaders to work jointly to combat forces trying to divide the two communities.
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Railway workers' worsening salary woes

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 January 2004, 14:03 GMT]
More than 7000 railway workers who supervise railway crossings along local roads and highways have not received only minimal salary raises for the past fifteen years, Railway Workers Union officials said. In addition, the promise of making the workers permanent employees of Railway Department also has not materialized, the union officials added.
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Muslim vigilante group arrests Amparai Tamil youth

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 January 2004, 12:33 GMT]
Accusing Nallaratnam Sivakumar, a Tamil youth from Sorikalmunai in Amparai district, for the disappearance of a Muslim youth seen with him, a vigilante Muslim group arrested Mr. Sivakumar Saturday morning, security sources said. Mr.Sivakumar was later handed over to the Kalmunai Police.
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Clergy community mediators to be trained

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 January 2004, 17:42 GMT]
The National Integration Programme Unit (NIPU) of the Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Justice, Law Reform and National Integration is to launch a project to train a group of community mediators from among the respected clergy of all faiths in selected seven districts in the country to provide voluntary services to promote peace and national integration.
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Trinco women rights activist passes away

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 January 2004, 17:38 GMT]
Miss Harsini Antonysamy (26), a leading women rights activist in Trincomalee, died of cancer in a Colombo hospital Friday. She has been the Trincomalee district organizer of the Theatre Action Group of the Jaffna University, sources said.
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Defective CFA undermines Peace Process - Prof. Peiris

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 January 2004, 15:25 GMT]
The Sri Lanka government media spokesperson, Minister Professor G.L.Peiris, said Friday that Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has decided to withdraw from the current peace process as the ceasefire agreement (CFA) has become defective with Ms.Kumaratunge's take over of the defense ministry, political sources in Colombo said.
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Sri Lanka cricket board chairman's alleged accomplice shot in courts

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 January 2004, 12:07 GMT]
A key suspect in the case against Sri Lanka's cricket board chairman in which he is accused of fraud and criminal links with the underworld was shot dead in Colombo magistrate's court Friday.
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Ilamparithy meets Norway Foreign Ministry Officials in Oslo

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 January 2004, 11:53 GMT]
Liberation Tigers' Head of Jaffna District Political Wing, Mr.Illamparithy, who is currently on a tour of European countries met with Norwegian Foreign Ministry officials at the Oslo Foreign Ministry Building Tuesday, 6 January at 11 am, sources in Oslo said. Norway's special peace envoy, Eric Solheim, Advisor to Norway Foreign Ministry, Lisa Golden, and Official of Foreign Ministry, Erik Giercshy were involved in the discussions, sources added.
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New SLA commanders said no panacea for normalcy

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 January 2004, 09:02 GMT]
“Normalcy is yet to be restored in Jaffna despite the Sri Lankan government appointing new military commanders for the peninsula," said Mr. Semmanan, the deputy leader of the LTTE’s political division in Jaffna, speaking to the press at the conclusion of a meeting with the Sri Lanka army and Police at the office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in the northern town Friday. “We positively assured the Sri Lankan armed forces’ delegation that nobody in the LTTE had ever threatened to bring harm to the person of Maj. Gen. Chandrapala," Mr. Semmanan said.
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SLA builds camp in de-mining showcase

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 January 2004, 09:01 GMT]
The Sri Lanka army is constructing a new camp in the Kandalkaadu area of Sarasaalai in Jaffna. The region was often presented as a singular showcase for the prolonged de-mining projects supported by the UNDP and the US army in Jaffna. The Federation of Public Organisations in Thenmaradchi on Friday condemned the construction of the new garrison. “Sarasaalai is going to be unsafe again”, a spokesperson for the Federation said.
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Vadamarachi mooring points can be dredged - Maj. Gen. Chandrapala

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 January 2004, 03:58 GMT]
The Commander of the Sri Lankan security forces in Jaffna, Maj. Gen. Susil Chandrapala told fishermen's organisations on the peninsula's Vadamaradchi coast Thursday that they can dredge and rebuild mooring points for their boats from this month.
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Catastrophic fire averted in Vavuniya town

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 January 2004, 03:14 GMT]
A potentially catastrophic fire at the petrol station located at the intersection of Jaffna-Kandy road and Mannar road in Vavuniya town, Thursday night, was prevented by the timely action of alert Police officers, sources said.
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Norwegian Ambassador meets Trinco LTTE leaders

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 January 2004, 15:59 GMT]
The Norwegian ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Hans Brattskar, Thursday afternoon met with the Trincomalee district military commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Colonel Pathuman, and district political head, Mr.S.Thilak, at the LTTE district political secretariat in Sampoor, which is located in the LTTE-held Muttur east division in Trincomalee district.
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Tigers launch drive to stop drug abuse in Mannar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 January 2004, 13:45 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers have launched a concerted campaign against drug abuse and AIDS in the Mannar District, Mr. S. Thangan, deputy leader of the political division of the Liberation Tigers, said Thursday. “Drug abuse has been on the increase in this district in recent times. It will ruin the moral fabric of our society. The problem is acute here because Mannar has become a key transit point for drug smuggling between India and Sri Lanka”, Mr. Thangan told TamilNet. He is currently in Mannar to expedite the campaign.
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JVP calls for Wickremesinghe' s resignation

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 January 2004, 13:30 GMT]
The Sinhala Nationalist and Marxist party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Thursday called for the resignation of Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe from the post of Prime Minister and from the current parliament if the Prime Minister wanted to withdraw from the two year-old ceasefire agreement (CFA) he signed with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), media sources said.
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Trincomalee combats spread of Dengue fever

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 January 2004, 12:22 GMT]
Trincomalee district health authorities Thursday warned the people of the district through loudhailers to take precautionary methods to prevent dengue fever. Four members of the Sri Lanka Navy located inside the naval dockyard have been detected with symptoms of dengue fever, said an official of the Department of Health in east port town.
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Human skull, bones found in Kondavil pit

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 January 2004, 11:02 GMT]
A human skull and skeletal remains were found in a pit at a house in kondavil in Jaffna Thursday. A woman's undergarments were found with the skeletal remains. The house on Sebastian Street was abandoned by its owners who fled the war in 1995.
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Dengue fever spreads in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 January 2004, 00:07 GMT]
Dengue fever is spreading throughout the Batticaloa district, with about 10 people in the district dead from the disease within the last two months, and in the first five days of the new year, already 5 people have developed the fever, the director of the Batticaloa teaching hospital, Dr. S. Thevarajan, told TamilNet.
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Chariot festival held in Trinco temple

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 January 2004, 00:04 GMT]
The statue of Lord Nadesar was taken around the historic Visuvanathaswamy (Sivan) Temple in an improvised structure called “Kattuther" at the conclusion of the ten-day "Thiruvembavai" pooja, sources said. The temple’s chariot, built according to Hindu scriptures, was burnt down in July 1983 by a group of naval soldiers from the Sri Lanka Navy headquarters located at the Dockyard in Trincomalee, sources said
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Lankan embassy keen to witness 'retail US politics'

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 January 2004, 18:05 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Embassy in US has expressed its interest in joining a diplomatic delegation to witness the New Hampshire presidential primary described as a "preeminent showcase of grass-roots politics and the biggest celebration of American democracy," reported Wednesday edition of Washington Post.
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PTA detainee released

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 January 2004, 17:00 GMT]
Podisingam Shanmugam who was detained under Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) accused of shooting to death sub-inpector of Police, S.Yogendran, on 5 November 2001, was freed by Batticaloa District Magistrate, M.H.M.Ajmeer due to lack of evidence, legal sources said.
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"NorthEast deprived of ceasefire benefits" - Trinco NGOs

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 January 2004, 13:56 GMT]
"The people of all provinces in Sri Lanka except the war-ravaged northeast enjoy the benefits of the ceasefire currently in force for the last two years," the President of the Trincomalee District Non-Governmental Organizations Consortium Mr.T.Thavasilingam said Wednesday at a discussion held at the Trincomalee district secretariat in the presence of Norwegian Ambassador Mr. Hans Brattskar.
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Armed Muslim youths attack Amparai factory workers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 January 2004, 12:44 GMT]
Wednesday at 1.30pm, about 10 Muslim youths in Nainakadu, Sammanthurai in Amparai district attacked Tamil workers and Muslim owners in a brick factory and forced them to flee the workplace, security sources in Amparai said.
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Norwegian Ambassador visits Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 January 2004, 11:27 GMT]
Norwegian ambassador in Sri Lanka Mr. Hans Brattskar said in Trincomalee Wednesday that clarity should prevail in the current political crisis to restart the stalled peace process between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
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Sri Lanka’s peace bid takes another nosedive

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 January 2004, 09:58 GMT]
The Sri Lanka’s stalled efforts to end two decades of war with the Liberation Tigers took another nosedive Wednesday when Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he wanted to pull out of the ceasefire agreement he signed in February 2002. His stand has thrown President Chandrika Kumaratunga on the horns of a perilous dilemma. Picking up the gauntlet Mr. Wickremesinghe has thrown is fraught with grave risks for her. She has to either re-negotiate a new ceasefire agreement with the Tigers herself or hand back the three ministries she took over from Prime Minister in November last year.
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Sri Lanka's PM tells Kumaratunga to handle truce with Tigers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 January 2004, 07:53 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Wednesday that President Chandrika Kumaratunga should negotiate with the Liberation Tigers to renew the ceasefire agreement with them if she does not return the key ministries she took away from him in November last year. There was no immediate reaction from the Tigers to Mr. Wickremesinghe's statement Wednesday.
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Pro-Peace, United Sinhala leadership unlikely to emerge soon - Balakumaran

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 January 2004, 00:06 GMT]
"Our expectations of resuming peace talks with the Government of Sri Lanka under a united leadership with clear authority to command Sri Lanka's security forces are fast receding," said V.Balakumaran, a senior member of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, speaking at the Kumar Ponnambalam commemoration ceremony held at the Kailasapathy Hall of Jaffna Campus Monday, local media in Jaffna reported.
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'Lack of resource persons holds back NE sports'

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 January 2004, 17:01 GMT]
The North East Provincial Education, Cultural Affairs and Sports Ministry's Secretary, Mr.R.Thiayagalingam, said Monday that sports performance in his province had recorded a low standard last year compared to other provinces in the country and this was due to lack of qualified sports coaches, resource persons and sports equipment.
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Sports ministry drops Sinhala only policy due to protest

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 January 2004, 16:31 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Sports Ministry has decided to award certificates in English language to winners of national level sports competitions organized by the ministry from this year onwards. This change will be strictly adhered to in the 30th National Sports Festival scheduled to be held later this year, ministry sources, said.
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Mannar human rights activist Fr Mary Bastian remembered

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 January 2004, 14:56 GMT]
Tamils of Mannar district and Vankalai residents Tuesday remembered their parish priest Rev.Fr. Mary Bastian who was gunned down by the soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army nineteen years ago on 6th January 1985 early morning around 12.30 a.m. Fr. Bastian worked for the poor and powerless citizens throughout his life and was instrumental in bringing atrocities and human right violations committed by the SLA in Mannar district to the notice of international human rights organizations.
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Humanitarian demining group adds 40 new staff

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 January 2004, 14:20 GMT]
The Humanitarian Demining group of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) is to resume demining in the Batticaloa district with an expanded staff starting from Friday, said S.Thevarajan, Batticaloa district TRO co-ordinator.
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Leftist parties urge PM to sign MoU with President

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 January 2004, 14:06 GMT]
The Nava Lanka Sama Samaja Party (NLSSP), Democratic Left Front (DLF), Sri Lanka Communist Party (SLCP) and Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) Tuesday said they had informed Sri Lanka's Prime Minister to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the President on three points to bring about a conducive environment to restart the peace process.
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Jaffna university VC locked in by protesting workers

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 January 2004, 10:49 GMT]
The Vice Chancellor of the University Jaffna, Professor C.Mohanadas, was locked in his office from 9:30 a.m to 2:00 p.m by protesting members of the non academic staff Tuesday. The VC and other university administration officials were allowed to leave after negotiations regarding the grievances of the protestors.
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Bus driver attacks student passenger in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 January 2004, 00:01 GMT]
A student traveling from the Naseevantheevu village, a suburb of Valaichenai, to the Valaichenai Hindu college was severely attacked by the driver of the bus Monday, sources said.
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Services of Jaffna NGOs’ consortium commended

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 January 2004, 22:38 GMT]
“Some Non Governmental Organizations in Jaffna are only interested in self-promotion. But a few NGOs have been serving the people quiestly, despite facing several difficulties since 1995 [when the Sri Lanka Army wrested control of Jaffna], and we have to commend their service. We will join you in serving the people,” said Mr. Iniyavan, the coordinator of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization in Jaffna, speaking at the meeting to elect new office bearers of the Consortium of Jaffna NGOs Monday.
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Pongu Thamil to be held at Eastern University

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 January 2004, 20:02 GMT]
A Pongu Thamil (Tamil upsurge) event jointly organized by the Batticaloa and Amparai districts will be held at the Eastern University on January 21, according to a decision made at a preparatory meeting held at the Batticaloa Government Teachers’ College Monday, sources said.
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‘Saw Tamils’ plight in Jaffna’ says top Buddhist priest

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 January 2004, 18:55 GMT]
“I saw today that the Tamils of Jaffna face difficulties due to the war. The Liberation Tigers and the government should start the peace talks again”, said Ven.Udugama Sri Ratanapala Buddharakkita Thera, chief incumbent of the Asgiriya Chapter of the Siam Nikaya, the highest Buddhist order in Sri Lanka, addressing a special meeting Monday at the Naga Vihara, the Buddhist temple in Jaffna town where Sri Lanka armed forces personnel in the northern peninsula worship.
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SLA officer threatens to shoot Jaffna journalist

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 January 2004, 06:07 GMT]
Jaffna journalists Monday refused to cover the visit of two senior Buddhist monks to the northern peninsula after a Sri Lanka army officer threatened to shoot Mr. Veluppillai Thavachelvam, a leading local correspondent for Sri Lankan and international Tamil media.
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Kaluwanchikudy patients face crisis due to drug shortage

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 January 2004, 04:34 GMT]
More than a thousand patients are seeking treatment daily at the outpatient clinic of the Kaluwanchikudy hospital in the Batticaloa district, and with a severe shortage of medicine at the hospital, poor patients who cannot afford to buy drugs are facing a serious crisis, said the District Medical Officer at the hospital, Dr. K.Vaseeharan.
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Pullumalai bunker is closed - SLMM

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 January 2004, 20:19 GMT]
Members of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) said that the bunker in Pullumalai, which the Sri Lanka Army alleged was a violation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by the Liberation Tigers, is in a closed state, security sources said.
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Mystery killings in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 January 2004, 18:24 GMT]
Two youth were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in two separate incidents in Vavuniya Sunday.
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Tamils should secede if Colombo impasse persists - ACTC

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 January 2004, 16:02 GMT]
'The Tamil people will have to exercise their right to self determination and secede if the political impasse in Colombo were to continue' the All Ceylon Tamil Congress, the oldest Tamil party in Sri Lanka, declared at its annual convention in Jaffna town Sunday.
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SLMC discusses its version of Interim Administration proposals

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 January 2004, 11:51 GMT]
Key officials of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) met Saturday night at SLMC Head Quarters in Colombo to discuss SLMC's version of proposals for Interim Administrative Structure for NorthEast and to obtain formal acceptance by SLMC' Special Political Division, sources said.
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Colombo hasn't spent a cent on Jaffna - GA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 January 2004, 06:29 GMT]
TamilNet publishes the relevant parts of the speech by Government Agent of Jaffna at a meeting in Chavakachcheri on 27 December 2003 where he asserted that the Sri Lankan government “did not spend a red cent” on rehabilitation in the northern peninsula in the last two years. TamilNet is publishing the audio file of the GA’s speech on account of the seriousness of the allegations he had to make against TamilNet on ‘advice of Sri Lanka’s Minister for Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugees’. The statement in question can be indubitably verified from the audio files we have published today.
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Kumar Ponnambalam to be remembered

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 January 2004, 01:36 GMT]
The fourth death anniversary of Mr. Kumar Ponnambalam, leader of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), who was gunned down in Wellawatte, Colombo, in 2000, is to be observed on January 5, Monday, in the NorthEast province, sources said. Wide participation of Tamil people across NorthEast is expected in the memorial event, the organizers of the event said.
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Thondamannar sluice gate to be reconstructed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 January 2004, 17:55 GMT]
Thondamannar lagoon sluice gate which was built to prevent sea water entering the villages of Karaveddy, Mandan, Kapputhoo, Udupiddy, Velvety, Kerudavil and Thondamannar and which was blown off in 1985 by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is to be rebuilt by the Department of Irrigation, sources said. The sluice gate is located within the Karaveddy South and West Divisional Secretary's (DS) division.
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Jaffna Hindu priests urge Vajpayee to change stand

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 January 2004, 15:46 GMT]
Hindu priests in Jaffna have appealed to India’s Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee that his government should change its stand on the Tamils in the northeast and should fully contribute to the process of achieving their rights, a spokesman for their body told TamilNet Saturday. He said the Jaffna based International Hindu Priests’ Forum sent a letter Friday to Mr. Vajpayee, expressing distress that Delhi is siding with Sinhala leaders while following an adverse policy towards the aspirations of the Tamils.
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Jaffna students to file legal action against UGC

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 January 2004, 13:11 GMT]
Students in Jaffna district affected by the alleged discrimination in the admission to the Engineering Faculties have decided to file legal action against the University Grant Commission, local media reported.
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Buried trawler discovered in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 January 2004, 12:33 GMT]
Villagers of Onthachimadam, a beachtown in Batticaloa, discovered a trawler type ship buried nearly 30' below ground. The ship was found close to the beach now filled with mud by a village resident who went to look for old plastic goods for resale in the village market, sources said.
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NECORD to assist Kanniya village rehabilitation

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 January 2004, 01:05 GMT]
The Asian Development Bank funded North East Community Restoration and Development (NECORD) project Friday signed an agreement with its partner organization, Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), to rehabilitate the war-ravaged Kanniya village in the Trincomalee district. The entire project is to cost about 6.37 million rupees. Of this amount, a sum of about 6 million rupees will be borne by the NECORD, said TRO's Trincomalee district director Mr.K.Mathavarajah.
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Sri Lanka President’s ally slams Armitage

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 January 2004, 16:25 GMT]
The Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the main political ally of President Kumaratunga, slammed US Assistant Secretary of State Mr. Richard Armitage for interfering in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs in a strongly worded statement Friday. The Sinhala nationalist party was reacting to Mr. Armitage’s comment Monday that “the current political impasse in Sri Lanka cannot be allowed to continue”. The JVP said that Mr. Armitage’s statement was made in a threatening manner.
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SLA to construct Buddhist Vihare on private property

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 January 2004, 15:55 GMT]
Seventy eight year old father of five children, Mr Vethavanam Varathalingam of 3rd Mile Post, Mulliayadi has appealed to the Human Rights Commission (HRC) to help him to get his five acre paddy land from Sri Lanka Army occupation, civil rights sources said. Mulliayadi is located along Thampalakamam-Kinniya road in Trincomalee.
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Worker strike halts bus services in Paduvankarai

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 January 2004, 14:25 GMT]
Strike by employees of New Eastern Bus company which runs bus services between Paduvankarai and other areas West of Kaluvanchikudi has brought severe hardship to passengers who regularly use the service. Workers complain that they have not been paid wages for the past two months and until their get their pay check they will continue to strike, striking workers said.
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SLA allows restricted use of Koilamani access road

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 January 2004, 13:11 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Friday opened the only access road to a farming village Koilamani near Kodikamam in Jaffna district subject to restrictions that the residents could use the road from six in the morning till the seven in the evening and thereafter they should obtain prior permission from the army sentry located at the entrance of the access road, civil sources said.
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SIRUP monitoring office opened in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 January 2004, 04:56 GMT]
The Trincomalee District Monitoring Office of the Small-scale Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Upgrading Project (SIRUP), funded by the Japanese Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC), was declared open Thursday, the first day of 2004 inside Fort Frederick. One of the co-chairmen of the Trincomalee District Co-ordinating Committee and Trincomalee district parliamentarian, Mr.K.M.Thowfeek, unveiled the name board of the office and the office building by cutting the ribbon.
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Gazette notification accommodates CTTU demands

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 January 2004, 16:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Education agreed to issue an amended gazette notification accommodating some of the demands made by the Ceylon Tamil Teachers’ Union regarding the recruitment of 1000 GCE (Advanced Level) qualified Tamil medium teachers to northeast Tamil medium schools in the eight districts of the province, CTTU general secretary Mr.T.Mahasivam said Thursday.
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UGC blamed for discrimination in University Admissions

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 January 2004, 15:32 GMT]
The Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union (CTTU) Thursday wrote to Sri Lanka's President, Prime Minister and Higher Education Minister to take immediate steps to eliminate discrimination in admitting Tamil students to universities in the New Year. The number of Tamil students admitted to universities last year was higher than this academic year, said the CTTU in a memorandum sent to the Sri Lanka government leaders.
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President, PM should work jointly for peace - Jaffna Bishop

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 January 2004, 14:26 GMT]
The Bishop of Jaffna Rt Rev.Thomas Saundranayagam Thursday in a New Year message appealed to Sri Lanka's President and the Prime Minister to jointly work together for the dawn of permanent peace in the country in the New Year adopting a policy of give and take, said officials of Jaffna diocese.
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Thampalakamam market reopens after thirteen years

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 January 2004, 13:39 GMT]
The public market in the traditional Tamil village Thampalakamam, which is located 27 km southwest of Trincomalee town, was re-opened Thursday after about thirteen years. Thampalakamam divisional head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Mr.Thirumalai declared open the public market.
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LTTE opens Planning and Development Secretariat

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 January 2004, 12:03 GMT]
The Planning and Development Secretariat of the Liberation Tigers began its operation today, 1st January 2004, the peace secretariat website said. Mr.Thuyavan, Director of Planning and Development, will head the team that will be responsible for setting policy guidelines and strategies for the development needs of NorthEast Sri Lanka, sources in Vanni said.
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Jaffna village asks SLA to open access road

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 January 2004, 12:02 GMT]
Men, women and children from Koilamanai, a farming village near Kodikamam in Jaffna, sat in protest at the entrance of the Thenmaradchi Divisional Secretary’s (DS) office in Chavakachcheri Thursday demanding that the Sri Lanka army should vacate a camp blocking the only access road to their area. Koilamanai residents say that since the SLA completely blocked off the road in 2000, they have been using a footpath through private properties. This footpath has to be closed soon because owners of the properties are now resettling there, they say.
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Tigers say lifting tariffs to improve Vanni economy

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 January 2004, 09:24 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers said they are lifting all tariffs on equipment, machinery and other inputs for agriculture, fisheries and livestock from 1 January with the aim of promoting the growth of these sectors and achieving self-sufficiency in the regions they control. They said tariffs on books, newspapers, cooking gas, infant food, computers, educational accessories, and livestock feed have been completely removed with effect from Thursday.
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TNA MP says Muttur bridge on the verge of collapse

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 January 2004, 06:16 GMT]
The Kattaiparichchan bridge, which divides the Liberation Tigers-held villages in Muttur east from the rest of Muttur town controlled by the Sri Lanka Army, is on the verge of collapse, said Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian from Trincomalee, Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham, and brought the matter to the notice of the Trincomalee District Co-ordinating Committee Monday, sources said.
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Talks with a govt. sans defence impractical - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 January 2004, 04:45 GMT]
“It is impractical to hold peace negotiations when one party talks to the Tigers while another keeps the defence ministry in Sri Lanka. The international community, including Norway, has accepted this," Mr. Anton Balasingham, the political advisor of the Liberation Tigers told a Sri Lankan Minister and an MP who met him in London this week, according to the Thursday edition of Eelanaatham, a Tamil daily published from Kilinochchi, the main town in the LTTE controlled Vanni region.
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