Karuna kidnapped ENDLF secretary claims mother

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 November 2004, 16:47 GMT]
The mother of Mr. Pakkiyanathan Rajaratnam, 51, the secretary of the ENDLF, a Sri Lankan Tamil paramilitary based in South India, complained to the Human Rights Commission in Jaffna that her son has allegedly been kidnapped by the 'Karuna Group'. Mr. Rajaratnam alias Mano Master has been reported missing since last Thursday. Police are still investigating his whereabouts.
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Police re-imposes curfew in Trincomalee town

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 November 2004, 15:50 GMT]
Although there were no violent incidents, the Police Tuesday re-imposed curfew in Trincomalee and Uppuveli police divisions from 5 p.m. till 6 a.m. Wednesday as a preventive measure, police sources said.
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Australian aid for peace-building, humanitarian efforts

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 November 2004, 15:44 GMT]
Australian Government is to provide $4M aid to support projects in peace building and humanitarian efforts, a media release from Australian Embassy in Colombo said.
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'State your stand', Tamil MP tells President, JVP, UNP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 November 2004, 13:02 GMT]
''Members of the ruling party and media in the South are treating the LTTE leader's speech lightly. He says little but has achieved much. He does what he says. Hence accept his call and resume the peace talks. State your stand on the Tamil question unequivocally. If you do, then we can decide the path we have to take,'' said Mr.Selvarajah Gajendran, Tamil National Alliance MP for Jaffna speaking on the Sri Lankan government budget in Parliament Tuesday.
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President cannot prolong No war, No peace situation - Jaffna Daily

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 November 2004, 10:03 GMT]
''The Sri Lankan President should take urgent and constructive steps if the cease fire agreement is to survive'', said the Jaffna Tamil daily Uthyan in its editorial Monday, commenting on Colombo's stand on the peace process in the aftermath of Great Heroes' Day speech of LTTE leader Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan. The paper referred to recent statements from the Government prior to the LTTE leader's urgent appeal on Saturday that peace talks should be resumed.
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Southern consensus, a prerequisite to resume talks- Thinakural

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 November 2004, 09:31 GMT]
"Is the Sri Lanka Government, which tells the world that LTTE is unwilling to talk about permanent solution, prepared to talk to the Tigers with clarity of purpose and in one voice? If not, is the government at least prepared to acknowledge that its call for talk on permanent solution is not genuine?" questioned the editorial of the popular Tamil daily Thinakural referring to the annual speech of the LTTE leader.
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Vepankulam shooting, gross misuse of power- Judge

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 November 2004, 08:53 GMT]
Vavuniya district Judge M Ilancheliyan issued orders on Monday to Sri Lanka Army Commander of Vanni region and to the 211st Division Commander to assist the Police investigations relating to the shooting at the Tamil Marty’s Day celebrations in Verpankulam , legal sources said. Use of T-56 type weapons to disperse crowds when the Emergency Regulations is not in force will be seen as ''gross misuse of power,'' the Judge said.
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Navy, Army chiefs meet Trincomalee civil, religious leaders

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 November 2004, 08:45 GMT]
Rear Admiral Daya Sandagiri, Chief of Defence Staff and the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy Tuesday morning met a group of religious dignitaries of all faiths and civil leaders representing all communities in Trincomalee town. Chief of Defence Staff said he and the SLA Commander had come to Trincomalee to review the current security situation in the east port town, which witnessed several violent incidents on Monday and to make necessary steps to bring normalcy. Religious and civil leaders expressed their opinions on how to bring normalcy in the troubled town.
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Tamil Media Alliance holds award ceremony

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 November 2004, 16:59 GMT]
Former news editor of Virakesari and Sudaroli newspaper Mr. S. Edward won the Senior Journalist award during the annual award ceremony held by Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance (SLTMA) at the Wellwatte Ramakrishna Mission Hall Sunday, sources in Colombo said.
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SLN, SLA chiefs arrive in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 November 2004, 15:34 GMT]
Rear Admiral Daya Sandagiri, Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy and the Chief of Armed Forces and Major General Shantha Kottegoda, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) are reported to have arrived in Trincomalee Monday evening to assess the security situation in the east port town on the instruction of the Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge following violent incidents that have taken place Monday, Colombo security sources said.
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Australia pledges aid to development projects in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 November 2004, 11:59 GMT]
A High-level delegation of the Government of Australia Monday visited Jaffna district and pledged about five million US Dollar aid to several development projects in the peninsula. The delegation led by Mr.Bruce Billson, a Parliamentary Secretary in the Australian government arrived Palaly by special aircraft Monday, district secretariat sources said.
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Sinhala mob attempts to destroy Eelam cut-out during hartal

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 November 2004, 08:37 GMT]
Trincomalee Police Monday morning dispersed a group of Sinhalese that was attempting to pull down the large Tamil Eelam cutout erected in front of the Paththirakali Ambal Temple, during the general shut down in the eastern port town Monday. The cutout was erected in the heart of Trincomalee to mark the Heroes Day celebrations week. The cut-out is still standing, police said.
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Trincomalee town under 18-hour curfew

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 November 2004, 06:42 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police clamped a curfew for eighteen-hours in Trincomalee town and its suburbs from Monday noon till Tuesday morning 6 a.m. following sporadic violent incidents reported from various parts of the town during the general shut down called by the Tamil Peoples Forum of the Trincomalee district in protest to the killings and assault on Tamil civilians in the Tamil districts of the northeast by members of the State armed forces.
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Court delays Mirusuvil massacre inquiry

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 November 2004, 01:20 GMT]
The Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar inquiry into the Mirusuvil massacre case which was to resume Monday, 22 November, is to be delayed further with the murder of the High Court Judge Mr.Sarath Ambepitiya, legal sources said.
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Tank expansion threatens estate homes

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 November 2004, 00:19 GMT]
"Administrators of Serandip Estate in Badulla are planning to expand currently existing pool into a large water tank to hold agricultural water for rural farmers. If action is not taken to stop the project immediately we will mobilize the plantation workers and begin mass agitation," said Member of Uva Provincial Council from Upcountry Peoples Front (UPA), A Aravindakumar, in a letter to Minister Anurakumara Dissanayake, sources from Badulla said.
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NY Tamils celebrate Heroes Day

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 November 2004, 17:13 GMT]
Residents of New York and surrounding counties celebrated Heroes Day at Queens High School in Queens, New York, Saturday evening, event organizers said. Flag of the United States and of Tamil Eelam were jointly hoisted at the beginning of the event. Cultural events were held following floral tributes by the attendees to the memorial to 'Maaveerar' setup on stage.
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Colombo's new proposal aims to hurt NorthEast education- paper

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 November 2004, 13:58 GMT]
"Educational planning is Sri Lanka is not oriented towards the benefit of all its citizens, but is used as an instrument to suppress the progress of Tamils," said Uthayan in an editorial Thursday criticizing Sri Lanka Government's attempt to reintroduce merit system when the Northeast education is suffering from devastation of war. "When Tamils captured more places under the merit system, the SriLankan Government introduced the district quota system, and now when the Tamils are highly dependent on the district quota system the Government is out to topple this avenue," the editorial added.
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Vidataltivu residents lack medical facilities, ambulance

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 November 2004, 12:48 GMT]
Vidataltivu, a fishing hamlet located about 30 km off Mannar town in the Liberation Tigers controlled area in the Mannar administrative district is without medical, transport and other essential facilities. The government hospital with its new building constructed by the North East Community Restoration Development (NECORD) project funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB) and handed over to the Department of Health has no permanent medical officer.
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Children's Home gets Computer Training Center

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 November 2004, 12:42 GMT]
A computer-training centre was opened in "Anbu Illam," a leading children's home in the heart of Trincomalee town to provide computer education to resident children, administrators of the home, the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) officials said.
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TNA MP demands return of occupied houses in Vankalai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 November 2004, 12:14 GMT]
Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan, Vanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, Sunday wrote to the acting Defence Minister Mr.Ratnasiri Wickremanayake to take immediate steps to hand over houses in Vankalai in Mannar district now being occupied by the Sri Lanka Police to the displaced owners who have returned to their village for resettlement since the signing of the ceasefire agreement.
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Trincomalee to observe general shut down

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 November 2004, 12:13 GMT]
Tamil Peoples Forum of Trincomalee District Sunday issued an appeal to the Tamils in the east port town to observe a one-day general shut down Monday condemning violent attacks on innocent Tamil civilians during the Maveerar Week celebrations in the Tamil districts of northeast province by members of State armed forces and chauvinist elements, sources said.
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TECH donates solar systems to educational institutions

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 November 2004, 01:01 GMT]
As the first phase of a plan to donate 50 solar lighting systems, The Economic Consultancy House (TECH), a Non-Governmental Non-Profit Sharing Organization registered with the Government of Sri Lanka, at its Oddusuddan offices Friday, gave away nine complete systems to community educational establishments that conduct classes at night, sources from Vanni said.
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UPFA's maiden budget passes

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 November 2004, 17:42 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Saturday evening adopted the maiden budget of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) with a majority of 34 votes, 126 parliamentarians voting for and 92 against it. Only 218 members of 225 were present in parliament at the time of voting, parliamentary sources said.
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Sampanthan's son, aide injured in attack by Sinhala group

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 November 2004, 17:31 GMT]
Ramesh Senthooran, youngest son of Mr.R.Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader and his aide Mr.Gopal were injured in an attack by a group of Sinhalese believed to be members of a Sinhala political party, at Srimavopura, a Sinhala settlement located about 2 km off north of east port town in Uppuveli area on Saturday night around 7 p.m. The injured were warded in the Trincomalee general hospital, police said.
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TNA faults SLA for violence in Tamil districts

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 November 2004, 15:53 GMT]
"Unwarranted interference by the armed forces in the lives of the Tamil civilian population in the North-East must be brought to an end," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group in a statement of national public importance tabled in Parliament Saturday in regard to several violent incidents that had taken place in the districts of Jaffna, Mannar, Vavuniya and in Trincomalee during Heroes Day week.
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TNA MPs bring Heroes' Day event to Lanka's parliament

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 November 2004, 15:06 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Saturday around 6.35 evening (Wanni time) created history in the Sri Lanka's parliament by lighting the flame of sacrifice to mark the conclusion of the Heroes Day (Maveerar Week), parliamentary sources said.
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Tamil Tigers will launch freedom struggle if peace talks are further delayed - LTTE leader

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 November 2004, 12:39 GMT]
The leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Mr Velupillai Pirapaharan, in his annual statement marking Heroes’ Day, cautioned the Sri Lanka government that his organisation would be compelled to launch the freedom struggle of the Tamil nation if peace talks were further delayed and the suffering of his people continued. In an urgent appeal the LTTE leader called upon the Government of Sri Lanka to resume the peace talks, without conditions, on the basis of the Interim Self-Governing Authority as proposed by his organisation.
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North East celebrates Martyrs Day

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 November 2004, 10:57 GMT]
Towns, villages, remotest hamlets in the NorthEast are gaily decorated with yellow and red flags and cut outs depicting the Tamil liberation struggle observing the final day of the 'Maaveerar Naal' (Heroes Day) celebrations Saturday. The much avaited annual speech by LTTE leader Mr. V. Pirapaharan is to take place 5.40 P.M. Tamil Eelam time. The speech is also to be broadcast live by Tamil Television Network (TTN) worldwide live at 01.20 P.M (CET).
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Sri Lanka Cease Fire becoming irrelevant – Tamil MP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 November 2004, 10:30 GMT]
The Cease Fire Agreement would become increasingly irrelevant if there is not going to be any progress on the peace process, warned Tamil Parliamentarian Mr. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam speaking on the on the second reading of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government’s first (2005) Budget on Saturday. “The Tamil people’s overwhelming desire for peace should not be allowed to be taken for granted. Our repeated recommitment to the ceasefire is being misinterpreted by this government to be a sign of weakness”, the MP said.
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Seven suspects arrested in Judge's killing-IGP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 November 2004, 10:21 GMT]
Mr.Chandra Fernando, Inspector General of Police Saturday said at a press conference said the murder of Mr.Sarath Ambepitiya was a conspiracy by some criminals. Seven suspects arrested in this regard would be produced in court next week, he added.
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LTTE Commanders speak on Pirapaharan's 50th

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 November 2004, 05:06 GMT]
Senior Commanders of the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) and Senior members of LTTE's Political Wing, sent congratulatory messages to the Leader of LTTE Velupillai Pirapaharan on reaching 50 years, France-based Tamil Television Network (TTN) reported.
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Two injured in Kaithady attack

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 November 2004, 18:56 GMT]
Two persons believed to be members of the Intelligence Wing of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) attacked by unknown assailants were rescued from an isolated area about five hundred meters from Nunavil Junction in Chavakachcheri with serious knife inflicted wounds, around 7pm Friday, security sources in Jaffna said. The injured were admitted to the Palay Army Hospital.
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Foundation stone laid for Media Institute

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 November 2004, 16:38 GMT]
Rev. Father Mariyanayagam presided the ceremony marking the laying of foundation stone for a new Media Technology Institute in Ariviyal Nagar, Kilinochchi Friday. Senior Tamil Journalist S Kopalratnam and Head of Liberation Tigers Political Wing, S.P Thamilchelvan, laid the foundation stone for the new building, sources in Vanni said.
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SLA, LTTE meet in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 November 2004, 16:05 GMT]
Delegations of the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Friday held discussions in the presence of the Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Major General (retd) Trond Furuhovde, exploring ways to curb violence in Vavuniya. The Parties agreed to strengthen the dialogue prevent future incidents and to facilitate confidence-building between the parties, according to the joint statement released after the meeting.
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Police use teargas to disperse JVP protestors

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 November 2004, 12:32 GMT]
Trincomalee Police used teargas to disperse a group of about three hundred Sinhala demonstrators led by Trincomalee district Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) parliamentarian Mr.Jayantha Wijesekara in front of the Trincomalee Police Headquarters, police sources said. A curfew imposed Friday afternoon around 2 p.m. in Trincomalee town after the incident but was lifted around 5 p.m. the same day.
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Tamils celebrate Pirapaharan's 50th birthday

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 November 2004, 11:53 GMT]
Tamil people in the NorthEast and countries across the world are celebrating the 50th birthday of the Leader of Liberation Tigers, Velupillai Pirapaharan, Friday, 26 November. There were special prayers in churches and temples. Pirapaharan has led the Tamil struggle through three Eelam wars since he founded Tamil New Tigers in 1972, at the age of 18, and later renamed the organisation as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 1976.
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Governors' conference in Trinco postponed

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 November 2004, 02:42 GMT]
The sixth conference of provincial governors scheduled to held in Trincomalee from November 26 to November 28 has been postponed indefinitely following protests by Tamil people in the east port town, civic sources said. Tamil residents had protested against holding the conference to collide with the the maaveerar day celebrations.
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Tamils protest holding Governor's Conference during Heroes' week

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 November 2004, 01:30 GMT]
Tamil residents of Trincomalee expressed anger and resentment that the Sixth conference of provincial governors in Sri Lanka is to be held in Trincomalee from November 26 to November 28 to collide with arrangements to celebrate the Heroes Day during the same period, civil sources said. Representations made to the northeast provincial council authorities to postpone the conference have been ignored, Tamil sources in Trincomalee complain.
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Sampoor exhibition marks Heroes' Day celebrations

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 November 2004, 22:45 GMT]
Three-day Heroes' Day celebrations and an exhibition on the history of LTTE warfare were inaugurated in Sampoor Maha Vidiyalayam Thursday morning. A model airbase and Sea Tiger base were included as part of the exhibition, sources said.
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Sewing machines donated under self-employment project

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 November 2004, 19:14 GMT]
Trincomalee District Affected Students' Fund Thursday donated three sewing machines, through the Liberation Tigers Women Political Wing in Trincomalee district, to mothers of students who have been affected by the two-decade-old war, to generate self-employment . Colonel Sornam, Trincomalee district military commander of the LTTE handed over the sewing machines to the recipients at an event held in the premises of LTTE Trincomalee district women political wing office located in Chenaiyoor, sources said.
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ENDLF Rangappa gunned down in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 November 2004, 18:04 GMT]
A senior member of the ENDLF, a Sri Lankan paramilitary group based in India, was gunned down by unidentified gunmen in Dematagoda, an outer suburb of Colombo, Thursday evening, Police said. The slain man was identified as Mr. Sonnyboy Occerz alias 'Rangappa'. Police said that little is known about his activities in Sri Lanka. 'Rangappa' is from the small Dutch Burgher community in Batticaloa town.
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LTTE political worker shot dead in Akkaraipattu

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 November 2004, 15:45 GMT]
A political worker of the Liberation Tigers was shot dead by gunmen suspected to be from a paramilitary in Akkaraipattu town, 64 kilometres south of Batticaloa, Thurday around 5 p.m. The LTTE political worker, identified as Umakanth, 21, died on admission to Kalmunai Hospital, Police said. "We condemn the murder. The Sri Lankan security forces have to bear full responsibility for his death", said Mr. E. Kousalyan, head of LTTE's political division for Batticaloa-Amparai.
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Batticaloa prepares for Maaveerar Day

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 November 2004, 15:08 GMT]
Events commomerating LTTE martyrs were held in several Heroes' cemetaries as Batticaloa prepared to celebrate Maaveer's Day on Saturday. Liberation Tigers Military commanders and Leaders of Political wing atttended memorials in Kaluwanchikudi, Tharavai Heroes cemetary and Thandiyadi Heroes cemetary where Tamileelam National flags were hoisted followed by lighting of sacrificial lamp and floral tributes to martyrs, sources said.
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Sri Lanka army fires into crowd in Vavuniya, six injured

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 November 2004, 14:16 GMT]
Six civilians were injured when Sri Lanka army opened fire indiscriminately on a crowd of people at Veppankulam Junction in Vavuniya town Thursday around 5.15 p.m. A civilian was seriously injured in the shooting. SLA troops fired directly into the crowds that were in front of the Pillaiyar temple where earlier in the morning the Thamil Eelam flag had been hoisted, according to the injured civilians. SLA troops pulled down the flagpole, tore up the flag and assaulted people who were in the area.
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Mannar situation calamitous- Thamilchelvan tells SLMM

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 November 2004, 13:02 GMT]
Head of Liberation Tigers Political Wing, S.P Thamilchelvan, in an urgent message to Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Maj. Gen (retd) Trond Furuhovde described the situation in Mannar as "calamitous" that will lead to public unrest which is "totally undesirable" during the period of ceasefire and martyrs' day celebrations.
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Sri Lanka Parliament adjourned after Tamil MPs protest

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 November 2004, 12:10 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Parliament was adjourned Thursday after Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MPs sat in the well of the house in protest against military attacks on civilians in Mannar. The protesting TNA Parliamentarians refused to allow sittings to proceed until their demand that the Sri Lanka army should be withdrawn to barracks in the affected areas was met. The Tamil MPs rejected an explanation by Minister for Trade and Commerce, Mr. Jeyaraj Fernandopillai that the military had no hand in the Mannar troubles.
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Fourteen injured as troops attack civilians, MP in Mannar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 November 2004, 10:24 GMT]
Fourteen civilians were seriously injured when Sri Lanka army troops indiscriminately attacked hundreds of people in Mannar town Thursday. Tamil National Alliance MP for Mannar, Mr. Vino Noharathalingam and the parish priest for Thalvupaadu were also attacked in the rampage. Hundreds of SLA troops, firing in the air, ran amok in the town centre with iron bars and clubs, pulling down Heroes’ Day decorations and assaulting civilians. They attacked and damaged the political office of the Liberation Tigers in Mannar town.
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“Budget ignores collective will of Tamil Nation”-Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 November 2004, 05:27 GMT]
Mr.R.Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader speaking during the Budget debate in Sri Lanka's parliament Thursday morning, said that it is outrageous that the Finance Minister did not even consult the legitimate representatives of Tamil Nation. "The right to internal self-determination has been consistently denied to the Tamil people. This budget is yet another manifestation of that denial...Nothing can be more humiliating to the Tamil psyche than the non-recognition of their collective will. This situation if continued can have serious repercussions," he said.
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Sri Lanka torture victim slain before court appearance

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 November 2004, 18:37 GMT]
G.M Perera, who was tortured in 2002 by Wattala police officers, died at the General Hospital in Colombo Wednesday from critical gunshot wounds he suffered Sunday from an unknown assailant, sources from Colombo said. Mr Perera was to appear in Negombo High Court on 2 December related to the criminal case against the seven police officers.
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Two civilians decorating for Maveerar Day shot dead

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 November 2004, 16:52 GMT]
Two civilians who were decorating their neighbourhood for the Great Heroes' Day observations in Vanthaarumoolai, 18 kilometres north of Batticaloa, were shot dead Wednesday night around 7:50 by gunmen riding a motorbike.
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Batticaloa LTTE honours martyrs parents

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 November 2004, 12:03 GMT]
Parents of martyrs of Libertion Tigers were honoured at an event held at Batticaloa Mahajana College Hall Wednesday. Batticaloa Amparai district Head of the Women's Political Wing Ms Kuveni addressing the event told the parents that only because of the courage of their sons and daughters that Tamil people are close to reaching their goals.
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Dhanapala says happy about Mannar situation

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 November 2004, 11:56 GMT]
“I am happy that in Mannar we have a relatively low number of cease fire violations that reflects very well the situation in Mannar”, said Mr. Jayantha Dhanapala, Secretary General of the Sri Lankan government’s Peace Secretariat, speaking to journalists briefly during an official visit to Vavuniya Wednesday. However, he refused to take questions from the media. Accompanied by Maj. Gen. Parami Kulatunga, Sri Lankan armed forces commander for the Vanni, Mr. Dhanapala visited the main entry point on the line of control at Omanthai, 15 kilometres north Vavuniya.
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UPFA budget has no relief for Tamils - TNA

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 November 2004, 10:37 GMT]
''The maiden budget of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government has failed to address any remedy for the immediate humanitarian needs of the war-torn people of the northeast province who have suffered immensely for the past two decades of the war,'' said Mr.Joseph Pararajasingham, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) national list parliamentarian speaking on the budget debate in the parliament Wednesday.
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Troubles erupt over flag in Mannar town

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 November 2004, 10:35 GMT]
Mannar town was tense Wednesday afternoon amidst a stand off between Sri Lankan security forces and hundreds of civilians over the removal of a Thamil Eelam national flag hoisted at a sports festival to mark 'Great Heroes' Week. Crowds burnt tires in the town and demanded that the flag be handed back to organisers of the sports festival on the Mannar general play ground. Trouble erupted after some Sri Lanka army soldiers removed and took away the flag, Mannar Police said. Sri Lanka army deployed more troops and armoured vehicles in Mannar town following the fracas.
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Sinhala clubs join Trinco Heroes' day sporting events

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 November 2004, 01:31 GMT]
The inaugural event of sports tournament organized by the Tamileelam Sports Section was held at the Trincomalee McHeyzer Stadium Monday. Of the sixteen teams that have entered the Volley Ball tournament all except two are from predominantly Sinhalese sports clubs including Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Sri Lanka Police teams, according to tournament organizers.
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Oldest nursery graduates Kindergarten students

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 November 2004, 00:30 GMT]
Little King Nursery, a leading private pre-school in Trincomalee town and founded in 1971 held its first graduation ceremony, a novel event for children entering Year-1 in Government schools next year at the Trincomalee Methodist Girls College Sunday. The event was organized under the patronage of Rev.Fr.George Dissanayake, Parish Priest of the Trincomalee St.Mary's Cathedral, and the guest of honour was Ms Michell Perera, Teacher-in-charge of Police Pre-School in Trincomalee.
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Urgent need to support NorthEast microfinance sector - GTZ

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 November 2004, 11:57 GMT]
German Technical Cooperation (GTZ)said in a press release issued Tuesday that ''higher levels of funding are required at this time and that many micro-finance service providers are in need of significant strengthening and capacity building if they are to provide effective services to the entrepreneurial poor,'' in the NorthEast region.
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Southern Lanka reaps what it has sown - Jaffna Daily

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 November 2004, 07:17 GMT]
Southern Sri Lanka is now facing "the unenviable and pathetic situation" of having to meet the consequence of its "blind pursuit of the policy of militarization and weapons acquisition" said the Jaffna-based newspaper Uthayan in its editorial Tuesday, referring to the re-introduction of the execution of the death sentence by the Sri Lankan government. Deserters from the Sri Lanka Army, numbering in the tens of thousands, are among the main sources of rising crime in the south.
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Tigers dismiss Batticaloa attack reports as SLA psy ops

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 November 2004, 04:39 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers dismissed reports in the Sri Lankan state controlled media that more than thirty LTTE fighters were killed in a landmine attack in the Batticaloa district's interior. "This is clearly another psy-ops gimmick by the Sri Lankan armed forces to disrupt the Great Heroes' Week in Batticaloa", an LTTE spokesman told journalists Monday night. Meanwhile, residents of Batticaloa town said Sri Lanka army troopers had dropped hundreds of handbills in the name of the paramilitary Karuna Group in the early hours of the morning Tuesday.
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Heroes' parents honoured in Trinco

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 November 2004, 02:43 GMT]
"The Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) in past abrogated pacts with Tamils because they were merely written on piece of paper. The current MoU was signed with the backing of our military strength. Sri Lanka Government knows the consequences of violating this agreement," said Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the LTTE addressing an event held Monday in Trincomalee to honour parents of LTTE martyrs of Trincomalee division as a part of Heroes Day celebrations.
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Pakistan, Sri Lanka discuss defence

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 November 2004, 18:10 GMT]
Sri Lanka and Pakistan agreed to further strengthen their traditional cooperation in defence during high level talks between visiting Pak premier and President Kumaratunga on Sunday. Both sides agreed to review the defence credit line of US $ 20 million ''with a view to its operationalization.'' President Kumaratunga accepted an invitation by Pakistan to visit the country early next year, according to a press note by the Sri Lankan govt.
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Police arrest youth in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 November 2004, 17:11 GMT]
Police said they arrested a youth on suspicion in Batticaloa town Monday. He was in a restaurant in front of GV Hospital, a private nursing home in Batticaloa town, according Police. The youth, Mr. Ganesamoorthy Sasikaran, 19 of Mayilambaveli, 10 kilometres north of Batticaloa, is being questioned, according to Police. He is yet to be produced before the Batticaloa magistrate because preliminary investigations for the First Information Report (FIR) are not over, Police said.
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Police search slain journalist's home in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 November 2004, 16:53 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police backed by army troops Monday searched the home of slain journalist Mr. Aiyathurai Nadesan's home in Batticaloa town. Mr. Nadesan, a well regarded senior Tamil journalist, was murdered by gunmen suspected to be assassins from a paramilitary working with the Sri Lanka army on 31 May this year. His wife Ms. Gowry and children were at home when the Police searched the slain journalist's house. "The children and I are scared and worried. Why are they doing this to us?", lamented Ms. Gowri Nadesan.
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Maj. Gen. Tennekoon says no to scrapping fishing pass

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 November 2004, 11:34 GMT]
Maj. Gen. Sunil Tennekoon, Sri Lankan security forces commander for Jaffna, Sunday refused a request by the people of Manalkaadu, a village on the peninsula's southeast coast, to permit them to fish in the sea without the mandatory pass system. Maj. Gen. Tennekoon met residents of Manalkaadu at St. Anthony's Church in the village to discuss difficulties they face. Villagers told them that their biggest problem is the Sri Lanka army's pass system for fishing in the seas off the Manakkadu coast.
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ISGA must be basis for talks- Gajendrakumar

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 November 2004, 00:31 GMT]
Speaking at a seminar on "Power Sharing for a lasting peace" held at the Social and Economic Development Center (SEDEC) in Colombo Saturday, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam said, "Tamil people believe that an interim administration is an essential prerequisite to embarking on talks for a solution to the conflict...and they will not allow the LTTE to give up the right to secession before the parties reach agreements on the outstanding core issues."
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UNICEF distributes learning materials to Trinco students

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 November 2004, 18:17 GMT]
Educational Development Organization (EDO) of Trincomalee District, supported by UNICEF, distributed teaching and learning materials to teachers and students serving in twenty Happy Learning Centres (HLC) at an event held at Trincomalee Vivekananda College Sunday morning. EDO runs twenty HLCs that are conducting classes to rural students who are behind in their education due to war and poverty in the Trincomalee district, sources said.
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Maveerar Day celebrations begin in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 November 2004, 15:32 GMT]
Maveerar day celebrations began Sunday morning in Jaffna district with hoisting of Thamileelam national flag and lighting the flame of sacrifice in several LTTE war cemeteries. Students, parents, relatives of martyrs and members of public participated in these events in large numbers, sources said.
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Trincomalee town, suburbs' security strengthened

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 November 2004, 15:26 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Sri Lanka Police have deployed more soldiers in strategic points in the Trincomalee town and several parts of the district under their control following several violent incidents that had taken place during the weekend, security sources said.
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Powerful bombs thrown at LTTE political offices in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 November 2004, 03:59 GMT]
Two powerful bombs were thrown simultaneously at the political offices of the Liberation Tigers in Batticaloa town and Kaluwanchikudy close to midnight Saturday. The bombs, made of high power plastic explosives packed with shrapnel in plastic cans, did not explode due to faulty detonating mechanism, Police said. The bombs would have demolished the LTTE offices and caused extensive damage to the neighbourhoods, killing and wounding scores of people if the packed plastic explosives had exploded fully, Police said.
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New Media Institute to be built in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 November 2004, 23:18 GMT]
Foundation stone for a new Media Technology Institute is to be laid in Ariviyal Nagar in Kilinochchi on Friday, 26 November, sources in Vanni said. Officials in charge of the Institute said that the Institute is intended to promote media education among the Tamil community and to train local journalists to keep current with the advances in journalism and media information technology.
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Book on Yogaswamy released in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 November 2004, 18:02 GMT]
A book titled "Yogaswamy and Kilinochchi: A Spiritual Journey" describing the spiritual association of the popular Columbuthurai, Jaffna, sage Yogaswamy with Kilinochchi district was released Friday at the Kilinochchi Cultural Center by Srimath Aathma Ganananthaji swamy from Colombo Ramakrishna Mission, sources in Vanni said.
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Muddy SLA detour jams traffic

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 November 2004, 17:44 GMT]
Heavy morning traffic on the A9 highway near Omanthai, the main entry point to the northern Vanni region held by the Liberation Tigers, was blocked for more than five hours Saturday after two vehicles got stuck in a muddy side road made by the Sri Lanka army through a private property. The SLA made the detour road to divert public traffic around its Nochchimoddai camp, which straddles the A9 highway near Omanthai.
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Sri Lanka says death penalty for murder, narco trade, rape

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 November 2004, 14:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka Saturday said it will mete death penalty for murder, rape and narcotics trafficking. A communique from Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga said necessary amendments would be made to the Sri Lanka's criminal law to give effect to the decision. The reintroduction of capital punishment follows the murder of high court judge Mr. Sarath Ambepitiya by gunmen allegedly linked to drug trafficking.
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Pak PM to discuss trade, regional security

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 November 2004, 13:26 GMT]
The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Shaukat Aziz, is scheduled to arrive in Colombo on Sunday 21 November on a two-day visit. He will mainly hold talks on a free trade agreement between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. A press note issued by the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo Saturday noted that the Pakistan PM's discussions with his counterpart in Colombo "will also focus on enhancing trade as the current trade volume neither reflects the warm political relations between the two governments nor does it match the aspirations of the people".
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Pandemonium in Parliament over Jaffna incidents

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 November 2004, 10:19 GMT]
Pandemonium reigned in the Sri Lankan Parliament as government MPs attempted to shout down the leader of the Tamil National Alliance, Mr. R. Sampanthan who wanted to make statement on the killings and unrest in Jaffna. Sittings were suspended for several minutes when TNA MPs gathered in the well of the house and shouted slogans agains the Sri Lankan government. "Don't kill Tamils, We will establish Eelam (separate Tamil state), End military occupation of the Tamil homeland", the TNA Parliamentarians chanted standing in the midst of the well.
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"SLA responsible for VVT killings" - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 November 2004, 10:12 GMT]
Mr.C.Ilamparithi, LTTE Jaffna district political head in a statement issued Saturday said that the Sri Lanka Army should be held responsible for the brutal killing of two innocent Tamil youths in Valvettithurai on Friday evening as this dastardly crime had taken place in an area which is surrounded by several sentries and mini-camps of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA).
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Protest against VVT murders shuts down Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 November 2004, 06:11 GMT]
Shops were closed and roads were mostly deserted in Jaffna Saturday in protest against the killing of two youth who were playing football in Valvettithurai Friday evening. Protestors burnt tires and blocked roads in several parts of the peninsula. Some clashed with troops and Police. A man identified as Mr. Manikkam Sundaram, 38, was wounded when Police and military opened fire on the protestors.
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Trinco resettled IDPs' plight spotlighted

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 November 2004, 03:29 GMT]
"No one can talk about peace and reconciliation when thousands suffer for want of shelter, food and clothes. Peace and reconciliation are only of secondary concern for them," said Mr.T.Thavasilingam, Chairman of the Consortium of Non-Governmental Organizations in Trincomalee district presiding over the meeting of Eastern Forum of Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHU).
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Singhalese monopolise Sri Lanka's national wealth - TNA MP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 November 2004, 00:29 GMT]
“This budget has been made to look after the interests of the Sinhala people. The Tamil people have been totally denied the right to share the national wealth of this country. Under Article 148 of the Sri Lankan constitution public finance is in the full control of this Parliament. This is a Sinhala Buddhist dominated Parliament. It means that the Singhalese have monopoly over national wealth. Hence the Tamil people can never hope to benefit from Sri Lanka’s budget”, said Mr. S. Gajendran, Tamil National Alliance MP for Jaffna, speaking on the budget in Sri Lanka’s Parliament Friday.
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1000 Tamil medium teachers to be selected

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 November 2004, 18:21 GMT]
North East Provincial Ministry of Education is to hold interviews to select one thousand GCE Advanced Level qualified teachers from about 1,500 who were successful in a competitive examination held by the Commissioner of Examinations several months ago, provincial education ministry officials said.
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Jaffna undergrads urge India not to support Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 November 2004, 17:47 GMT]
Jaffna University Students Union (JUSU) Friday wrote to the Indian Prime Minister Mr.Manmohan Singh not to extend his Government's support to Sri Lanka government in its attempts to crush the freedom struggle of Eelam Tamils by providing financial assistance for the implementation of the Palaly airbase runway project in Jaffna district, sources in Jaffna said.
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Jaffna prepares for Heroes' Day celebrations

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 November 2004, 17:16 GMT]
Students, public servants and members of public are giving a new look to Heroes' cemetaries in Jaffna district in preparation for the Maveerar Day which falls on November 26, sources said.
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Two killed as gunmen fire on football game in VVT

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 November 2004, 14:15 GMT]
Two youth were killed and one wounded when gunmen riding a motorbike fired at random into a group of men playing football in Valvettithurai Friday evening around 6.10, Police said. The gunmen had used a T-56 type assault rifle. "They could not be identified as they were wearing rain coats and helmets", a youth who escaped the firing told TamilNet.
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Give Talks priority over self-serving constitutional reforms, TNA tells SL President

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 November 2004, 11:35 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance, in a statement issued to the media Friday, said that the Sri Lanka President, by her recent statement, is attempting to "deflect focus from contradictions and inconsistencies that prevail in her own government," and instead, she "should communicate to the LTTE at the earliest, that the Government is prepared to commence talks on the basis of the ISGA proposals." The 22 TNA parliamentarians signed the statement.
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High court judge gunned down in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 November 2004, 10:18 GMT]
A high court judge was shot dead at his residence by unidentified gunmen in Colombo Friday afternoon. The gunmen had entered the residence of the judge, Mr. Sarath Ambepitiya, after firing at his security guard. The guard who is also Mr. Ambepitiya's driver was killed , Police said. The judge was killed on the spot when the gunmen opened fire on him, according to Police.
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UNP to oppose SL government budget

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 November 2004, 05:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) decided Thursday evening to oppose the maiden budget of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, UNP sources said.
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Ex UNP minister joins UPFA government

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 2004, 13:18 GMT]
Mr. Rohitha Bogollagama, ex United National Party (UNP) minister, crossed over to President Chandrika Kumaratunga's ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Thursday, while the UPFA's maiden budget was being presented in Parliament. He was immediately sworn in as Minister for Advanced Technology and National Enterprises. The cross over of the powerful UNP Parliamentarian from the Kurunagala district has further strengthened the UPFA's position in the Sri Lankan legislature.
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Embezzlement of Estate Pension funds suspected

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 2004, 12:24 GMT]
Workers of the estates under the Agrapatana Plantation Ltd have reported to the Labor Relations Officier (LRO) of the Ceylon National Workers Union at its office in Haputale, that the EPF (Employee Provident Fund) and ETF (Employee Trust Fund) of nearly 40,000 workers have not been deposited in the bank since 2002, sources from Haputale said.
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SL Budget, home grown, people friendly- Amunugama

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 2004, 11:39 GMT]
Dr.Sarath Amunugama, Finance Minister of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government which came to power in April 2nd general election this year began his maiden budget speech Thursday around 2.30 p.m. amid expectation in the trade union circles an impressive salary increase for public servants as promised during the hustings, parliamentary sources said.
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SLA military intelligence operative, Karuna cadre killed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 2004, 10:31 GMT]
A Sri Lanka military intelligence operative and a person suspected to be a member of the paramilitary, 'Karuna Group' were shot dead by a gunman in Kaduruwela, a satellite town of Polannaruwa, 85 kilometres northwest of Batticaloa, around 1.30 p.m. Thursday, Police said. The men were riding a motorbike in the predominantly Sinhala town when they were shot by a person with a handgun. The Sri Lanka military intelligence operative, Lance Corporal Ajith Dassanayaka was killed on the spot and the Karuna Group cadre died on admission to the Polannaruwa hospital, according to Police.
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LTTE political worker shot dead in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 2004, 03:46 GMT]
A political worker of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was shot dead Wednesday night around 9.45 by gunmen suspected to be paramilitary operatives working with the Sri Lanka military intelligence in Valaichenai, 32 kilometres north of Batticaloa. The LTTE political activist, Mr.Maheswaran Rusangan, was returning home when he was gunned down on Murugankovil Road in Valaichenai town, Police said.
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Jaffna IDPs oppose Palaly runway extension

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 2004, 03:23 GMT]
Union of Welfare Organizations of Displaced (UWOD) in Jaffna District Thursday in a press release appealed to the Government of India not to lend any assistance to the Sri Lanka government's plan to extend the Palaly airbase runway which will make the hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people permanent in refugee camps and welfare centres, civil sources said.
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Expression of Unified position vital- Wickremesinghe

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 November 2004, 16:21 GMT]
''Sri Lanka's President must candidly discuss the peace process with leaders of Janatha Vimukthy Preramana (JVP) and arrive at a common position acceptable to both President Kumaratunge and the JVP,'' said opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at the United National Party (UNP) New members intake meeting on Tuesday evening, held at UNP party Head office, political sources in Colombo said.
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Accused Army driver's remand extended

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 November 2004, 14:20 GMT]
Chavakachcheri Magistrate Mr.P.Balasubramaniam Wednesday ordered remand till November 24 for Mr.Mudiansalage Wijesinghe, army driver who was alleged to have fatally knocked down a Hindu priest Monday near Kodikamam in Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district legal sources said.
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JVP slams WB, IMF on eve of Sri Lanka budget

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 November 2004, 14:07 GMT]
A trade union of the Marxist, Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s main coalition partner, put up thousands of posters in Colombo Wednesday warning that her government’s maiden budget, which is to be presented Thursday in Parliament, should not fall prey to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. The JVP is stridently opposed to the influence that World Bank and IMF have had on Sri Lanka’s fiscal policies since the country’s economy was deregulated in 1977.
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Foreign employment agent shot dead with T-56

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 November 2004, 13:23 GMT]
A foreign employment agent was shot dead with an assault rifle by unidentified gunmen Tuesday night in a settlement near Valaichenai, 32 kilometres north of Batticaloa, Police said. According to local residents, the man is neither a sympathiser of the Liberation Tiger nor a known supporter of any paramilitary group working with Sri Lankan armed forces in the east. Police said the killing was no ordinary murder because the gunmen had used a T-56 assault rifle to gun down their victim.
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SLMM Head meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 November 2004, 11:13 GMT]
Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Major Gen.(retd) Trond Furuhovde, met Head of LTTE's Political Wing, S.P Thamilchelvan, at the LTTE Peace Secretariat Building in Kilinochchi, Thursday LTTE sources said. The necessity to co-ordinate urgent matters through the Peace Secretariat, Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) and issues related to district level celebration planned by the LTTE for the Martyrs Day on 27 November were discussed at the meeting, sources said.
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Tamil women's Confluence Event held in Trinco

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 November 2004, 03:32 GMT]
Tamil women associations in Varothiar Nagar- Puthukuddiyiurpu, a suburb three km off north of Trincomalee town held a "Women's Confluence (Sangamam)" Monday evening at Varothiar Nagar Barathi Tamil Vidiyalayam and handed over a birthday greeting card to Ms Kaaronja, Liberation Tigers' Trincomalee district women political wing to be forwarded to the LTTE leader Mr.V.Pirapaharan on his fiftieth birthday, sources attending the event said.
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IDP shelters inundated by floodwater

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 November 2004, 02:57 GMT]
Torrential rain the past few days has left several low-lying areas in villages north of Trincomalee town inundated by floodwater. Internally displaced families sheltered in welfare camps in Nilaveli village and other areas are under going severe hardships, civil sources said.
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Jaffna-Pannai road is to go under sea due to erosion

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 November 2004, 17:24 GMT]
Due to neglect and lack of maintenance by the Road Development Authority the Pannai road which links Jaffna mainland with islets, is in the verge of going under sea between Pannai and Allaipiddy due to sea erosion, civil sources said.
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LTTE wants UPFA to state its unified stand on peace talks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 November 2004, 12:58 GMT]
''The Sri Lankan government and all its coalition partners should convey to us their unified stand, their consensus in support of the peace process. The Sri Lankan government's coalition partner, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and others are opposing the peace process. Therefore we cannot depend on the Sri Lankan President alone to take forward the peace process. This is what our leader conveyed to the Sri Lankan President through the Norwegian Foreign Minister'', said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan speaking to the press Tuesday after a conference with MPs of the Tamil National Alliance in Kilinochchi.
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"Collective Agreement, a violation of democracy"

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 November 2004, 11:36 GMT]
The President of the Kandy Human Development Organisation (HDO), Mr. P.P. Sivapragasam, said at a media conference held at the Brighton Hotel, Colombo Monday that the Collective Agreement (CA) entered into between the Employers' Federation and some Trade Unions on wage increase to the Plantation workers, was a violation of democracy.
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Baby girl dies in floodwater in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 November 2004, 09:02 GMT]
Two-year-old baby girl M. Mary Kensia Monday about noon drowned in a pothole filled with floodwater in Pommaiveli, a suburb in Jaffna town. Her body was handed over to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital later in the afternoon, medical sources said.
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TRO organizes Pre-School teacher training in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 November 2004, 09:00 GMT]
Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) is conducting training programmes to pre school teachers and pre school development coordinators jointly with Forut and SCiSL throughout NorthEast covering all the communities through a bottom up organization, Pre-School Education Development Centre, TRO sources said.
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Students excelled in scholarship exam honoured in Trinco

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 November 2004, 08:28 GMT]
Parents and well- wishers of the Trincomalee Sri Shanmuga Hindu Ladies College honoured 33 students who passed Year-5 Scholarship examination this year and the 3 teachers who were in charge of their education at an event held in the college hall Monday. This was the first time in the Trincomalee district more than 50 students passed in the Year 5 scholarship examination from one school, education sources said.
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Jaffna man killed by Police fire in Anuradhapura

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 November 2004, 06:58 GMT]
A sixty year old man from Jaffna who was returning from Colombo in a van with relatives from Germany was shot dead by Police in Anuradhapura around 3.15 a.m Tuesday. Anuradhapura Police said that the van was fired at because it did not stop when it was signalled to do so. However, the van driver told Vavuniya Police that he did not stop because the person who signalled at Jaffna Junction in Anuradhapura town was not in Police uniform.
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EPDP refuses to participate in Rights Seminar

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 November 2004, 17:19 GMT]
Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), para military group and a constituent of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government has informed the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) that it would not participate in seminars on human rights organized for its members due to security reasons, sources said.
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Army driver remanded in Kodikamam fatal accident

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 November 2004, 17:17 GMT]
Mr.M.Kandasamy, acting Chavakachcheri Magistrate Sunday night remanded Mr.Mudiansalage Wijeyasiri, bowzer driver of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), till November 17, when the driver was produced by the Kodikamam police in connection with the death of Hindu priest Mr.Varatharajakurukkal Harihara Sarma on Sunday morning in a road accident, legal sources said.
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'Sinhala consensus is a perfidious mirage'- MP

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 November 2004, 15:46 GMT]
"Sinhala parties will never come to a consensus on a political settlement to the ethnic conflict. It won't happen even if we Tamils wait patiently for another fifty years in deference to the wishes of the international community. The so called 'Sinhala Consensus' is a perfidious mirage. It is now time for the Tamil people to call the bluff and prepare to forge ahead on their own", said Mr. Senathirajah Jeyanandamoorthy, TNA MP for Batticaloa, speaking to TamilNet Monday about Colombo's reaction to the latest proposal by the LTTE to restart the long stalled peace talks in Sri Lanka.
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Estate workers to protest water tank construction

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 November 2004, 11:50 GMT]
"Unless construction of a tank in the Bandarawela Farm Estate is completely stopped, all workers of not only the Estates in the Badulla District but the entire Plantation sector will rise against it," warned Badulla District Parliamentarian and Asst. Secretary of the The Ceylon Workers congress (CWC), Vadivel Suresh at a media conference held at Badulla Holiday Inn Hotel, Sunday.
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Lions club joins in Trinco cleanup

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 November 2004, 20:37 GMT]
"Mosquitoes spreading dengue fever are found all parts of Trincomalee town and its suburbs. About 31 positive cases have been detected and one died following the second outbreak of the epidemic in east port town since October this year. In the first outbreak in March this year one died," said Regional Epidemiologist Dr.T.Thavakodirajah. The Trinco Urban Council has solicited the help of Lions Club and volunteers to remove uncollected solid waste in Trincomalee, civil sources said.
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Sinhala leaders didn't understand power sharing -Rupasinghe

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 November 2004, 18:49 GMT]
"Sinhala leaders have no understanding of the Tamil question. They did not understand how to share power since 1948 (when the island was granted independence by the British). Power has been Sinhala. Sri Lankan armed forces are 99 percent Sinhala. Tamil is not implemented as an official language. How can we transform a Sinhala hegemonic state into a federal one? This is the challenge before us" said Mr. Kumar Rupasinghe, a leading peace activist in Sri Lanka.
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Ex-Foreign Minister, new Governor for NorthEast?

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 November 2004, 14:22 GMT]
Mr.Tyronne Fernando, Foreign Minister in the former United National Front (UNF) government, is tipped to be the next Governor of the North East Province replacing Major General (retd) Asoka Jayawardene who is to assume duties as the Secretarary to the Ministry of Defence with effect from December 1, provincial sources said.
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Inter faith group meets in Jaffna to discuss Peace

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 November 2004, 12:09 GMT]
Three-day workshop on Inter Faith Collaboration on Peace Process in Sri Lanka began Saturday at the Jaffna Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) auditorium located in Chundikuli, a suburb in Jaffna town. Dignitaries of all faiths participated in the inaugural event, sources said.
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Free kids computer parks said basis for e-society

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 November 2004, 10:29 GMT]
“Our objective is to spread computer literacy among the Tamil people. Our leader wants to create an e-society in the Tamil homeland. It is the foundation on which he plans to build an efficient e-government for our people. The best way to do it is to invest knowledge of Information Technology in our children. This is the idea that inspired the Free Kids Computer Parks (FKCP)”, Mr. S. Nalan, head of Students’ Organisation of Thamil Eelam, told TamilNet Sunday as he showed around the first FKCP in Kilinochchi.
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SLA, Police tear gas assault protestors in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 November 2004, 06:13 GMT]
Tension prevailed near Kodikamam town in Jaffna Sunday morning as military and Police fired tear gas and assaulted civilians protesting against an accident on the A9 highway in which a Sri Lanka army vehicle knocked down and killed a young Hindu priest. Hundreds of protesting civilians in the area blocked the highway and set fire to the Sri Lanka army vehicle and two military motorbikes. Two journalists who were covering the incident were also assaulted by Police and SLA troopers.
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Sri Lanka's ruling coalition divided on Kotmale project

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 November 2004, 19:27 GMT]
Minister of Estate Infrastructure Mr Muthu Sivalingam of the Ceylon Workers congress (CWC) told the press Friday that CWC will never permit the implementation of the upper Kotmale Hydro-power scheme and warned that United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government will be forcedout of power if it proceeds with the project disregarding CWC's protest.
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'Will come to power soon' proclaims JVP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 November 2004, 17:57 GMT]
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Sri Lanka's powerful Marxist Sinhala nationalist party and President Chandrika Kumaratunga main coalition partner, Saturday marked the 15th death anniversary of its founder Rohana Wijeweera with a massive public meeting at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo.Addressing the meeting, Mr. Tilvin Silva, general secretary of the JVP, lambasted the United National Party, accusing its leader Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe of conspiring with the Liberation Tigers to divide the island nation. JVP is stridently opposed to granting regional autonomy to Tamils.
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Jaffna islet families demand removal of pass system

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 November 2004, 15:19 GMT]
Pungudutivu Division Civil Groups Consortium (PDCGC) Saturday wrote to Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge to take immediate action to completely lift the residential pass system introduced for resettled families in Pungudutivu by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), civil sources in Jaffna said.
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Jaffna flood victims struggle without relief

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 November 2004, 14:25 GMT]
Hundreds of families affected by flood in Jaffna district due to torrential rain are not provided with any relief by the central government and provincial council authorities, civil group activists complained Saturday.
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TNA MP protests Ministry order to remove two Hindu temples

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 November 2004, 14:04 GMT]
"Destruction of Hindu shrines in areas where thousands of Hindus reside and construction of Buddhist shrines on State lands where there are hardly any Buddhists are blatant discriminatory acts and indicate State's willingness to condone acts committed in the name of Buddhism," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance parliamentary group leader and member of parliament for the Trincomalee district in a letter to the Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
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SLN bans fishing in Chullipuram Sea

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 November 2004, 13:52 GMT]
Jaffna District Fisheries Societies Federation (JDFSF) Saturday said hundreds of fishermen residing in coastal areas of Chullipuram would lose their profession following the construction of training centre along shore by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) violating the ceasefire agreement signed by the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), sources said.
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Body found in Mannar town

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 November 2004, 05:53 GMT]
The body of a man was found with gun shot wounds in the head was found in Mannar town on Saturday morning, Police said. A placard with the name Ellalan Padai (army) was found by the body. When Mannar acting magistrate visited the scene of murder Saturday morning, the dead man's brother identified the body as that of Mr.Thommai Yesudasan, 38, of Nochchikulam north of Mannar. Informed sources in Mannar alleged that the man was connected to the drug trade.
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TNA MPs, LTTE activist attend Ifthar in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 November 2004, 05:42 GMT]
Mr.R.Sampanthan and Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians from the Trincomalee district, Mr.M.S.Thowfeek, former parliamentarian and a leading member of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Mr.Puratchi, head of the Trincomalee District Thamileelam Students Unit of the Liberation Tigers participated at the 'Ifthar' function held Friday evening at the Trincomalee Mohaideen Andavar Mosque, sources said.
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Jaffna zone education problems discussed

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 November 2004, 18:13 GMT]
"The reason for the decline of standard of education in Jaffna district is ignoring the development of rural schools when allocating funds," said Mr.Mavai Senathirajah, Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian when addressing the first consultation meeting held Friday to review the progress of education development in Jaffna education zone, sources said.
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Jaffna to be included in livestock development plan

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 November 2004, 18:12 GMT]
A team of government officials Friday visited Jaffna to conduct a survey to include Jaffna district in the proposed National Livestock Development plan. The team attended a conference held at the district secretariat with the Government Agent Mr.S.Pathmanathan in the chair, sources said.
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Jaffna SLA officials complain of promotion irregularities

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 November 2004, 18:09 GMT]
Two army officials based in the Palaly military base of the Sri Lanka Army have lodged complaints with the Jaffna regional office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HCRSL) that they have been deprived of their legitimate promotion by the SLA command, human rights sources said.
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Arafat was force of inspiration for all oppressed masses- Pirapaharan

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 November 2004, 16:46 GMT]
“Arafat was the source and force of inspiration, not only for the Palestinian people but for all the oppressed masses of the world," said leader of Liberation Tigers, Velupillai Pirapaharan in his condolence letter to the Palestinian people and their leadership.
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Tigers, SLA discuss security of LTTE political workers

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 November 2004, 13:37 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers met Sri Lankan armed forces representatives Friday at the truce monitoring mission office in Batticaloa for discussions on the security of their political activists who are working in the eastern town. At the meeting, the Tigers pointed out that LTTE members are, contrary to the spirit of the cease fire agreement, harassed by Sri Lankan armed forces when they show their official identity cards. This hinders the LTTE's political work in areas controlled by the Sri Lankan government in Batticaloa, the Liberation Tigers told Sri Lankan armed forces delegation.
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Media should promote ISGA- paper

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 November 2004, 11:48 GMT]
Pointing out the declaration by South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA) that said "ISGA proposal could serve as useful basis for the commencement of talks to map out an interim structure," and to the statement made by Prof Uyangoda that there is "imperative need for the Sinhala leadership to abandon its mindset vis-à-vis the State structure based on majoritarian hegemony," Tamil daily Thinakural in its Wednesday editorial said that the "regional and the national media organizations which have taken hardline positions on ISGA should adopt a positive, flexible attitude."
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Paramilitary operative arrested for claymore attack in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 November 2004, 11:36 GMT]
Batticaloa Magistrate Friday remanded a ‘Karuna Group’, cadre accused of attempting to murder two civilians by exploding a claymore mine and lobbing a grenade at them on Thursday around 2.30 p.m. near Kaluwankerni Junction on the main coastal artery of the district. Mr. Dharmasena Ratnayaka, Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Eravur Police said the Karuna Group cadre was operating from the EPDP camp in neighbouring Chenkalady.
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LTTE sends condolence message to Palestinian People

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 November 2004, 04:36 GMT]
"The LTTE on behalf of the Tamil people wishes to take this opportunity to send its condolences to the Palestinian people for the untimely loss of their leader Yasser Arafat and also expresses solidarity with them in their liberation struggle," said the Liberation Tigers in the LTTE Peace Secretariat website, following the meeting between the LTTE leaders and Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Peterson Thursday.
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Cultural Hall costing Rs.8m planned for Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 November 2004, 02:23 GMT]
Jaffna Municipal Council Commissioner, Prof.K.Gunarasa, told the press that plans have been finalized to build a Cultural Hall in the council owned land opposite to Subramaniam Gardens at a cost of Rs.8m, media reports in Jaffna said.
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TNA MPs to hold discussion on Jaffna education

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 November 2004, 17:59 GMT]
Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians are to conduct discussions with teachers, principals and education officers at the zonal level on education and administrative problems in Jaffna district, TNA sources said.
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Missing VVT fisherman's body washed ashore

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 November 2004, 12:40 GMT]
The decomposed body of Mr. S.Karunakaran (43) who was reported missing since Sunday when he fell into the sea while fishing in rough weather was washed ashore Wednesday in Kankesanthurai (KKS) located in the high security zone, Police said.
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No new message from Sri Lanka President - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 November 2004, 08:57 GMT]
"President Kumaratunga has sent no new message through the Norwegian Foreign Minister. She has only reiterated her stand that there should be talks on a permanent political solution. We have conveyed a message to her on how to take the peace process forward. But the Norwegians have requested us not to speak about it to the press until they discuss it with the Sri Lankan President", said Mr. Anton Balasingham, political advisor of the Liberation Tigers speaking to journalists Thursday in Kilinochchi after the meeting between the leader of the LTTE and Norway’s Foreign Minister.
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Norwegian Foreign Minister begins talks with Pirapaharan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 November 2004, 07:20 GMT]
Norwegian Foreign Minister, Jan Peterson, began discussions with leader of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan, late on Thursday morning in Kilinochchi. The talks are expected to cover the current state of Sri Lanka’s peace process and efforts to further stabilize the ceasefire between the LTTE and Colombo. The LTTE leader was assisted by Mr. Balasingham at the discussions with the Norwegian Foreign Minister.
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Norwegian FM meets Sri Lanka's President

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 November 2004, 03:31 GMT]
Norwegian Foreign Minister Mr. Jan Petersen met with Sri Lanka’s President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, Wednesday night, and discussed the resumption of peace process between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), sources said.
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Upcountry Tamils face "dismal prospect" - UPF

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 November 2004, 19:14 GMT]
Upcountry Tamils, many of whom still live in lands owned and controlled by their employers, face "dismal prospect" of being thrown out of their lands within the next decade as a result of the "menacing rise of racism" in the country, Mr. M. Sivalingam, Secretary General of the Upcountry People’s Front (UPF), said speaking at a book launching ceremony held at Samimalai, Bogawanthalawa in Hatton district Tuesday.
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NE health sector employees demonstrate against discrimination

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 November 2004, 17:18 GMT]
Hundreds of employees of North East Department of Health Services Wednesday noon held a one hour demonstration at the junction along Inner Harbour Road in Trincomalee that leads to the office of Provincial Governor and later went in a procession and handed over a memorandum to a representative of the Governor demanding that they be paid the increased salary of three thousand rupees as paid to employees of other provincial councils in Sri Lanka, trade union sources said.
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TRO assists NE flood victims

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 November 2004, 17:12 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) has launched a project to provide dry rations and other relief supplies to flood victims in all the eight districts in the northeast province in collaboration with the respective Government Agent and other local non-governmental organizations, TRO said in a press release Wednesday.
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Soccer tournament to celebrate Hero's day

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 November 2004, 12:01 GMT]
A soccer tournament is underway in Jaffna district to mark the Thamileelam Maveerar (Heros) day under the sponsorship of the Jaffna district unit of the Thamileelam Sports Division. The tournament was inaugurated last weekend in Nelliyady Madhya Maha Vidiyalayam grounds located 25km northwest of Jaffna town, sources said.
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GAs, LTTE, Harim Peiris meet to discuss North rehabilitation

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 November 2004, 11:52 GMT]
Mr.Harim Peiris, Advisor to Sri Lanka's President on the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction and Reconciliation of the North East, Wednesday held a conference in the circuit bungalow of the Vavuniya district secretariat with the Government Agents of the districts of Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Killinochchi, Mannar and Vavuniya and political activists of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the proposed rehabilitation and reconstruction activities to be undertaken in the northern province, sources said.
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"Tamils have right to make their own constitution" – Mavai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 November 2004, 08:52 GMT]
“The objective before us is to make our own constitution on the basis of our sovereignty, which is inalienable. We have the right to do it. The signing of the ceasefire agreement between the leader of the Tamil nation and the Prime Minister of the Sinhala nation proved that there are two states on this island”, said Mr. Mavai Senathirajah, Tamil National Alliance MP for Jaffna, speaking at the opening of the new building of the Thamil Eelam Law College in Kilinochchi Wednesday. The Thamil Eelam Law College was declared open by Ms. Adele Balasingham.
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Norwegian FM to meet Sri Lanka's President Wednesday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 November 2004, 02:03 GMT]
Norwegian Foreign Minister Mr.Jan Peterson accompanied by his deputy Mr.Vidar Helgessen and special envoy Mr.Erik Solheim is due to hold talks with Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge Wednesday evening regarding the resumption of peace talks with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Liberation (LTTE), Presidential secretariat sources said.
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Fisherman reported missing in VVT Seas

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 November 2004, 15:30 GMT]
Mr.S.Karunakaran (43), father of four children, and a native of Trincomalee, currently residing in Valvettithurai (VVT) in Jaffna district is reported to have disappeared while fishing in VVT Athikovilady sea area, civil sources said.
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Kumarapuram massacre case inquiry fixed

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 November 2004, 14:01 GMT]
Mr.Anton Balasingham, Trincomalee High Court Judge fixed the inquiry into the Kumarapuram massacre case for 14 February 2005, as none of the witnesses was present when it was taken up on Monday. He also directed the court registrar to serve notice on three eyewitnesses to be present on the next date, legal sources said.
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Trinco to be upgraded to municipal council

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 November 2004, 14:00 GMT]
Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government has appointed a two member committee to study and submits it recommendations regarding the proposal made to upgrade the Trincomalee Urban Council (UC) to a Municipal Council in the Town Gravets Divisional Secretariat Division at Trincomalee district in accordance with the Municipal Council Ordinance.
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Children's Home Administrator sent to prison

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 November 2004, 13:20 GMT]
Trincomalee Magistrate Mr.M.Ganesharajah Tuesday imposed a fine of five hundred rupees and one-month imprisonment on Mr.Sangarapillai Suntheralingam, the former administrator of " Anbu Illam" (children home) in Trincomalee for having violated the Orphanage Ordinance of the North East Provincial Department of Social and Child Care, legal sources said.
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US Tamil activist dies

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 November 2004, 12:11 GMT]
Mr. Ramalingam Shanmugalingam (70), also known as 'AppuArchie', a San Diego, California based Tamil activist who campaigned for the Tamil cause with his writings died Sunday after suffering a heart attack. Mr Shanmugalingam transcreated Tamil poems in English and was a prolific writer and Internet activist for more than a decade.
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Indian poachers remanded

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 November 2004, 12:01 GMT]
Mannar Magistrate Mr. M.N.M.Abdullah Tuesday ordered remand till November 22 for 12 Indian fishermen who were caught by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) poaching in Sri Lankan territorial waters, legal sources said
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NPC expresses peace hopes amid pessimism

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 November 2004, 11:47 GMT]
Warning that "mismatch between the goals and expectations of the government and LTTE with regard to peace talks" is a major obstacle to peace, the National Peace Council (NPC), a Colombo based Sri Lankan peace group, in a media release issued in Colombo Tuesday, said, "Norwegian facilitators could make a valuable contribution," by reorienting the Government of Sri Lanka and LTTE "to approach the peace process in a manner that would ensure that both parties gain."
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TNA MPs meet Solheim

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 November 2004, 11:25 GMT]
Norwegian Special Peace Envoy, Mr Eric Solheim, who arrived in Sri Lanka Tuesday morning, met with a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) delegation led by Senior M.P Joseph Pararasingham at the Norwegian Embassy in Colombo, political sources in Colombo said. Jaffna district parliamentarians Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Ms Padmini Sithamparanathan, S. Gajenthiran, and Suress Premachchandran accompanied Mr Pararajasingham to the meeting.
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Balasingham arrives in Kilinochchi for consultations

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 November 2004, 05:53 GMT]
Political advisor of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. Anton Balasingham, arrived in Kilinochchi Tuesday morning around 11 in a Sri Lankan Air Force Helicopter. He was accompanied by his wife Ms. Adele Balasingham. Mr. Balasingham was welcomed by Col. Soosai, Commander of the Sea Tigers and Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, head of the LTTE’s political division. He will hold consultations with the leader of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan regarding the current state of the peace process in Sri Lanka, LTTE officials said.
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SLN arrests Indian poachers in Mannar Sea

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 November 2004, 02:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy Tuesday early morning arrested 12 Indian fishermen when poaching in Mannar Sea area and took them into custody . THe fishermen were handed over to the Talaimannar Police for further action, Navy sources said.
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Balasingham, Solheim arrive in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 November 2004, 01:44 GMT]
Mr.Anton Balasingham, political strategist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) arrived in Colombo Tuesday morning around 5 a.m. Mr.Erik Solheim, Norwegian special peace envoy arrived in Colombo after midnight Tuesday, political and diplomatic sources said.
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Colombo's peace attempts, ploy to obtain aid funds- Prof Peiris

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 November 2004, 01:36 GMT]
"Sri Lanka President's double-speak is evident from the fact she tells the TNA one thing, and the JVP quite another. Her duplicitous attempts at peace are ploys to obtain aid funds without commencing talks", said Professor G.L.Pieris, who was the Guest speaker at a discussion held in Bright inn Hotel Colombo, Sunday, organized by the Western Province People's Front (WPPF) presided over by its Leader and Parliamentarian, Mano Ganeshan.
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Mannar Bishop slams Kumaratunga's stand on Indian poaching

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 November 2004, 18:46 GMT]
Mannar Fishermen Monday temporarily gave up their protest against Indian poaching after Maj. Gen. Parami Kulatunga, Sri Lankan security forces commander for Vanni, promised them that he would take measures within two weeks to stop Indian fishermen from entering the seas off the Mannar coast. A conference to discuss Indian poaching was held Monday at the Bishop House in Mannar. "I have raised this matter with the President on several occasions. And everytime I was told that Indians cannot be antagonised on this score", Mannar Bishop Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph said, addressing the conference.
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Jaffna SLA assault case transferred to Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 November 2004, 18:29 GMT]
The case against two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers who were indicted for causing grievous injury to a paper seller boy and a bus conductor by firing at them in Jaffna bus stand during early part of this year has been transferred from Jaffna to Vavuniya Magistrate Court on the orders of the Court of Appeal, legal sources said.
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WFP expands school meals project in northeast

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 November 2004, 17:36 GMT]
''Standard of education in the North East has deteriorated due to the two-decade old war and malnutrition in children has further impacted the educational standards,'' said Mr.M.S.Jayasinghe, Secretary of Ministry of Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction addressing the launching of School Feeding (Expansion) of the World Food Programme of United Nations at Nilaveli Tamil Maha Vidiyalayam located sixteen km off the east port town Trincomalee Monday.
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Tigers dismiss allegations over Valaichenai incident

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 November 2004, 13:12 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers in Batticaloa Monday dimissed allegations that they were behind a grenade attack on the vehicle of Sri Lanka army's 23-2 Brigade commander in Valaichenai, 32 kilometres north of Batticaloa. In a statement issued to the press Monday evening, they condemned the attack and said the Sri Lankan government should investigate and bring the culprits to book as the incident had occured in an area under its control. Earlier in the day, Police and civil sources in Valaichenai said that the attack was aimed at two paramilitary cadres who were shopping in the town bazaar.
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Grenade attack on paramilitary in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 November 2004, 07:13 GMT]
A civilian was injured when unidentified persons lobbed a grenade at two paramilitary cadres in Valaichenai, 32 kilometres north of Batticaloa, Monday morning around 10.30, Police said. Two Policemen were with the paramilitary cadres who were shopping in the Valaichenai bazaar when the grenade was lobbed. The attackers fired in the air before they fled the area, Police said.
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St.Mary's sings for unity

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 November 2004, 00:20 GMT]
"The absence of open conflict is not peace. Peace will start only when the parties have found solutions for their disagreements," said Mr. Dagfinn Aadnanes, Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee district speaking as the chief guest at a musical event organized by the Past Students Association of the Trincomalee St. Mary's Girls College Sunday evening at the school's Theresian Auditorium. One hundred selected students of all communities from several schools in the district participated in the musical program.
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NESOHR chair addresses US event

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 November 2004, 19:15 GMT]
Rev Father Karunaratnam, Chairman of the NorthEast Secretariat on Human Rights (NESOHR), delivered the key note address at the the Annual General Meeting of Ilankai Tamil Sangam (ITS), USA held in New York Saturday. He urged expatriate Tamils in the US to become politically more active to raise the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils in the US political fora. He described the human rights situation in the NorthEast and the efforts of the NESOHR to address rights issues. Two books related to Tamil struggle were also released at the event.
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TELO launches savings project for war-affected students

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 November 2004, 17:04 GMT]
Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO), a constituent of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Sunday launched a project to assist Tamil medium students affected by the war in Trincomalee district by opening savings accounts in their names in the State run People's Bank, sources from Trincomalee said.
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Who will espouse Tamil concerns to Delhi?: paper questions

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 November 2004, 13:18 GMT]
Stating that, "Although India has unambiguously said that she will not become directly involved in Sri Lankan peace process, yet, the two main southern political camps as well as the Norwegian facilitators have never failed to brief Delhi on the status of the issue, and even Japanese Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi who was in Sri Lanka last week also flew direct to Delhi," the editorial in Tamil daily Thinakkural Sunday, urged the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians to take immediate steps to meet with India's leaders to convince them of the legitimacy of the Tamil cause.
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Indian poaching sparks road protests in Mannar

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 November 2004, 07:46 GMT]
Traffic on the main artery of Mannar Island was blocked from early morning Sunday as hundreds of Tamil and Muslim fishermen piled their boats across the road to protest against large scale poaching by Indians in the waters off Pesalai and against the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) for taking no action to stop it. Hundreds of Indian fishing boats entered and fished in the sea off the Pesalai coast of the Mannar Island on Saturday night.
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Upcountry Union leader flays wage agreement

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 November 2004, 02:58 GMT]
"Leader of Ceylon Workers Union and Minister in the United Peoples Freedom Front (UPFA) government, Arumugam Thondaman, who is one of the signatories to the Collective Agreement signed between the Estate Unions and Employers Federation has recently said that the Trade Union Leaders have to protect the workers and also Employers Federation. This mindset reveals the CWC's complete disregard for workers welfare and explains the meagre 10% increase in wages negotiated in the CA," said Mr D.V. Sennan, President of Ceylon Workers United Front (CWUF) Friday.
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TRO honors Sinhala pre-school teachers

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 November 2004, 01:00 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) through its Pre School Educational Development Council (PSEDC) Saturday honoured about forty three Sinhala pre-school teachers in the Trincomalee Town and Gravets Division at the invitation of Sinhalese parents and residents of Mihindupura, a Sinhala settlement located about three km off east port town, sources said.
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Balasingham Vanni bound to attend Norwegian FM meet

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 November 2004, 20:22 GMT]
Liberation Tigers’ Political Strategist and Chief Negotiator, Mr. Anton Balasingham, and his wife Adele are scheduled to arrive in Colombo Tuesday morning and will travel to Kilinochchi in Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopter the same day afternoon, sources close to the LTTE told TamilNet.
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Funeral held for Trinco Tamil Scholar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 November 2004, 19:17 GMT]
The demise of veteran Tamil scholar Mr.R.Vadivelu at this critical juncture is an irreparable loss to the Tamils in the Trincomalee district, said Mr.R.Sampanthan, Trincomalee district parliamentarian, when giving the eulogy at his funeral cermony held Saturday evening. Later the remains of late scholar were taken to Trincomalee Hindu cemetery in a procession and cremated.
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Grenade shatters brief peace in Muslim town

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 November 2004, 17:37 GMT]
Two days of relative calm in Kattankudy, a large Muslim town in Batticaloa torn by religious rioting since 31 October, was shattered Saturday when a man suspected to be a member of an armed Islamic group lobbed a grenade at a Sufi home. Police patrolling the riot afflicted area gave chase to the attacker and took him into custody. A spokesman for Abdur Rauf Mowlavi, the leading Sufi cleric of Kattankudy, repeated the charge that a Wahabi extremist group funded by powerful sources in the Middle East is responsible for the violence.
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Secession demand, Tamils right until aspirations constitutionalized- NSSP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 November 2004, 11:33 GMT]
"Tamils have the right to demand a separate State until their aspirations are adequately met, constitutionally entrenched and implemented. If this were done the demand would cease to be valid. It is well known that the Provincial Council system failed, as did all previous attempts at a solution to the Tamil national question since the l950s," said Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP), a pro-peace marxist party, in a media release issued Friday in Colombo.
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Uyilankulam murder suspects further remanded

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 November 2004, 01:56 GMT]
Anuradhapura Magistrate Mr.Harsha Seirusinghe Friday forwarded a report of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police to the Mannar Magistrate that more bodies of persons could be buried in a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Camp, which is located in Uyilankulam in Mannar district, legal sources said.
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SLA bars UC from using HSZ dumping ground

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 November 2004, 01:50 GMT]
Chavakachcheri Urban Council (UC) in Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district has been facing difficulties in disposing the garbage collected within the town limit following the refusal by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to allow UC workers to take lorries with garbage to the dumping ground in Kannadipitti area, which is located in the high security zone (HSZ). Hence UC workers daily remove all garbage to areas in close proximity to HSZ and burn, local authority sources said.
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UPF demands compensation for Bindunuweva victims

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 November 2004, 00:04 GMT]
Senior member of Upcountry People front (UPF) and Uva provincial council member A.Arvindakumar in a letter to Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga and distributed to the media Friday, demanded urgent and speedy action to provide compensation to the families of those who were massacred in the Bindunuweva transit camp and to the victims of the 1983 ethnic riots and violence, sources said.
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Collection of best Tamil poems of NE students released

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 November 2004, 18:03 GMT]
A collection of 100 Tamil poems of young poets selected from the works of students studying in Tamil medium schools in the Northeast Province and named ‘Puthuthalir Nooru’ was released Friday at an event held in Trincomalee Vigneswara Maha Vidiyalayam by the Northeast provincial Ministry of Education, Cultural Affairs, Sports and Youth Affairs.
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NE provincial education ministry holds Ifthar day event

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 November 2004, 17:46 GMT]
Northeast Provincial Education, Cultural Affairs and Sports Ministry held Ifthar, an important day in the month Ramzan fast Thursday evening at the auditorium of the ministry. Mr.Maruthoor A.Majeed, Assistant Director of Cultural Affairs (Muslim Unit) presided. The Muslim Cultural Unit organized the event.
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Kottaikadu villagers suffer without drinking water

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 November 2004, 17:38 GMT]
About 300 families living in Kottaikadu village in Jaffna district undergo hardships without drinking water in their area as the only available well is overflowing with floodwater due to heavy rain. Kottaikadu village is located in Valigamam division. Sand bunds constructed by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers prevent rain water flowing into the sea resulted in flooding the village including the only well villagers use for drinking water, civil sources said.
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Corporal Rajapakse to submit written submission

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 November 2004, 11:54 GMT]
The Jaffna High Court Friday allowed Army Corporal Rajapakse, one of the accused sentenced to death in Krishanthy rape and murder case, to submit written submission on December 7 against charges levelled against him in six Habeas Corpus (HC) applications filed by parents and relatives of several Tamil youths arrested by the army in 1996-1997 and later reported disappeared, legal sources said.
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Veteran Tamil scholar dies

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 November 2004, 11:19 GMT]
Mr.R.Vadivelu, a veteran Tamil and Hindu scholar in Trincomalee passed away at the age of 85 Friday afternoon around 1 p.m. at his residence located in Vidiyalayam Lane in the heart of east port town. Cremation is to take place in Trincomalee Hindu Cemetery Saturday evening, family sources said.
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Chettikulam IDPs oppose forced resettlement

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 November 2004, 03:20 GMT]
Official are making efforts to move Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living in welfare centers in Chettikulam and Adapankulam in Vavuniya district to Manikfarm area against their wishes, refugees say. The refugees allege that IDPs are being used as a protective shield to soldiers in three Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camps located near Manikfarm area.
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Vavuniya residents raise stink over undisposed garbage

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 November 2004, 02:22 GMT]
Residents and businesses in Vavuniya have been raising a stink over the smell of undisposed garbage accumulating for the last several days as Vavuniya Urban Council (UC) searched for an alternate site to dump the municipal district garbage, civil sources in Vavuniya said. Villagers from Rasendrakulam located 4km south of Vavuniya where the landfill is located had prevented the UC from dumping garbage in their village saying that large amount of garbage near residential area is polluting the environment.
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Japan to provide $240m loan

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 November 2004, 01:30 GMT]
Govenrment of Japan has agreed to provide a loan of nearly $240m on concessionary terms to Sri Lanka for small scale infrastructure upgrades, small industries promotion and to implement environmentally friendly projects, a news release from the the Embassey of Japan issued Thursday said. The interest rate of the 40year loan is a low 0.75%.
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NorthEast Governor pays surprise visit to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 November 2004, 00:42 GMT]
North East Provincial Governor (retd) Major General Asoka Jayawardene Thursday paid a surprise visit to Jaffna municipal library, district secretariat sources said. Jaffna Government Agent Mr.S.Pathmanathan, Jaffna Municipal Commissioner Dr.S.Gunarasa and provincial council officials accompanied him.
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Ex paramilitary supporter shot dead in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 November 2004, 17:09 GMT]
A former supporter of the PLOTE, Mr. Velayutham Dayalakumar, 44, was shot dead in Dehiwela, a suburb in the southern outskirts of Colombo, around 7.30 p.m. Thursday, Police said. A man identified as 'Jayasingha' was seriously wounded in the attack by unidentified gunmen in a very busy part of Dehiwela Junction. The ex PLOTE supporter and Jayasingha were shot when they were having tea at Sumihiri Hotel at Dehiwela Junction, according to Police.
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IT Centers opened in Mullaitivu Schools

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 November 2004, 11:14 GMT]
Two Information Technology centers were opened in Puthukudiyiruppu Maha Vidiyalayam and Mullaitivu Mahavidyalayam Monday as part of the second phase of a project undertaken by The Economic Consultancy House (TECH), Non-Governmental Non-Profit Sharing Organization registered with the Government of Sri Lanka, to provide computer learning facilities for 5000 students in 50 schools, sources from Mullaitivu said.
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SL President visits India

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 November 2004, 10:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge, accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Lakshman Kadirgamar and Minister of Power and Energy, Mr Premaajayantha left for India on a working visit from 3 to 5 November, a media release by Ministry of External Affairs in Colombo said Wednesday.
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Eachchilampathu families get self-income assistance from TRO

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 November 2004, 10:30 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) Wednesday handed over bulls and carts to five beneficiaries and financial assistance to two beneficiaries to run groceries in their areas under its Self Income Generation Incentive Project (SIGIP). Beneficiaries were selected from families who have lost their breadwinners in the war in the Eachchilampathu division, south of Trincomalee district, TRO sources said.
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Paramilitary group receives education on Rights issues

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 November 2004, 01:27 GMT]
Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has been implementing a programme to educate the rank and file of Tamil political parties and armed Tamil groups in Jaffna district on safeguarding human rights and preventing abuses of such rights, HRCSL sources said
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Habeas Corpus applications taken up for inquiry

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 November 2004, 17:50 GMT]
Army corporal Rajapakse, one of the accused sentenced to death in the Krishanthy rape and murder case was again produced from prison in Jaffna High Court Wednesday in connection with several Habeas Corpus (HC) applications filed by parents of number of disappeared Tamil youths who were arrested by the Sri Lanka Army soldiers during 1996-1997 period and later reported missing, legal sources said.
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TRO opens its fifth divisional office in Trinco district

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 November 2004, 16:57 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) Wednesday opened its fifth divisional office in Punnaiady, a remote village in Eachchilampathu Division in the Trincomalee district.
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Sufis allege forced conversion in Muslim town

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 November 2004, 14:08 GMT]
Clerics of a Sufi sect of Islam in Kattankudy, a large Muslim town near Batticaloa riven by religious clashes which started four days ago, said Wednesday that more than six hundred of their followers were forcibly converted to orthodoxy under threat of violence and death. Sri Lanka army troops were also deployed in the troubled town along with special riot Police to prevent further violence.
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Soldiers, civilians clash in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 November 2004, 13:47 GMT]
A group of soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA)and members of public clashed at Madathady junction along Main Street in Jaffna town Wednesday noon that injured a soldier, police said. Jaffna Police arrested a Tamil youth after the incident.
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Government workers demand salary increase

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 November 2004, 11:39 GMT]
Hundreds of Government workers under the "Committee For Salary Increase Of The Public Services" banner today held a protest demonstration at Lipton Square in Colombo against to United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government's economic policy and demanding increase in government workers salary, sources in Colombo said.
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Donors cannot super impose solution - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 November 2004, 10:45 GMT]
''The donor conferences held in Oslo on 25 November 2002 and in Tokyo on 10 June 2003 and the resolutions adopted at these meetings cannot bind our liberation organisation to a particular framework of a final political settlement,'' said Mr Anton Balasingham, the political advisor and chief negotiator of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in a statement to TamilNet Wednesday.
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Indian army commander visits line of control in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 November 2004, 07:04 GMT]
Indian army commander General N. C Vij Wednesday visited the main entry point to the territories held by the Liberation Tigers in Sri Lanka's north. He saw the line of control and the forward defences of the Sri Lanka army at the Omanthai entry point on the A9 highway, 15 kilometres north of Vavuniya.
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Tamils concerned over India's moves- TNA MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 November 2004, 04:28 GMT]
"Visits of Indian military and naval chiefs to Sri Lanka and Indo-Sri Lanka defence agreement expected to be signed next week in India by both governments during the visit of Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge have caused apprehension among Tamils that preparations are underway for another war in the island," said Ms Pathmini Sithamparanathan, Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian in a press release issued Tuesday.
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President meets opposition leader

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 November 2004, 15:13 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga Tuesday urged opposition leader, Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe to participate in the all party parley to find a solution to end the island's ethnic conflict. Mr. Wickremesinghe and President Kumaratunga met in Colombo for discussions on Tuesday. All the main opposition parties, including the Tamil National Alliance and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress are boycotting the NACPR, charging that it is a time buying ruse by President Kumaratunga.
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Detained Indian fishermen threaten hunger strike

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 November 2004, 15:11 GMT]
Mannar Magistrate Mr.M.N.M.Abdulla Tuesday ordered further remand for five Indian fishermen who were arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) when poaching in the seas off Thalaimannar. The suspects told civil officials present in court that they would go on hunger strike if they are not sent back to India.
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Curfew reimposed in Muslim town

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 November 2004, 15:09 GMT]
Police Tuesday reimposed curfew in a large Muslim town on Sri Lanka's east coast torn since Sunday by religious clashes after an orthodox mosque was bombed and eighteen persons, including a reporter, were injured. Kattankudy, five kilometres south of Batticaloa, was generally deserted Tuesday, patrolled by Special Task Force(STF) commandos and Police. A girl was injured when STF allegedly opened fire on a mob that was on rampage in an orthodox neighbourhood of the town Tuesday morning. More than twenty houses were damaged in the clashes.
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Vavuniya campaign to End Violence against Women

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 November 2004, 11:59 GMT]
Oxfam sponsored District Campaign to End All Violence Against Women was held in Vavuniya Town Hall Tuesday, sources said. An inaugural event was held at Trincomalee St.Joseph's College auditorium Tuesday 26 October.
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SLN claim of destroying LTTE camp, a fabrication- Elilan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 November 2004, 11:16 GMT]
"The SLN has fabricated the story of destroying a LTTE camp in Palampoddaru area along Trincomalee-Kandy road to justify its false claim that LTTE had constructed several new camps in Trincomalee," Mr. Elilan, LTTE Trincomalee district Political Head tod TamilNet, reacting to media reports Monday that Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) had destroyed a Liberation Tigers camp.
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Protest held against assault on journalist

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 November 2004, 10:54 GMT]
Free Media Movement (FMM) including Sri Lanka Working Journalist Association, Sri Lanka Journalist Guild and Dinamina Editorial Staff held a protest demonstration in front of the Colombo, Fort railway station Tuesday to condemn the assault on Lake House Kandy Correspondent Sanjaya Asela Maturata while covering the protest campaign organized by the main opposition United National Party (UNP) in Kandy on 26th October 2004, sources in Colombo said.
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Spinner Muralitharan visits Pooneryn

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 November 2004, 08:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka Cricket Board has decided to construct playgrounds in Killinochchi and Jaffna peninsula at an estimated cost of 5 million rupees to develop cricket in the north, according to Sri Lanka's cricket star Mr.Muttiah Muralitharan. "Sri Lanka Cricket Board has requested the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for approval to implement the project," he said addressing a press conference Monday evening at the UNHCR office in Jaffna after a day tour in the peninsula. Mr. Muralitharan visited the LTTE held Pooneryn area after the press meet.
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Two youths electrocuted in Uduvil

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 November 2004, 16:19 GMT]
Mr.K.Mohan (19) of Rakka Road in Jaffna town and Mr.Ananda Baby (27) of Uduvil Monday early morning were electrocuted when they were allegedly moving around a poultry shed at Malluwam in Uduvil village in Valigamam division in Jaffna district, Police said.
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Sri Lanka cricket star on humanitarian mission to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 November 2004, 14:32 GMT]
Sri Lanka's world record wicket-taker Mr.Muttiah Muralitharan, who is on a World Food Program (WPF) sponsored visit to Jaffna Monday said that meals provided to school children in the country's former war zones are one of the best ways to help them catch up on their education. The star cricketer is visiting Jaffna as a humanitarian partner with the United Nations World Food Programme.
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Sri Lanka opposition boycotts Kumaratunga's peace parley

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 November 2004, 14:31 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga addressing the first meeting of the National Advisory Council for Peace and Reconciliation (NACPR) Monday said devolution of power to an extent should be found within the framework of the United Sri Lanka. "Solution to the northeast conflict should not be war,"said President Kumaratunga. Opposition parties, including the largest Tamil party in Sri Lanka's Parliament, boycotted the parley. Tamils charge that the NACPR is a time buying tactic by President Kumaratunga.
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NE Governor cancels visit to Jaffna after protest

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 November 2004, 13:20 GMT]
The North East Province Governor (retired) Major General Asoka Jayawardene Monday cancelled his official visit to Jaffna after civil groups in the peninsula warned that he would face public agitation as hundreds of thousands of internally displaced families are still languishing in refugee camps and welfare centres, district secretariat sources said Monday. The NE Governor was scheduled to visit Jaffna on Wednesday.
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Tamils must act to preserve cultural values- Semmanan

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 November 2004, 11:54 GMT]
"The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in occupation in Jaffna district is engaged in attempts to destroy our freedom struggle by degrading our cultural values. We should all be alert to defeat this enemy and join hands to safeguard our cultural identity and values" said Mr.Semmanan, Deputy Political Head of the Liberation Tigers in Jaffna district addressing the final event of the two-day Divisional Cultural Festival held Sunday at Karaveddy Predesiya Sabah hall, sources said.
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Parochial politics delaying peace, LTTE tells Japanese

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 November 2004, 10:58 GMT]
"Parochial political concerns and lack of consensus in the south are delaying the peace process and humanitarian delivery to the war affected people of the northeast", Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, told Japanese Special Envoy Mr. Yasushi Akashi who met head of Liberation Tigers' political division in Kilinochchi Monday.
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TRO assists war-affected families in Muttur east villages

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 November 2004, 10:36 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) provided financial assistance to six families affected by the war in the Muttur east villages in Trincomalee district under the second phase of its Self Income Generating Incentive Project (SIGIP) . Bulls, carts and cycles were supplied to families to generate self-income, TRO Trincomalee District Director Mr.Kiruba said.
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