Two shot dead, one wounded in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 September 2005, 22:25 GMT]
Two electrical wiring workers working at Pillayar Temple in Valaichenai were shot and killed around 11:45 p.m. Friday. One person was rushed to Valaichenai hospital and later transferred to Batticaloa Hospital in critical condition, hospital sources said.
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Thousands attend Jaffna Pongu Thamil rally, seek Army withdrawal

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 September 2005, 14:51 GMT]
An estimated two hundred thousand people attended the Tamil Resurgence celebrations in Jaffna Friday at Jaffna University Grounds, calling for the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to vacate the Tamil homeland and declaring that the Tamils right to self-determination is non-negotiable. Speakers at the rally said the event recognizes the Vavuniya proclamation and condemned the one-sided punitive measures taken by the European Union against the Liberation Tigers.
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US defers Sri Lanka's $40m debt repayment, freeing tsunami funds

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 September 2005, 10:41 GMT]
U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Lunstead and Sri Lankan Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera signed an agreement Friday allowing 2005 funds previously allocated for debt payments, for a total value of $40m, to be used for relief and reconstruction activities in tsunami affected areas, a press release issued by the US embassy in Colombo said, Friday.
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Jihad militant leader killed in Muttur

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 September 2005, 09:28 GMT]
An unidentified gunman shot and killed Abdul Hakeem, the leader of a Muslim armed Group. The incident took place at Palainagar, Mutthur, around 7.50 p.m., Thursday. His body was found riddled with eight bullets, the Police said.
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Peace through devolution, federal framework, says Wickremesinghe

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 September 2005, 08:16 GMT]
Ranil Wickremesinghe, the leader of Sri Lanka's opposition United National Party, in a letter to Sri Lanka's President Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga on Thursday emphasised that the solution to the national problem lay on a Federal structure to the war-torn North-East. The Presidential candidate of the UNP has invited her to join hands with him in finding a lasting solution to the national problem. Attaching a copy of the UNP manifesto, he has requested for a meeting with her to search for a common stand on which the two leading political parties, the UNP and SLFP could get together to structure a common plan to handle the problem.
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Newspaper distributor killed in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 September 2005, 08:06 GMT]
Two unidentified gunmen shot and killed Mr. Yogakumar Krishnapillai the distributor of the Batticaloa-Eelanatham newspaper. The killing took place in the heart of Batticaloa town on Central Road in front of HNB Bank, a high security area of Sri Lanka Army, Friday morning around 7:30 a.m. Batticaloa Eelanatham, the only newspaper in Batticaloa, is printed in the LTTE held Kokkadichholai. On 10 September, Sri Lankan Special Task Force soldiers blocked the sales of the Eelanatham paper in SLA controlled areas of Batticaloa and Amparai districts.
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Danish group declares areas in Kanniya, Thiriyai mine free

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 September 2005, 05:34 GMT]
About 10,000 square meter area in Kanniya and about 8,000 square meter area in Thiriyai in the Trincomalee district have been declared mine free by the Danish Demining Group (DDG), civil society sources in Trincomalee said. Mr.Magnus Johansson, Technical Advisor of the DDG Wednesday and Thursday handed over "Release of Land Certificates" to the civil authority in these villages.
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Morning fire guts SLMM's Mannar residence

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 September 2005, 23:05 GMT]
An electric short circuit was blamed for an early morning fire Thursday that gutted the luxury house located along Field Road in Mannar town rented by members of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), sources in Mannar said. The short circuit was traced to an air conditioning unit in the basement of the house. Three members of the SLMM who were asleep escaped unhurt, Mannar police said.
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Kumaratunge speech avoids reference to presidential polls

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 September 2005, 15:19 GMT]
In the first public rally attended by Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunge since her return from the UN annual general meeting in New York on Tuesday, she avoided making statements in support of her party's Presidential candidate Premier Mahinda Rajapakse, sources said. The public rally was held to relaunch the Sri Lanka Transport Board at Nittambuwa on Wednesday.
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Jaffna gets ready for sixth Tamil Resurgence Convention

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 September 2005, 15:00 GMT]
All roads in Jaffna district will lead to University Grounds Friday September 30 where the Tamil Resurgence Convention, is to be held. This is sixth in the series of such conferences held in recent months, first Vavuniya, second in Batticaloa, next in Killinochchi, fourth in Mullaitivu and fifth held at Mannar Wednesday.
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Muttur fishermen receive boats, nets

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 September 2005, 02:29 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) recently distributed a consignment of boats, canoes and fishing nets to a group of war and tsunami affected fisher families in Kadatkaraichchenai village in the LTTE controlled Muttur east as first phase under its rehabilitation project, south of the Trincomalee district, sources said.
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Court blocks CID investigation into Rajapakse bank account

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 September 2005, 02:18 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Wednesday issued interim order preventing the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police from conducting investigation into the "Helping Hambantota" Bank Account, legal sources in Colombo said. The Chief Justice made the order when the Fundamental Rights Violation Application filed by Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse, Prime Minister and ruling party presidential candidate came up for inquiry.
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SLA's failure to honor agreement, leaves thousands stranded

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 September 2005, 01:43 GMT]
About five thousand Tamil people who came from LTTE controlled areas through Uyilankulam checkpoint to attend Tamil Resurgence Convention Wednesday were stranded in Mannar town when the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) failed to honor the agreement to reopen the checkpoint from 8 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. Wednesday, civil society sources said. During talks held earlier at Thallady main camp SLA agreed to Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians' request to keep the checkpoint open through extended hours.
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Man reported missing in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 17:32 GMT]
A 30-years-old man, Mr. Karuppaiah Sasikumar, a resident of Kommanthurai, Chenkalady, was reported missing since 22nd of September, sources in Batticaloa said. On Tuesday Sasikumar's parents received a call from persons claiming to belong to the paramilitary Karuna Group who informed the family that the victim was shot and killed by them Friday around 6:30 p.m. and that the body had been buried.
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Tamil businessman kidnapped in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 17:24 GMT]
A 35-years-old Tamil businessman from Vavuniya, Mr. Thirukumar Kalimuthu, 35, who was visiting Colombo on business has been abducted from a lodge on Colombo Dam street. Four unidentified person who entered the lodge Wednesday evening around 2:00 p.m. kidnapped the victim, occupants at the lodge said.
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TNA MPs meet Japanese envoy

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 17:09 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Mr. R.Sampanthan and Mr. Joseph Pararajasingam told the Japanese envoy in Colombo, Mr Akio Suda, Tuesday that International Community must play an unbiased role in advancing the the Sri Lankan peace process and expressed their concern over the stalled peace process between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government, sources in Colombo said.
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Two Sinhalese men arrested with arms in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 17:06 GMT]
Valaichenai Police arrested two Sinhalese men from Polannaruwa and Mannampity with arms Wednesday around 2:00 a.m. at Meeravodai in Valaichenai. The men, allegedly involved in vehicle thefts and robberies, were traveling without the legal documents for their motor bike at the time of the arrest, Police said.
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TRO Batticaloa office attacked, one dead, two injured

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 16:09 GMT]
A 70-years-old storewatcher was killed when two motorbike-riding men lobbed grenades at the Tamil Rehabilitation Office located on Station Road near Batticaloa Railway station around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, police said. TRO in a news release said that the attackers fired with automatic rifles for 35 minutes at their office where the watcher was killed and two TRO's Technical Officers were injured. The attackers had lobbed at least three grenades at the TRO office, according to the Police. There are two Sri Lanka Army sentry points within 100 meters from the TRO office.
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Thamilchelvan urges EU to reconsider stand on LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 12:26 GMT]
Political Head of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan appealed to the European Union for reconsideration of the recent decision made by the EU that "delegations from the LTTE will no longer be received in any of the EU Member States until further notice." At a news conference held at Kilinochi, Wednesday evening, Mr. Thamilchelvan pointed out that the EU's move is ill-timed to coincide with the "anti-Tamil" campaign advanced through political propaganda platforms in the South.
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Heavy SLA presence in Mannar on Resurgence Day

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 09:38 GMT]
Citizens of Mannar woke Wednesday morning to witness a heavy SL army presence in the town and in the vicinity of the Tamil Resurgence Convention venue where deliberations were scheduled to commence at 4.30 p.m. Large number of heavy vehicles including armoured cars were seen patrolling the area.
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UN Population Fund Director visits Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 00:44 GMT]
Mr. Sultan A.Aziz, Director, Asia and the Pacific Division of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Tuesday paid an official visit to the Trincomalee district accompanied by Ms. Lubna Baqi, UNFPA's Sri Lanka representative and Country Director for Maldives, and Mr. Rainer Frauenfled, Country Co-ordinator of the Sri Lanka Project Implementation Facility (SLPIF) of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and viewed the destruction caused by tsunami nine months ago in the coastal areas of the district and assessed the urgent needs for the recovery from the natural disaster, health ministry sources said.
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'EU Statement, an impediment to peace, says IFT

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 20:16 GMT]
Calling the statement from the European Union [EU], which criticised the Liberation Tigers, as one-sided and "unfair," the Geneva-based International Federation of Tamils (IFT), a consortium of more than 150 expatriate Tamil organizations, in a press statement issued Tuesday urged the member states of the European Union to refrain from taking any "punitive action" against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) noting that the move will jeopardise the success of the peace process.
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SLN allows students entry into Mandaitivu after protest

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 18:49 GMT]
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) manning the checkpoint at the Pannai junction who had earlier blocked a group of Jaffna University students from entering Mandaitivu Tuesday allowed the group in, after the students held a three-hour sit-in-protest commencing from 9.30 a.m., sources in Jaffna said.
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Batticaloa auto-rickshaw driver shot dead

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 15:41 GMT]
Mr. Tennakoon Mudiyansalage Sunil (46), an auto-rickshaw driver and resident of Iruthayapuram was shot and killed Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. at Kallady in Batticaloa, police said. The three wheeler driver whose mother is a Tamil and the father is a Sinhalese, was shot by two gunmen who came in a motorbike.
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India to train Sri Lanka Police

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 12:37 GMT]
Government of India is to spend nearly US$450,000 in training up to 400 Sri Lanka police officers in the areas of crime investigation including cyber crimes and bank frauds, a press release issued by the Sri Lanka Information department Tuesday said.
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SLN blocks Pongu Thamil group from entering Mandaitivu

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 11:47 GMT]
A group of students from Jaffna Technical College on their way to publicize forthcoming Tamil Resurgence event were barred from entering Mandaitivu by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLn) soldiers manning the Mandaitivu Junction sentry Tuesday morning, sources said.
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Woman shot dead in outskirts of Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 11:06 GMT]
Jeyarasa Leelavathy, 37, from Oddumadam, was shot dead around 6.30 a.m. Tuesday by unidentified gunmen when she was coming out of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp located in the outskirts of Jaffna town, sources in Jaffna said.
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UNP manifesto promises to End Separatism

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 10:53 GMT]
Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, United National Party (UNP) presidential candidate and the Opposition Leader Tuesday morning officially released his forty-page manifesto for the forthcoming presidential poll at an event held at the UNP headquarters Sri Kotha with the participation of party senior leaders including Mr.Karu Jayasuriya, and Mr.Malik Samarawickrema, sources said.
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UNP will oppose submission of budget before polls

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 10:35 GMT]
The General Secretary of the Opposition United National Party (UNP) Tissa Attanayake has said Monday that his party would strongly oppose the attempt by the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) party to present the annual budget of this year to the Sri Lanka Parliament on the first week of November, political sources in Colombo said.
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Hakim meets EU representatives, raises security issues

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 10:26 GMT]
Leader of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) party, Rauf Hakim, held discussions with the European Union's resident representative in Sri Lanka Walter Wilton at his residence in Colombo Tuesday and has expressed his fears on the security of the minority party leaders during the forthcoming Presidential polls, party sources in Colombo said.
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"LTTE no longer welcome in EU member states"

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 02:03 GMT]
The European Union Monday barred the Tamil Tigers from visiting its member states and said it was "actively considering" listing them as a terrorist organisation. Condemning what it referred to as the “continuing use of violence and terrorism by the LTTE,” the EU said it wanted the Tigers “ to take immediate public steps to demonstrate their commitment to the peace process and their willingness to change.”
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Retired Commanders denounce JVP Leader's call to disband Security Forces

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 00:52 GMT]
Retired commanders of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces, General S.C.Ranatunge, Air Vice Marshal Harry Gunatilake, Lt.General Dennis Perera and General Hamilton Wanasinghe, Monday in a signed press release condemned the statement made by Mr.Somawanse Amerasinghe, leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) directing the Prime Minister Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse to disband the government security forces no sooner he is elected Executive President of Sri Lanka if the security forces are unable to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.
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SLA extends checkpoint hours to assist Convention attendees

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 00:32 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities in Thallady main camp in Mannar district Monday agreed to extend Uyilankulam checkpoint opening time by more than 2 hours on September 30 for the people from LTTE controlled area to enter Mannar town through Uyilankulam to attend Tamil Resurgence Convention. The SLA agreed to the request when Vanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Mr.Sivanathan Kishore, Mr. Noharathalingam and Mr.Sivasakthi Anandan Monday morning met with Colonel Kariyakarawanse and sought assistance, sources said. The SLA also agreed not to deploy soldiers in the vicinity of the convention.
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HRC officials meet LTTE cadre in KKS Police Station

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 00:05 GMT]
Mr.Rohitha Priyatharsana, Jaffna regional co-ordinator of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) with his investigating officer Mr. T.Surendrarajah Monday met with Mr.Ramasamy Swendran (28) alias Manalan, a LTTE cadre from Pallai, who was arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) within the Palaly high security zone in the Jaffna district and later handed over to the Kankesanthurai (KKS) Police, sources said.
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Thileepan's 18th anniversary celebrated in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 September 2005, 11:58 GMT]
Lt.Col.Thileepan's eighteenth death annivasary celebration was held at the Batticaloa Palugamam Throupathy Amman Kovil grounds between 10am and 3pm Monday, sources in Batticaloa said. Batticaloa district Liberation Tigers military commander Ramanan raised the Thamileelam national flag and LTTE Head of Administration Thangaiya lit the traditional oil lamp to begin the celebrations where several hundred Batticaloa residents and LTTE cadres attended.
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Thousands attend Kilinochchi, Jaffna Thileepan commemoration

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 September 2005, 11:47 GMT]
Thousands congregated at Murugan temple, Kilinochchi, Monday morning for the commemoration rally in memory of Lt.Col.Thileepan who died after a 12 day old hunger-strike protesting against the Indian IPKF and the Sri Lankan armed forces occupying the North-East.
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Trinco Tamils urged to boycott State banks

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 September 2005, 11:00 GMT]
Tamil civil groups in Trincomalee have called on the Tamil speaking people not to open new accounts in State Bank branches in the district and to boycott these branches on Tuesday September 27 to show their token opposition for the blatant discrimination meted out to educated qualified Tamil speaking youths in the recruitment process. The boycott is to continue until the bank administration steps to recruit more Tamil speaking youths, sources said.
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Displaced threaten hunger strike

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 September 2005, 10:54 GMT]
More than one hundred Tamil families evicted from their traditional village Gothandar Nochchikulam Vavuniya six years ago by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) have demanded immediate resettlement in their villages and have threatened to go on hunger strike if the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) does not facilitate resettlement in one week. The villagers who met the SLMM in Vavuniya Monday morning pointed out that all 109 families were forcibly evicted and made internally displaced refugees (IDP), by the SLA on 14 November 1999 during a military operation, civil groups said.
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Norway grants 23,9 million rupees to Muslim Peace Secretariat

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 September 2005, 08:40 GMT]
The Norwegian government has granted 23,9 million Rupees in support to The Peace Secretariat for Muslims (PSM), according to a press release issued by the Norwegian Embassy in Colombo Monday. The PSM will facilitate dialogue and build consensus among Muslim political parties and interest groups, in order to develop a co-ordinated position for Muslims as input to the implementation of the cease-fire agreement and in future peace negotiations, added the press release.
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TNA parliamentarian detained at Omanthai SLA checkpoint

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 September 2005, 19:35 GMT]
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) manning the check point at Omanthai on A 9 highway Saturday afternoon detained Jaffna bound Mr.M.K.Eelaventhan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) national list parliamentarian, for about one and a half hours even after he identified him as a lawmaker. Mr.Eelaventhan told Tamilnet that soldiers had told him that they were checking his documents and other related materials on the orders of the Sri Lanka government.
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Tamil training for Sinhala police

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 September 2005, 19:29 GMT]
"Majority of the people in the Trincomalee district are Tamil speaking. The police serving in the district should learn Tamil language to promote better understanding with Tamil speaking people and to discharge their duties effectively," said Mr.Raja Collure, Chairman of the Official Languages Commission of Sri Lanka, when inaugurating the Basic Tamil Language Training Programme for police personnel in the district Saturday.
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Grenade lobbed at STF camp in Thirukkovil

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 September 2005, 15:34 GMT]
Two motorbike-riding men lobbed a grenade at a sentry point located in front of Sri Lanka's Special Task Force camp in Thirukkovil Sunday around 8:00 p.m. No one was injured in the attack, Akkaraipattu police said.
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Discrimination in Bank recruitment, protests TNA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 September 2005, 11:06 GMT]
Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group and the Trincomalee district parliamentarian Sunday faxed a written protest to President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge calling for the cancellation of all appointments made by the State Banks, Bank of Ceylon (BoC) and Peoples Bank (PB) to their branches in the Tamil dominated NorthEast or that the new appointees be recalled "as this is a repetition of the regular discrimination that has been consistently practised against the Tamils in the matter of employment in the state sector including State Banks."
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SLA's pass system burdens Ariyalai farmers

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 September 2005, 00:05 GMT]
Discussions on restarting cultivation in more than one hundred acres of fertile land located inside the High Security Zone (HSZ) in Ariyalai Jaffna was held in Ariyalai Sri Parvathy Vithiyalayam Sunday, sources in Jaffna said. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) 514 Brigade offiicers including Captain Ruwan, Jaffna Agricultural Department officials, and Ariyalai Farmers Union officials participated in the discussions presided by Secretary of Nallur Pradeshya Sabha, Mrs S Theivendram.
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Youth shot dead in Batticaloa town

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 September 2005, 16:37 GMT]
Two gunmen who came in a motor-bike in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) held Batticaloa town shot and killed 25-year old Mr. Velu Kishorkumar near Anthoniar Road at 7:15 p.m. Saturday, Batticaloa Police said.
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LTTE-SLMM hold talks in Pallai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 September 2005, 14:20 GMT]
Mr.Hagrup Haukland, Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Friday met with Mr.C.Ilamparithi, Jaffna district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at the latter's district political office located in Pallai in the LTTE controlled Killinochchi district, sources in Jaffna said. Mr. Ari Pekka Nimella, Jaffna district head of the SLMM also met with Mr.Ilamprithi at the same venue on Saturday, sources said.
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LTTE - Muslim leaders meet, resolve Batticaloa land ownership

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 September 2005, 13:48 GMT]
More than sixty five percent of paddy lands owned by Muslims which were in possession of Tamil farmers in LTTE controlled areas of Paduwankarai in the Batticaloa were formally handed back to Muslims in a meeting at Mandavathady in Thalaiyadi Saturday. Mr. A. L. M. Saleem, Regional Manager of Amparai People's Bank who was part of the Muslim delegation attending the meetin said that the event marks significantly improving Tamil Muslim relationship in Batticaloa district.
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Youths arrested for putting up posters against power project

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 September 2005, 12:42 GMT]
Five upcountry Tamil youths were arrested by the Nuwera Eliya police on Friday night at 11.30 pm for putting up posters on the conference to be held against the Upper Kotmale Power Project by the Peoples' Campaign at Talawakele Kathiresan Temple Hall on Sunday. The youths were produced in court Saturday and Nuwara Eliya acting Magistrate Ramraj remanded the youths till September 27, legal sources in Nuwara Eliya said.
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SLA troops, Police round up Eravur village, public market

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 September 2005, 09:08 GMT]
Around five-hundred Sri Lanka Army and police personnel conducted Saturday morning a house to house search operation in Thannamunai village in Eravur, 14 km north of Batticaloa. The armed forces also cordened off the Eravur public market and searched the shops and the market compound, civilian sources said.
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Parties should strictly adhere to Election Laws- Sri Lanka's Polls Chief

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 September 2005, 08:06 GMT]
The Commissioner of Elections has appealed for the cooperation of all political parties in the Presidential election on 17 November. Dayananda Dissanayake, explaining the arrangements for the election at a news conference held Friday issued a stern warning against vote rigging, lifting of ballot boxes, attacks on polling booths and other related violence, vowing to cancel the count at such centres.
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SLA soldiers assault Vadamaradchchi fishermen

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 September 2005, 07:57 GMT]
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army manning coastal checkpoints assaulted a group of fishermen Saturday early morning for returning to the shore after fishing before the stipulated time given by the Sri Lankan armed forces. Fishermen of Vadamaradchchi North have been ordered by the SLA not to return to the shore with their catch before 6.30 a.m., Vadamaradchchi North Fisheries Co-operative Societies Federation Secretary Mr.K.Suriyakumaran said.
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DLF split on support to Rajapakse

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 September 2005, 02:57 GMT]
Senior member of Democratic Left Front (DLF), Professor Kumar David, Friday dissociated himself from a press release issued by Secretary of DLF, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, and party's National Organizer, Quintus Liyanage, that expressed support to Sri Lanka's Presidential candidate Rajapakse in the forthcoming presidential elections.
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Nagarkovil massacre victims remembered

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 September 2005, 20:58 GMT]
The tenth anniversary of the Nagarkovil massacre was held Thursday at third milepost in Point Pedro where the displaced Nagarkovil Maha Vidiyalayam is currently functioning. Twenty six students were killed and 40 students were injured when Sri Lanka Air Force's (SLAF's) two Pucaro fighter planes on 22 September 1995 around 12.30 p.m. bombed the school while the school was in session.
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CARE International begins construction of permanent houses in Trinco

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 September 2005, 17:48 GMT]
Mr. Nick Osborne, Country Director of CARE International- Sri Lanka Thursday laid the foundation construction of permanent houses for tsunami-affected families in Naduoothu, a Muslim village in Kinniya division in Trincomalee district. The project is conducted under the Post Tsunami Recovery and Development Program. 125 houses will be constructed in the first phase.
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Jaffna gets new High Court Judge

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 September 2005, 17:41 GMT]
Mr.S.Thiagendran, Trincomalee District Judge has been promoted High Court Judge. He is to assume duties as High Court Judge of Jaffna with effect from September 26, filling the vacancy created following the retirement of Mr.K.P.S.Varatharajah from judicial service.
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Dance, Music teachers strike demanding permanent appointments

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 September 2005, 10:02 GMT]
More than sixty teachers of music and dance in Jaffna district struck for the second day Friday forcing closure to regional education centers. Teachers demanded explanation from the NorthEast Education Ministry for not providing permanent positions even after passing the selection examinations and attending interviews, spokesperson for the striking teachers said.
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Democratic Freedom of Expression under threat in Jaffna - Gajendran MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 September 2005, 08:27 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance Member of Parliament, Mr Selvarajah Gajendran has raised alarm at the detention of a university student and has protested to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission at the "intimidating tactics" of the Sri Lankan armed forces in Jaffna. Arrest of a Jaffna University student, Friday morning, at the "Crossings” at Muhamalai, sparked off a protest by student community. Gajendran MP and hundreds of students from the University of Jaffna rushed to the spot, freed the student and protested to the SLMM officials supervising the activities at the check-point.
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Expect a new war – newspaper

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 September 2005, 02:06 GMT]
Political events in Sri Lanka are overtaking the international efforts to create a lasting peace and it is only a matter of time before the island’s ascending Sinhala nationalist forces trigger a new war, the Tamil Guardian newspaper argued in its editorial this week. “If Sri Lanka is so preoccupied by dubious questions of [LTTE gaining] legitimacy that it is prepared to allow the disintegration of the ceasefire, what hope is there for negotiations on a political solution?” the English language Diaspora publication asked.
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Colombo lacks will, ability to address Tamil National question- TNA

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 September 2005, 01:42 GMT]
Tamil people will be forced to urge the International community to "explicitely endorse the Tamil people's struggle for self-determination," if the Sri Lankan State continues to be intransigent in resolving the Tamil National question, warned Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in a press release issued in Colombo Thursday.
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Freedom of Expression at stake in Sri Lanka - FMM

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 September 2005, 17:06 GMT]
Free Media Movement in Sri Lanka has expressed its concern at the feeling of insecurity and intimidation some famous film-makers in Sri Lanka are subjected to in recent weeks. The FMM points out to reports of pressure on film-makers advocating conflict resolution in the country.
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Police sergeant succumbs to wounds

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 September 2005, 15:48 GMT]
Police Seargeant Mr. Wimalaratna, 57, who was shot and wounded by two motorbike-riding gunmen, succumbed to his gunshot wounds while he was being transferred from Akkaraipattu Hospital to Amparai Hospital in serious condition, hospital sources said. The sergeant was shot Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Akkaraipattu, 64 km south of Batticaloa town.
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SLA blocks cement lorry enter Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 September 2005, 10:16 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers at the Muhamalai checkpoint refused to allow a lorry belonging to Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) taking cement for its rehabilitation work into Jaffna, Thursday morning, TRO officials said.
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Rights Group inquires into fishermen's pass system

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 September 2005, 02:27 GMT]
Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) Wednesday began its inquiry into complaints that Sri Lankan government security forces has again introduced the compulsory pass system for the fishermen of Vadaramaradchchi division in Jaffna district for fishing in northern sea. Mr.Rohitha Priyatharsana, Jaffna regional co-ordinator of the HRCSL accompanied by his Investigating Officer Mr.T.Surenthirarajah visited Point Pedro and Munai area in Vadamaradchchi north and recorded statements from fisheries co-operative societies' officials, sources said.
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Operation USA funds Kallady fishermen livelihood project

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 September 2005, 02:22 GMT]
Operation USA, an international non-governmental organization, supplied 70 fishing boats with seventy outboard engines and seventy set of fishing nets and related materials valued at about 21 million rupees to 140 beneficiaries in Kallady located in the Verugal-Eachchilampathu division south of Trincomalee district at an event held Tuesday. The implement partner of this project is Trincomalee District Tamil Rehabilitation Organization, sources said.
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Tamil youth found dead at Colombo lodge

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 18:42 GMT]
Dead body of Mr. Vivekanandarajah Kandasamy, a 23-years-old Tamil youth from Akkaraipattu in Amparai district, was recovered by Pettah Police from a lodge in Colombo Wednesday evening.
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Ten-year-old boy injured in bomb blast

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 18:27 GMT]
A ten-year-old boy, Vinoth Vikneswaran, was seriously injured when a bomb exploded while the boy's family was clearing their land in Pethalai in Valaichenai, Kalkudah police said. The incident took place around 7.00 p.m. on Wednesday.
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Grama Sevaka officer killed in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 18:07 GMT]
The Grama Sevaka officer (GS) of Kinniyadi division in Valaichenai, Mr. Alagaratnam Jeevaratnam, 51, was shot and killed by two motorbike-riding gunmen Wednesday around 8:30 p.m. The incident took place in front of his residence at Vinayakapuram in Valalichenai, police said. Two friends of Mr. Jeevaratnam were seriously wounded in the attack. The gunmen also lobbed a grenade, police said. Valaichenai is located 32 km north of Batticaloa town.
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"Emergency Laws: Death-knell to co-existence" – Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 17:23 GMT]
"The government must end the emergency rule, if it wishes peace to prevail in the country," insisted Mr. R. Sampanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group Wednesday, during the debate in parliament on extending the Emergency Regulations. Sri Lanka Parliament approved the extension of State emergency for another month. It won the approval of 118 members, while 24 voted against.
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Emergency extended

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 12:55 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Parliament Wednesday passed a motion extending the State of Emergency for another month by a majority of 94 votes. 118 members voted for the Emergency, and 24 voted against. The twenty members of Tamil National Alliance, two members of the Up-Country People Front (UPF), Mr. Mano Ganesan of Western Province Peoples Front (WPPF) and Mr. T. Maheswaran of United National Party (UNP) voted aginst the Emergency.
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Three SLA soldiers, policeman injured in grenade attack in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 09:33 GMT]
Unidentified attackers lobbed a grenade at a Sri Lanka Army and Police joint foot patrol wounding three SLA soldiers and a policeman near Iruthayapuram public market, 2 km north of Batticaloa town, Police said. The incident took place around 12:30 p.m Wednesday. SLA soldiers opened fire for 10 minutes following the attack, civilian sources said.
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Pannai Chest Clinic reopens

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 08:14 GMT]
Pannai Chest clinic destroyed during the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) occupation of Jaffna Fort and later operating under trying conditions in private buildings began functioning in a newly constructed building, Wednesday.
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Debate on extending State of Emergency begins in SL Parliament

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 08:08 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament began a one day debate Wednesday morning on extending the State of Emergency in the island for another month. The Sri Lankan Government declared State of Emergency on August 13 following the killing of its Foreign Minister Mr.Lakshman Kadirgamar allegedly by a sniper. The parliament convened later to approve the declaration with the support of the ruling party, JVP, JHU, UNP, CWC and NUA, parliamentary sources said.
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General shut down paralyzes normal life in Trinco

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 05:09 GMT]
Tamil speaking people observed a general shut down in Trincomalee town and its suburbs, Wednesday, putting forward 8 demands, including the immediate removal of the unlawfully erected Buddha statue in the vicinity of the central bus terminal, about five months, and to lift the military occupation of the town since then. Tamil civil groups in the east port town issued the general shut down call.
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Bring anti-conversion bill before poll, demands JHU

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 00:04 GMT]
More than one thousand Buddhist monks representing Jathika Sanga Sammelaneya (National Buddhist Convention), an umbrella Buddhis organization, including monks from Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), an extreme Sinhala nationlist party of Buddhist monks, attended a meeting held Tuesday evening to urge the Sri Lanka Government to bring to parliament the anti-conversion bill before the Sri Lanka Presidential elections scheduled for 17 November, sources in Colomb said.
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Rajapakse, JVP kick off joint election campaign

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 September 2005, 19:26 GMT]
Sri Lanka's premier Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse nominated as the SLFP presidential candidate vowed Tuesday to thwart all attempts by opposing parties with "vested interest" to defeat him in the forthcoming SL presidential polls on November 17. Mr. Rajapakse was addressing his first presidential election rally in Colombo Town Hall ground attended by representatives of political parties extending support to Mr. Rajapakse, including the Sinhala extremist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). However, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) key figures including Mr. Ratnasiri Wickremanayake were absent.
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SLA removes Mannar road blocks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 September 2005, 16:06 GMT]
Three checkpoints and road blocks established by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in the heart of Mannar town were removed Tuesday by soldiers of SLA following protests by the Mannar Citizens' Committee (MCC) to Brigadier S.M.D.Rajapakse. MCC delegation led by Rev.Fr Emliyanuspillai met with Brigadier Monday afternoon and expressed their concern for making Mannar a garrisoned city, civil sources said.
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Jaffna teachers begin work towards Resurgence event

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 September 2005, 11:15 GMT]
Several hundred pre-school teachers from Teachers Technical Colleges across Jaffna district assembled near the Thileepan Memorial near Nallur Kandaswamy temple Tuesday morning to inaugurate the action plan for village awakening activity for the forthcoming Tamil Resurgence Celebrations in Jaffna, sources in Jaffna said.
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Posters of aspiring Sri Lanka Presidents to be removed

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 September 2005, 11:08 GMT]
After the announcement of the date for the Presidential polls on the 17th November, the polls chief has ordered the police Monday to remove all cutouts, and posters which are illegal according to the election laws in Sri Lanka, sources in Colombo said. According to the department of Elections during the period of elections the police force will get the instructions from the polls chief to pave way for a free and fair polls.
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Co-Chairs reiterate commitment, demand action

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 September 2005, 05:39 GMT]
As Sinhala nationalist forces opposed to a negotiated federal solution, Norwegian facilitation and the western influence, were gaining momentum in the South and a shadow war was being waged in the NorthEast, the Co-Chairs of the Tokyo Donor Conference, who met in New York Monday reaffirmed their strong support to Norway as facilitator and a federal solution as a framework. The Co-Chairs called on the Liberation Tigers to end political assassinations, recruitment of under age youth and underlined the responsibility of the Sri Lankan government to "disarm or relocate" paramilitary groups from the NorthEast. They expressed fear that the Cease Fire is facing its "most serious challenge".
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Trinco Civil society calls for general shut down Wednesday

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 September 2005, 05:03 GMT]
Tamil civil groups in Trincomalee have called for a general shut down ('Hartal') on Wednesday, 21 September, putting forward 8 demands, including the removal of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sentries and mini-camps which are located in the vicinity of schools and places of worship in the eastern port town.
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Malteser International rebuilds Trincomalee Children's Home

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 September 2005, 00:07 GMT]
Renovated at a cost of about 3.5 million rupees donated by the German based Malteser International (Order of Worldwide Relief), the building complex of the Trincomalee "Anbu Illam," a leading children's home sheltering children made destitute due to war was handed over to the administration of the institution Saturday. Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham, Trincomalee district parliamentarian unveiled the name-board of the renovated building complex, sources said.
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Mannar rape victim disappears before court hearing

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 September 2005, 17:16 GMT]
Mr.M.Remedius, human rights lawyer said Monday that Ms Ehambaram Wijakala, one of the two women complainants in the Mannar rape incident is reported to be missing and the other victim Ms Sinnathamby Sivamani has received threats that she will be killed if she gives evidence in Anuradhapura High Court where the case is listed for hearing on Wednesday September 21, legal sources said.
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SL Presidential elections to be held on November 17

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 September 2005, 12:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Presidential election is fixed for 17th November, 2005. The announcement was made by the Commissioner of Elections, Dayananda Dissanayake, Monday. The nominations will be accepted before the 7th of October. In the forthcoming elections, 13.3 million Sri Lankans will be eligible to vote, as reported by the elections department. There will be 60,000 policemen on duty, island-wide. The exercise will cost Rs. 90 million.
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SLA to intensify Pass system in Point Pedro

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 September 2005, 10:44 GMT]
Tension has built up again in the coastal area in Point Pedro district, over SLA’s new order to intensify the "Pass System," among Tamil fishermen. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) 524 Bridgade military officials in a meeting held Monday between 12 noon and 1 am at the brigade headquarters in Point Pedro presided by Col N. Ratnayake decided to reintroduce passes for Vadamaradchy fisherman through the fisheries Unions, SLA officials said.
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Ex-PLOTE cadre shot and killed in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 September 2005, 08:21 GMT]
Motorbike-riding gunmen shot and killed Mr. Yoganadarajah Sellathurai, 45, an ex-PLOTE cadre, in Pattakadu, 3 km west of Vavuniya town Monday at 8:45 a.m. The victim, who was riding in a bicyle, was shot thrice with a 9 mm handgun, Vavuniya Police said.
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Preparations underway for Jaffna Resurgence Convention

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 September 2005, 22:22 GMT]
Large number of women, majority of them internally displaced currently sheltered in welfare centres and refugee camps across Jaffna district, took oaths at an event held Sunday at the Jaffna University Kailasapathy Auditorium to make the Tamil Resurgence Convention scheduled to be held on 30 September in Jaffna town a success, sources said.
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Buddha statue erected in Chunnakam SLA camp

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 September 2005, 22:14 GMT]
A new Buddha statue was erected, and an opening ceremony with special prayers was held Poya day, Saturday inside the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) 513 brigade camp located in Chunnakam on Kankesaturai Road, residents of the area said.
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Vadamaradchchy villagers complain of lack of transport facilities

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 September 2005, 05:04 GMT]
Residents of Kevil, a village in Vadamaradchchi east division in Jaffna district Saturday informed the Jaffna Government that that they would launch a sit-in-protest campaign at the Maruthankerni junction and in front of the offices of non-governmental organizations (NGO) in their area from September 22 if the civil authorities fail to repair the road and provide transport facilities to the village, sources said.
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SLMC to reveal stand after nomination day- Hakim

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 September 2005, 12:42 GMT]
The support of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) in the coming presidential poll would be for a political party that would not act in to weaken the strength of the Muslim political leadership, which has been endorsed by majority Muslim people in Sri Lanka, said Mr.Rauff Hakim, Leader of SLMC participating as the chief guest in the fifth death anniversary religious event of SLMC founder leader late Mr.A.H.M.Ashraff held in Trincomalee Zahira College Friday evening.
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Mannar has become a garrisoned city, says Citizens Committee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 September 2005, 05:13 GMT]
Mannar Citizens' Committee (MCC) Friday complained to Mr.V.Visvalingam, Government Agent of the district that Mannar town has become a garrisoned city with the deployment of several hundred additional government troops and establishment of new checkpoints and sentries. Civilians are harassed by troops during checking at roadblocks, MCC further said.
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EPRLF cadre shot dead in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 September 2005, 22:50 GMT]
R. Loganathan (45), a cadre of Eelam People Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF - Varathar faction) was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in front of Vavuniya Maha Vidyalayam along A9 highway at 9.15pm Friday, sources said.
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Politics of division, exclusion dominate Sri Lankan polity- Australian MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 September 2005, 18:31 GMT]
“Minorities [in Sri Lanka] have progressively seen their rights eroded through ingrained discrimination and segregation... Racism and fear is fostered. It is the politics of division, exclusion and misrepresentation, with the truth hidden from the outside world,” said Australian Member of Parliament for Strathfield, New South Wales, Ms Virginia Judge, during the first session of the 53rd parliament on 15 September in a stinging indictment of the Government of Sri Lanka.
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Sri Lanka reduces age of consent to 13 – report

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 September 2005, 15:54 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s cabinet has decided to reduce the age of consent for sexual encounters to 13 years, Justice Minister John Senevirathne announced Friday. He told the BBC’s Sinhala service the move to reduce it from 16 is a consequence of rising numbers of arrests of men for sexual relations with girls below that age.
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SLA, Police cordon, search Batticaloa suburbs

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 September 2005, 14:24 GMT]
More than five-hundred soldiers of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Police cordoned off and searched Sinna Urani and Iruthayapuram, two outer suburbs of Batticaloa town Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., civilian sources said. SLA soldiers collected family details of selected households in the area. Policemen with paint-brushes painted number of family members with a number they assigned to households on the walls, sources added.
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TRO opens first reconstructed village in Jaffna District

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 September 2005, 11:50 GMT]
'Aattu Patti' a village in Karaveddy North, Jaffna District, the first village to have been reconstructed by the Tamils rehabilitation Organizatino (TRO) with ADB funding under the Social Reconstruction programme was declared open and handed over to the beneficiaries on 14 September, sources in Jaffna said.
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Police say evidence exists to arrest Sivaram killers

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 September 2005, 10:55 GMT]
A Police officer of Colombo Crime Division (CCD) has informed the Kaduwela Magistrate court on Friday 16 September, that all information and location details regarding the killers and gun used in the murder of TamilNet senior editor Mr. Dharmaretnam Sivaram has been found, legal sources said. According to the police officer a suspect held in custody had disclosed details of the killers and gun to the investigating officer following a long period of questioning.
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Florida surgeons to help in Puthukudiyiruppu

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 September 2005, 03:58 GMT]
Florida based Rotarian Dr Ali Tahiri, plastic surgeon Dr Bart Rademaker, and an Occupational Therapist are scheduled to visit on post-tsunami aid mission to the NorthEast of Sri Lanka early October. The team will conduct counselling sessions and perform surgeries at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital and in Puthukudiyiruppu hospital, Dr Tahiri told TamilNet.
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NorthEast graduate trainees suspend protest campaign

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 September 2005, 02:42 GMT]
Graduate trainees holding demonstrations in front of education offices in Jaffna, Mannar, Vavuniya, Batticaloa and Trincomalee since Monday demanding permanent appointments Thursday evening decided to call off their protest from Friday following an assurance by Mr.R.Thiakalingam, Secretary North East Provincial Education Ministry, that he would attend to their grievances urgently, sources said.
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SLA searches TNA MP's Mannar residence

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 September 2005, 00:17 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers from Mannar camp encircled Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Mr Vino Noharathalingam's residence at 5.15pm Thursday before entering the house, and searched all rooms in the house for suspicious material, the MP said in registering his complaint to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM).
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Col. Sornam briefs INGOs, NGOs in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 September 2005, 18:03 GMT]
Colonel Sornam, Trincomalee district military commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Tuesday addressed the delegates of the international and national level non-governmental organizations (INGOs and NGOs) in the Trincomalee district about the urgency to expedite rehabilitation of war and tsunami affected people and the reconstruction of devastated areas, sources said.
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Peace approach should transcend party politics- paper

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 September 2005, 16:59 GMT]
"The peace process requires an approach that transcends narrow and warped ambitions of party politics. The two Presidential candiates, Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa and Opposition leader Ranil Wickramesinghe, must refrain from making the peace process an issue at the forthcoming Presidential elections," said an editorial of Thinakkural, a popular Tamil daily in its Thursday edition.
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Thileepan's 18th anniversary commemorations begin

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 September 2005, 11:18 GMT]
Preparations to commemorate eighteenth death anniversary of Lt.Col.Thileepan (Rasaiah Parthipan), who fast to death during the occupation of Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Jaffna, have begun in several parts of NorthEast with red and yellow flags symbolizing the Liberation Tigers being flown at main roads, key junctions, business premises and Government buildings, sources said. Thileepan passed away two weeks into his fast after placing five demands to the Indian Government.
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Remand extended for Sivaram murder suspect

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 September 2005, 10:57 GMT]
The suspect in the slaying of journalist Dharmaratnam Sivaram, Sriskandarajah, was remanded till 27th September by the Kaduwela Chief Magistrate and Additional District Judge Champa Janaki Rajaratna on Wednesday, legal sources said.
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IOM inaugurates de-worming campaign in Mannar district

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 September 2005, 05:08 GMT]
About 30000 children in government and LTTE controlled areas in Mannar district Wednesday received a single dose of medication, which will protect them from worms for up to a year. The inaugural event of the campaign launched by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in this regard was held Wednesday at Mannar Al-Askar Maha Vidiyalayam with Mr.V.Visvalingam, Mannar Government Agent in the chair.
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Graduate trainees hold sit-in-protest in front of Jaffna secretariat

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 September 2005, 00:42 GMT]
The offices of Additional Provincial Director of Education and Zonal Director of Education did not function Wednesday for the third day due to the sit-in-protest conducted by the graduate trainees demanding permanent appointment. A few graduate trainee teachers began token sit-in-protest Wednesday morning blocking the main entrance of the Jaffna district secretariat, civil sources said.
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Police ordered to produce LTTE suspect in Mallakam courts

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 September 2005, 00:32 GMT]
Mallakam Magistrate Ms Sarojini Ilankovan Wednesday ordered the Kankesanthurai Police to produce Mr.Velautham (25), a LTTE Sea Tiger who is being held at the KKS police station, in court on September 20, legal sources said. She made this order after visiting the suspect in the KKS police station.
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Tens of thousands attend resurgence event in Mullaithivu

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 September 2005, 17:11 GMT]
Tens of thousands of people from Mullaitivu district, including the tsunami ravaged coastal areas participated in the Tamil Resurgence event held at Malathi Sports Ground, Puthukudiyiruppu, Wednesday evening at 3:30 p.m. The event was organised by the Tamil National Resurgence Task Force to bolster the Vavuniya Declaration. Red-Yellow bi-colour flags were seen flying in all parts of Mullaithivu.
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Youth shot dead near Inuvil Temple

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 September 2005, 12:19 GMT]
Sundaresa Kurukkal Sabanatha Sharma (26) was shot dead by unidentified gunmen Wednesday at 1 p.m in the precincts of Anjaneyar Kovil near Maruthanarmadam junction, sources in Jaffna said.
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Fire at Colombo Police HQ, third floor damaged

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 September 2005, 08:08 GMT]
Fire erupted at the third floor of the Police Headquarters located at Colombo Fort around 11:20 a.m. Wednesday. The third floor which houses offices of eight Deputy Inspector Generals (DIG) sustained major damages, Police said. Noone was injured as the DIGs and officials were attending a meeting in a different floor at the time of the fire, sources added.
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Paramilitary leader killed in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 September 2005, 04:52 GMT]
The leader of the Razeek Group, Mr. Sivaguru Navaratnarajah, 38, known as 'Kanthy', was killed in a grenade attack by unidentified attackers Wedensday morning. The attack took place at 6:25 a.m. inside the high security zone in Batticaloa town where Razeek group's well fortified military camp attached to Sri Lanka Army base at Lake Road is located. 'Kanthy' was rushed to Batticaloa Hospital with serious injuries and died at the hospital, Police said. He was in charge of Razeek Group since 'Razeek', the feared leader of the group was killed in 1999. SLA soldiers and police opened fire, cordoned off and searched the area following the attack, civilian sources said.
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TRO funds Sinhala pre-school in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 September 2005, 00:08 GMT]
The construction work of a pre-school for Sinhala students in Vijithapura, a suburb in Trincomalee town, began Tuesday with funding from Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), an NGO that works exclusively in the NorthEast. Mr.Pradeep Ranga, Officer-in-charge of the Police Post in Trincomalee railway station and Mr.C.Kumarakuruparan, Deputy Director of the TRO, Trincomalee district branch laid the foundation stones for the proposed pre-school, sources said.
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Youth found dead in Nelliyady garage

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 September 2005, 17:06 GMT]
Nineteen year-old Mr.Thavarasa Girishanthan of Idaikurichchi in Karaveddy area in Jaffna district was found dead Tuesday hanging on the beam of a garage located at Arasady junction about one km off from Nelliyady. The police suspect that the youth was strangled to death and later had been hung, sources said.
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Norwegian polls indicate change of Government

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 September 2005, 12:09 GMT]
The Norwegian Labour Party led three-party Red-Green coalition has won the public elections in Norway. The change of Government will not directly impact the peace process in Sri Lanka although the ministerial portfolios are expected to change in about a month, sources in Oslo said.
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Tamil businessman shot dead in Innuvil

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 September 2005, 12:06 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen abducted a Tamil businessman from Uduvil and later shot and killed him in Innuvil west around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, sources in Jaffna said. The victim, Mr. Balasingham Sivanesan, 38, an owner of a fancy shop, was abducted by gunmen when he returned home located on Love Lane in Uduvil for lunch Tuesday.
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Rajapakse, JHU exchange agreement

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 September 2005, 10:51 GMT]
Prime Minister Rajapakse of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Ellawela Methantha Thera of Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) exchanged agreement for the forthcoming Presidential election at Dalada Maligawa, Kandy Tuesday morning at 1130am. The parties agreed in principle to terminate talks on the Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) and to find a solution to the ethnic crisis on the basis of a unitary state.
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Gunmen fire at SL police post in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 September 2005, 07:45 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen on Monday midnight fired at a sentry post manned by Sri Lankan police at Mancholai in Valaichenai. The sentry post is located 2 km away from Valaichenai police station. No one was injured in the gunfire, police said.
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Sun TV retransmission station attacked

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 September 2005, 06:17 GMT]
Unidentified attackers lobbed a handgrenade and opened fire at the Sun Television retransmission station in Vairavarpuliyankulam, located one kilometer west of Vavuniya town at 9:15 p.m. Monday, Vavuniya police said. No one was injured in the attack, according to an official of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation, the organisation that operates the retransmission station in Vavuniya. The station, located 50 meters away from a paramilitary camp belonging to Eelam People Democratic Party (EPDP) was also attacked in June 2005.
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Election Commissioner holds talks with heads of armed forces, Police

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 September 2005, 16:58 GMT]
Mr.Dayananda Dissanayake, Commissioner General of Elections Monday morning held discussions with the heads of three armed forces, Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) regarding the security to be provided during the forthcoming presidential election which is expected to be held during the second week of November this year, Deputy Commissioner of Elections Mr.W.Siriwardene said.
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SLA behind group fights in Jaffna, charges Ilamparithi

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 September 2005, 16:53 GMT]
Mr.C.Ilamparithi, Jaffna district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Monday charged that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and its intelligence operatives are behind the group clashes, which are on the increase in recent weeks in the Jaffna district. He said this in an interview with Tamilnet from the new district political office of LTTE now located in the LTTE controlled Pallai division.
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Court extends interim injunction on P-TOMS

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 September 2005, 16:48 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Monday extended its interim injunction on the implementation of certain clauses of the Pre-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) till November 22 and fixed the inquiry into the petition filed by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) seeking the cancellation of the P-TOMS on the same date, legal sources said.
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Peace process faces difficult future - paper

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 September 2005, 10:13 GMT]
Reflecting growing anxieties amongst Sri Lanka’s Tamils in the wake of the Sinhala nationalist forces gathering behind Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse, the Tamil Guardian newspaper warned this week that the peace process “will face an ever more uncompromising Sinhala bloc.” The island’s political developments, moreover, reflect the polarised sentiments amongst the island’s communities, the English-language paper’s editorial column argued.
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Jaffna Graduate trainees demand permanent teaching positions

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 September 2005, 03:29 GMT]
More than one thousand graduate trainees who have been holding temporary teaching positions for the last nine months in Jaffna protested in front of the Jaffna Regional Education office on being not included in the list of appointments published by the Education Department last week, sources in Jaffna said.
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Policeman injured in grenade attack in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 September 2005, 02:31 GMT]
Mr.L.Karunaratne, a police constable, was seriously injured and two civilians sustained minor injuries when unidentified persons lobbed a grenade at the police sentry located in Kanchimadam roundabout junction near Trincomalee town, Uppuveli Police said. The junction serves as a gateway to Trincomalee town and villages in the north of the district.
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LTTE official journal launched on Internet

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 September 2005, 15:47 GMT]
"Viduthalaipulikal" - the LTTE journal has been made available on the Internet as from Sunday. A complete set of the Tamil journal dating back from 1984 is now accessible on the Internet for readers, according to LTTE sources in Kilinochchi.
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Trinco TECH holds anniversary event

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 September 2005, 15:44 GMT]
The Trincomalee district branch of The Economy Consultant House (TECH) held its first anniversary event Saturday evening in Trincomalee Sri Koneswara Hindu College Hall. 42 students who successfully completed the City and Guilds Computer Training Course, conducted with the sponsorship of London TR TECH received certificates. Medals were awarded to students who excelled in computer-information technology. TECH Trincomalee district branch was formed on 10 eptember 2004.
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Srimavopura attacks threaten civilian travel in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 September 2005, 15:38 GMT]
Representations have been made to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee to ensure safety to Tamil and Muslim civilians who travel to and from north of Trincomalee passing through Srimavopura, a suburb an about one km north of the east port town from being attacked by Sinhala mobs. Civil groups have complained to the SLMM that Tamil and Muslim civilians are attacked at Srimavopura junction by Sinhalese gangs in the presence of soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and policemen of the Sri Lanka Police (SLP), sources said.
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Two paramilitary cadres killed in Welikande

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 September 2005, 15:00 GMT]
Welikanda police Sunday noon located dead bodies of two paramilitary cadres belonging to Karuna group in Karapola, a Tamil village in the interior of Polannaruwa district, around 65 kilometers northwest of Batticaloa.
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Police vehicle attacked in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 September 2005, 11:07 GMT]
Unknown persons fired at a convoy of police officers who were returning from Oddamavady market in a tractor Sunday around 12.15pm at Kalkudah-Valaichenai road near Pethalai bus-stand, sources in Valaichenai said. No one was injured in the attack.
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Legal wrangle delays call for poll nomination

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 September 2005, 18:06 GMT]
Mr.Dayananda Dissanayake, Commissioner of Elections is awaiting clarification of the final paragraph of the landmark judgement delivered on August 12 by the Supreme Court directing him to hold the presidential election before the end of the year 2005. Commissioner of Elections has already filed a motion in the Supreme Court to delete a clause in the final paragraph of the judgement that is preventing him from calling for nomination in the presidential poll, legal sources said.
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Mannar town, suburbs under strict SLA surveillance

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 September 2005, 17:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Sri Lanka Police instituted strict surveillance of Mannar district by establishing several roadblocks and sentry points in several key roads and junctions. Residents of Mannar town were perturbed Saturday morning when they were subjected to severe body checks passing through newly set up roadblocks and checkpoints, residents said.
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SLA opens access routes, blocks transport of Tamil paper

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 September 2005, 13:28 GMT]
After complaints from Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) opened the six access routes to LTTE controlled areas in Batticaloa district Saturday, but blocked transport of the Tamil daily "Batticaloa Eelanatham" into Sri Lanka Government controlled areas at the Pattiruppu bridge, Manmunai and Iranguthurai checkpoints, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Election campaign should not jeopardize peace prospects- Schaffer

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 September 2005, 01:37 GMT]
Asserting that "a major political change is needed if all communities are to live together in Sri Lanka," Teresita Schaffer, former U.S Ambassador to Sri Lanka, said at a US Congressional briefing of the Sri Lanka Caucus on Thursday that she hoped "Sri Lanka won’t throw away chances for this in the election campaign." Congressmen Jerry Weller (R-Il.) and Danny Davis (D-Il) participated briefly at the briefing held at the Cannon House Building, Washington, DC.
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Workshop for Tamil women teachers concluded in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 September 2005, 17:12 GMT]
Two day workshop for the Tamil women teachers in the Trincomalee district, on the role of women teachers in the trade unionism, concluded on Thursday. The workshop was organized by the Sri Lanka Women Teachers Network (SLWTN) in collaboration with the Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union (CTTU) supported by the Education International (EI) and the Union of Education-Norway (UEN).
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Mannar civil groups meet SLMM

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 September 2005, 17:05 GMT]
Civil groups in Mannar district Friday appealed to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to take immediate steps to bring back all withdrawn LTTE political cadres to the government controlled areas and provide necessary assistance enabling them to recommence their political activities.
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Jaffna IDP families seek SLMM intervention for resettlement

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 September 2005, 16:55 GMT]
Displaced families in Jaffna district have begun submitting individual memoranda to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) seeking its intervention to resettle them in their lands and houses now being occupied by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), civil society sources said. The SLA has declared areas where these houses and agricultural lands of the IDPs are located high security zones. IDP families demand that the SLMM should take steps to vacate the army occupation according to the terms defined in the Ceasefire Agreement signed by the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) about three years ago.
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SLA, STF block access routes to LTTE areas in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 September 2005, 11:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Special Task Force (STF) soldiers blocked six access routes to LTTE controlled areas in Batticaloa district from Friday morning. A boat service, two ferry services and three land routes were blocked for all traffic between the LTTE controlled areas and SLA controlled areas disrupting civilian life as officials and school teachers were blocked from crossing the border, civilian sources said.
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LTTE, SLMM meet in Puliyankulam

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 September 2005, 10:48 GMT]
Head of LTTE Vavuniya district Political Wing, Mr Gnanam, and Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) members met at the Puliyankulam offices in the LTTE controlled region Friday to discuss issues related to the recent escalating violence and the safety of LTTE political cadres in the district, sources said.
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Jaffna Hindu College Student tops A/L results

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 September 2005, 10:19 GMT]
Sivaperakasam Mayuran a student of Jaffna Hindu College secured the First place Island wide in the G.C.E (Advanced Level) Examination results (Maths Division) released on 07.09.2005.
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Norway to send Furuhovde as special representative to Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 September 2005, 09:35 GMT]
While the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are yet to agree on the venue acceptable for both parties for direct talks, the Norwegian Government is to send Major General (ret’d) Trond Furuhovde, former Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), as special representative of the Royal Norwegian Government. Furuhovde will consult with both parties on the security situation and on the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA), a press release issued by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Friday said.
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PLOTE cadre shot dead in Vavuniya, bystander injured

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 September 2005, 09:19 GMT]
Vilvarasa Gopal (47), a member of Peoples Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at 11.40 am Friday in Thirunavatkulam in Vavuniya district, police in Vavuniya said. Gopal was working inside his residence when he was killed. Selvarajah Parthipan, a teacher at a Vavuniya Private Educational Institute was seriously injured during the incident.
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Vakarai families receive sewing machines, PV systems

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 September 2005, 08:45 GMT]
Tamil expatriate groups in France and Germany donated nine sewing machines and four 40W Solar Home Systems (SHS) in late August costing US$4000 to Vakarai residents affected by tsunami through Trincomalee branch The Technical Consultancy House (TECH), an NGO operating in the NorthEast, TECH officials said.
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SL military intelligence operative shot dead in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 September 2005, 06:51 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a Sri Lanka Military Intelligence operative, Mr. Mohammed Rafeek, 41, at 2nd cross street in Vavuniya at 11:10 a.m. Friday.
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Grenade lobbed at SLA sentry post in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 September 2005, 23:18 GMT]
Two unidentified attackers riding in a motorbike lobbed a grenade at the Sri Lanka Army sentry post located near the Batticaloa Railway station at Kalliyankadu in Batticaloa. The incident took place Thursday around 7:30 p.m. Four SLA soldiers who were on duty, narrowly escaped from the attack, Police said.
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Mannar court releases refugees, orders remand for two youths

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 September 2005, 18:39 GMT]
Thirteen persons rescued by the Sri Lanka Navy when Indian boatmen left them on a sandbank in Mannar Sea were produced in Mannar Magistrates' Court by Talaimannar Police Wednesday. Talaimannar Police submitted report to court stating that of the thirteen persons, eleven are genuine refugees and the rest two youths were not, legal sources said.
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Paramilitary cadre dies in police gunfire - SLA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 September 2005, 14:31 GMT]
A paramilitary cadre from Karuna Group was shot and killed while he was engaged in a clash with a Liberation Tiger cadre Thursday morning around 9:45 a.m. Thursday, Sri Lanka Army sources claimed. The incident took place near a bus stand on Rosiro Road in Batticaloa. However, initial reports from the Police said that the policemen, upon hearing gunshots, reached the site and shot at unidentified armed men who were fleeing from the scene. One person died and another was rushed to Batticaloa Hospital.
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Two STF soldiers, policeman killed in two attacks in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 September 2005, 14:23 GMT]
Two Sri Lankan armed personnel were killed, five Special Task Forces soldiers and five civilians were injured in two separate clashes when unidentified gunmen attacked STF soldiers and policemen who were monitoring the Batticaloa - Kalmunai Road in Manmunai, 7 km south of Batticaloa between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. Thursday.
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Dead Batticaloa man identified

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 September 2005, 12:12 GMT]
The youth who was shot and killed by the Sri Lankan Police and the Sri Lanka Army soldiers on Wednesday following a grenade attack at Urani junction was identified as Mr. Sinnathamby Baleswaran, 38, from Kurinchamunai in Kokkaddicholai, Police said Thursday.
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Bomb scare in Katunayake airport, one passenger dies in stampede

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 September 2005, 12:02 GMT]
One Sri Lankan Muslim woman died and 83 others including men, women and children wounded in a stampede when all 452 passengers in a Boeing 747 of the Saudi airlines jumped through emergency door following a tip-off from an anonymous caller to the Katunayake international airport authorities that a bomb has been hidden inside the craft. The incident took place Thursday afternoon at about 1.45 p.m. when the airplane was about to take off to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, airport sources said.
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"Talks venue must be acceptable to both parties"- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 September 2005, 09:46 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Political Head, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, who met with Norwegian delegation in Kilinochchi Thursday morning told reporters that a southern venue, including the Colombo airport, does not provide the necessary conducive environment for direct talks. The venue for direct talks must be acceptable to both parties, he added. Thamilchelvan further said that while the Emergency Regulations is in force and in the prevailing unpredicatable political atmosphere with serious controversies in the South, LTTE finds the airport venue not conducive for serious talks. Colombo had declined to have talks in Kilinochchi.
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Rajapakse, JVP sign policy deal

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 September 2005, 09:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) presidential candidate Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and Sinhala extreme nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) secretary Mr. Tilvin Silva signed the 12-point policy agreement Thursday morning at the Prime Minister official residence, Temple Trees in Colombo.
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Aquaculture Division acts on post-tsunami fisheries sector recovery

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 September 2005, 08:43 GMT]
Fisheries and Aquaculture Department formed in the wake of tsunami has been co-ordinating fisheries related recovery programs in each district of the NorthEast. Headed by Mr.K.Sivarasa, Senior Advisor at Fisheries Department, Tromso, Norway, and advised by Jaffna University senior lectures specialized in fisheries sector the department employed 40 field assistants with fisheries diploma to complete a thorough survey of tsunami damages and the livelihood needs of the affected families in the NorthEast, officials said.
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Youth shot and killed, SLA soldier, policemen injured in grenade attack

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 September 2005, 14:13 GMT]
A Tamil youth was shot and killed by the Sri Lanka Army soldiers and policemen following a grenade attack at a police post located in Urani junction on Batticaloa-Valaichenai Road, 3 km north of Batticaloa town. An SLA corporal, Mr. M. D. Somasri, 32, was seriously wounded and three police constables sustained minor injuries when unidentified attackers lobbed a grenade at the police post around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Police and SLA soldiers fired at random following the attack. Many Tamil civilians in the neighbourhood were beaten up by Sri Lanka Army soldiers, civilian sources said.
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Policeman injured in grenade attack in Battcaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 September 2005, 13:56 GMT]
Unidentified persons lobbed a grenade and fired at a police sentry post at Sinnappodai near Kallady bridge wounding a police constable attached to Batticaloa police station, Police said. The incident took place around 12:45 p.m. Sinnappodai is located 2 km east of Batticaloa.
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Norway wants to hold talks in Colombo Airport

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 September 2005, 13:22 GMT]
A press release issued from the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wednesday said that Norway has determined that the only possible venue to hold talks on improving the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is Colombo International Airport. The Sri Lankan Government has maintained that it wants the meeting to be held in Sri Lanka, while the LTTE has repeated its preference for Kilinochchi or a venue outside Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, the Norwegian FM has called an extraordinary meeting of the Sri Lanka co-chairs in New York on 19 September, the press release added.
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Grenade attack on SLA sentry injures two civilians

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 September 2005, 10:45 GMT]
Unidentified men lobbed a grenade at a sentry point of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) located at Mudcove junction, a suburb in Trincomalee town along Mattikali road, Tuesday night around 9.45 p.m. Soldiers manning the sentry point retaliated the attack. A Hindu priest, Mr.Uruthirakurukkal Aravinthakumar (35), and his assistant, Mr.Sivagnanam, who were passing at that time on a motorbike were injured during the incident and were admitted to the Trincomalee general hospital, police said.
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SLFP holds 54th annual conference

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 September 2005, 09:17 GMT]
More than 20,000 participated in the 54th Annual conference of Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP) which was held Tuesday at Colombo Horse Race Square, political sources in Colombo said. The conference rally started at 12 noon from Colombo Campell Park and marched through the baseline road, via Reed Avenue and reached the meeting venue at 6pm. Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumarathunga and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksha joined the rally at Reed Avenue and walked to Horse Race Square, political sources in Colombo said.
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SLN patrol crafts damage fishing nets, fishermen complain

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 September 2005, 07:40 GMT]
Jaffna District Fisheries Cooperatives Federation (JDFCF) Tuesday lodged a complaint with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that their fishing nets cast along the coast of northern sea are frequently damaged by speeding Sri Lanka navy patrol crafts, fisheries sources said.
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TNA representatives meet UN envoy

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 September 2005, 04:23 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians, Mr. R. Sampanthan, Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham, Mr. Gajendran Ponnambalam and Mr. M. K. Sivajilingam on Tuesday met Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, the Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General Mr. Kofi Annan, in Colombo.
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Myliddy IDP families demand resettlement

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 September 2005, 17:22 GMT]
Twenty-six displaced families from Myliddy area in Valigamam North division in Jaffna district Tuesday handed over memoranda to the head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Jaffna demanding that they should be allowed to resettle in their lands and houses now being occupied by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA). Each IDP family submitted a separate memorandum to the SLMM, civil sources in Jaffna said.
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Bullet riddled bodies of Tamil youths recovered in Ragama

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 September 2005, 17:07 GMT]
The bodies of two Tamil youths Mr. Kirupairasa Rupanraj, 23, and Mr. Muthuvel Jegatheeswaran, 19, natives of Almkerny, Kinniya division in Trincomalee district were recovered with gunshot injuries Tuesday morning by Ragama Police in Western Province. The two youths were abducted Monday night around 10 p.m. from Ragama, northeast of Colombo.
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STF raids LTTE offices in Amparai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 September 2005, 14:44 GMT]
Soldiers of the Special Task Force (STF), the elite counter insurgency arm of the Sri Lanka armed forces, entered the Liberation Tigers' political offices in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) held Pandiruppu and Navithanveli in Kalmumai in Amparai district Tuesday evening. STF soldiers forced their way in by braking the doors and seized documents and stationary, sources said.
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JVP, SLFP alliance spells disaster for Sri Lanka - Wickremesinghe

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 September 2005, 11:05 GMT]
Leader of Sri Lanka's opposition and the presidential candidate of the United National Party (UNP), Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, on Tuesday warned that to prevent Sri Lanka plunging into chaos NorthEast crisis need to be addressed and solved urgently. The alliance between the SLFP and the JVP on Sri Lanka's presidency will exacerbate political and economical woes facing Sri Lanka, he said. "This alliance will isolate the country from the International community. The JVP is beating the war drums, and if there is another war it will bring disaster to Sri Lanka," Mr. Wickremesinghe warned.
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Kumaratunge declines life presidency of SLFP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 September 2005, 11:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge has turned down the decision Central Committee and the All Island Executive Committee of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to make her life president of the party stating that will tarnish SLFP's image as a dictatorial party, SLFP sources said.
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Mannar pilgrim reported missing

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 September 2005, 10:12 GMT]
Mr.Velu Appusamy, 67, a trader by profession is reported missing since August 17 this year. He left Mannar on that date on pilgrimage to historic Kathirgamam Murugan Temple, which is located in the down south of Sri Lanka. Mr.Velu Appusamy is a native of Nilankanulam, Vattakandal in Mannar district, according to a complaint lodged by his son Mr.Sellasamy Muttu (30) with the Mannar Citizen Committee.
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JHU to support Rajapakse

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 September 2005, 09:36 GMT]
Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), Sinhala extremeist all monks' party said Tuesday it has decided to support Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse, Prime Minister in the forthcoming presidential election, sources in Colombo said. The ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has named Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse as its presidential candidate.
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Three LTTE cadres killed, five injured in Vaharai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 September 2005, 09:29 GMT]
Three Liberation Tigers cadres were killed when a group of armed men wearing military fatigues raided a sentry post at Kattumurivu inside Liberation Tigers controlled Vaharai area Tuesday morning around 8:45 a.m. Five cadres were injured in the raid, according to LTTE officials in Sampoor. Meanwhile, SLA sources in Welikanda told local reporters that a 40 mm grenade launcher, four T-56 rifles, ten grenades, two claymore mines and three LTTE uniform kits were captured by the attackers, claiming that the raid was carried out by "Mangalan Master", a Karuna loyalist.
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NE rural development officers' workshop concluded

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 September 2005, 18:13 GMT]
Four-day residential training programme for district and divisional level Tamil medium rural development officers (RDO) in the Northeast province, held under the auspices of the Provincial Department of Rural Development in the Provincial Guest House in Trincomalee, concluded Monday. RDOs from all the districts in the province participated in the workshop.
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Police station, checkpost attacked in Amparai district

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 September 2005, 16:30 GMT]
Unidentified attackers lobbed two grenades into Sammanthurai police station located on Kalmunai-Amparai main road at 7:30 p.m.. The attackers also fired at the police station building, Police sources said. Later, at 8:45 p.m., another Police post at Maruthamunai on Batticaloa - Kalmunai road came under gunfire.
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One SLA soldier dead, two injured in grenade attack in Chenkalady

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 September 2005, 12:53 GMT]
Unidentified men riding in motorbikes lobbed a grenade and fired at three Sri Lanka Army soldiers in Chenkalady around 5:00 p.m. Monday. The three SLA soldiers, who were on duty on Batticaloa-Chenkalady road sustained serious injuries in the attack. One of the soldiers, SLA Corporal R. P. Banadra, 35, later succumbed to his wounds at Batticaloa hospital, Eravur Police said.
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TRO-USA appeals for funds to help Katrina victims

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 September 2005, 12:37 GMT]
Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO-USA), head quartered in Cumberland, Maryland, posted an appeal in its website, soliciting funds to help the victims of hurricane Katrina which hit New Orleans, Louisiana displacing 220,000 people and killing several thousands. "TRO is very grateful of the tremendous help provided by American people during Tsunami and wishes to express its sympathy for the victims of Katrina and encourages all to help with Katrina relief efforts," the posting on the website said.
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Pirapaharan felicitates Nitharsanam cinema artists

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 September 2005, 11:37 GMT]
Leader of Liberation Tigers, V Pirapaharan, felicitated the directors and artists at the "Eerath thee (Wet conflagration)" film release ceremony held at the Nitharsanam conference hall in Kilinochchi Sunday, sources from Kilinochchi said. The film was produced by LTTE Women's wing under the direction of Ms Nimala, and depicts the historical growth of Black Tigers.
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Grenade misses EPDP buidling, damages civilian house

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 September 2005, 10:44 GMT]
Grenade lobbed by unidentified men targeting the Mannar district office of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) Monday early morning hit the house of a civilian located adjacent to the EPDP office. The front portion of the house badly damaged. No one was hurt in this incident, Mannar Police said.
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JVP announces conditional support to Rajapakse

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 September 2005, 07:20 GMT]
The Sinhala extreme nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna on Monday announced its conditional support to Sri Lankan PM and the presidential candidate Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse with twelve demands. The main demands put forward by the JVP were: nullify P-TOMS, commitment to unitary state, revise the February 2002 Cease Fire Agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and review the Norwegian role in the peace process. The JVP announced its conditional support to Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse Monday morning in a press conference held at National Library in Colombo. According to JVP, a "policy agreement" was already reached between Mr. Rajapakse and the JVP.
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Direct talks with Pirapaharan, a Day Dream- TNA MP

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 September 2005, 18:58 GMT]
"Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse is `day dreaming' when he says he will speak directly to the LTTE supremo to settle the ethnic issue," said Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham criticizing the nonchalant attitude of Mr Rajapakse at the beginning of his campaign for Sri Lanka's Presidency.
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Grenade attack on Akkaraipattu Police sentry

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 September 2005, 18:54 GMT]
Two unidentified men riding a motorbike on Pottuvil - Kalmunai road lobbed a grenade at a police checkpost near Akkaraipattu Police station in Amparai district Sunday at 9:30 p.m., police said.
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SLMC leader meets UN special envoy

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 September 2005, 17:56 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) said Sunday that the discussion it held with UN special envoy Mr.Lakhdar Brahimi for about an hour has given confidence that the Muslim community would also be made a party in the future peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
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Jaffna University to establish Faculty of Agriculture in Killinochchi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 September 2005, 17:50 GMT]
Faculty of Agriculture of the Jaffna University is to be established in 400-acre land, which is allocated at Ponnagar in Killinochchi district. The foundation-laying event for the project will be held on 6 September, said Professor C.Mohanathas, Vice Chancellor of the Jaffna University.
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UNP to hold 140 presidential election rallies

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 September 2005, 17:41 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition, the United National Party (UNP) is to hold one hundred election rallies in support of its presidential candidate Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe. Twenty of the rallies will be held before the nomination date, party sources said.
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Police sentry attacked in Kalmunai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 September 2005, 15:41 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen fired at a Sri Lankan Police checkpost at Pandiriuppu in Kalmunai, 39 km south of Batticaloa. The attackers and the policemen exchanged gunfire for 15 minutes, Police said. No casualties were reported in the clash.
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Grenade lobbed on SLA soldiers, civilian injured

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 September 2005, 14:31 GMT]
Two unidentified attackers riding a motorbike lobbed a grenade into a Sri Lanka Army centry post in Kalliyankadu, near Batticaloa Railway station, 2 km off Batticaloa town Sunday evening around 5:45 p.m. Four SLA soldiers narrowly escaped from the attack. A 14-year old boy who was traveling on the street sustained shrapnel wounds, Police said.
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Three SLA soldiers injured in two attacks on Batticaloa Valaichenai road

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 September 2005, 11:43 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen attacked Sri Lanka Army soldiers in two different locations on Batticaloa Valaichenai highway around 5:30 p.m. Sunday. One SLA soldier was injured in the attack that took place at Kiran-Korakallimadu area north of Batticaloa and two SLA soldiers were injured in another attack, one kilometers away at Sithandy. The injured soldiers were airlifted to Polannaruwa hospital in critical condition, Police said. SLA soldiers started beating civilian travellers in Sithandy and Santhiveli, travellers said adding that all transport on the highway had come to a hault. Tension prevailed in the area following the attacks.
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Kaluwanchikudy LTTE office attacked, one cadre killed

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 September 2005, 06:48 GMT]
Mr. K. Arulnesan, a political cadre of the Liberation Tigers was killed when paramilitary cadres lobbed grenades and fired at the LTTE office located in Sri Lanka Army controlled Kaluwanchikuddy town around 7:00 a.m. Sunday. Three LTTE political cadres narrowly escaped from the office. Arulnesan's body with 9 gunshot wounds was taken to Kaluwanchikudy Hospital by the Police and later handed over to LTTE. The LTTE office, which was also subjected to a hand grenade attack one month ago, is located on Kaluwanchikudy main road in a high security area of the Sri Lanka Army.
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CWC to decide its stand on presidential election Monday

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 September 2005, 17:23 GMT]
The politburo of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), a constituent of the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government will meet Monday evening at its headquarters, 'Soumiyamoorthy Bawan' to decide its strategy in the forthcoming presidential election, party sources said.
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Police constable, civilian injured in gunfire in Kalmunai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 September 2005, 17:18 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen fired at the office of the Kalmunai Assistant Superintendent of Police around 8:55 p.m., Saturday seriously wounding a police constable. A woman was injured when the policemen opened fire at the gunmen.
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Kumaratunge to be made lifetime President of SLFP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 September 2005, 17:08 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge who arrived Saturday morning after five day official visit to China is to preside over the emergency meeting of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party's (SLFP) policy making central committee Sunday evening amid speculation that she is likely to dissolve parliament and call for general election in addition to presidential election as directed by the Supreme Court, political sources said.
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UN special envoy arrives in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 September 2005, 16:37 GMT]
United Nations special envoy Mr.Lakhdar Brahimi arrived in Colombo Friday night on a five-day visit. During his stay he is scheduled to meet Sri Lanka's President, Prime Minister, opposition leader and leaders of political parties, sources said.
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JHU to announce candidate after call for nominations

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 September 2005, 13:51 GMT]
Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), the Sinhala extremist all Buddhist monks party, at a Worship meeting held a the Viharamaha Devi Park Saturday evening, said that they will announce their Sri Lanka presidential candidate after the election date is announced and the nominations are called by the election commissioner, political sources in Colombo said.
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Incidents of theft drop at Nallur festival

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 September 2005, 08:13 GMT]
Although incidents of theft of jewellery amounting to sixty gold sovereigns were reported to the Nallur Pradeshya sabha offices located at the temple premises during the Nallur Kandaswamy temple chariot festival Friday, adminstraters said that this was a welcome decrease from incidents of last year when more than 75 people were victims to thefts of nearly 200 gold sovereigns.
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Bank helps Kilinochchi traders restart destroyed businesses

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 September 2005, 06:40 GMT]
Social and Economic Development Bank (SEDB) located in Kilinochchi town gave owners of eleven businesses which were destroyed by fire on 18 August loans of Rs 25,000 each on long term concessionary terms to rebuild their businesses, Friday 3 p.m. in an event held in Kilinochchi market premises.
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SLN soldiers assault Polikandi fishermen

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 September 2005, 16:56 GMT]
Mr.Iruthayarajah Jesuthas (28) and Mr.Arulprahasam Anton (34), fishermen of Polykandi Friday afternoon complained to fisheries officials that they were severely assaulted by the soldiers of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) when they were fishing in Myliathanai Sea along the coast of Kankesanthurai in Vadamaradchchi division in Jaffna district, sources said.
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SLA soldier dies in friendly fire in Thenmaradchchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 September 2005, 12:58 GMT]
Chavakachcheri Magistrate Mr.A.Premshankar Friday ordered remand for Private Harinda Jayalath of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) till September 16 in connection with the killing of a fellow soldier Rozan Gunaratne (24) Thursday morning around 11.55 a.m. at the army checkpoint along Maruthankulam Road in Eluthumaduval area of the Thenmaradchchi forward defense line in Jaffna district, legal sources said.
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Devotees throng Nallur Chariot festival

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 September 2005, 10:11 GMT]
Devotees from across Sri Lanka and visiting expatriate Tamils Friday filled the temple premises at the Annual Chariot festival of Kandaswamy (Lord Murugan) Temple located in Nallur Jaffna turning Jaffna into a spiritual town. Hundreds of devotees performed ‘Angapirathshanam’ behind the big chariot carrying the chief deity, and women devotees carried pots with burning camphor, to fulfil vows made during the year.
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Tamil businessman shot and killed in Wennapuwa

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 September 2005, 07:19 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed Mr.Naguleswaran, 37, a tile factory owner at his residence in Wennapuwa, a town in Chilaw district in the North Western Province, around 8:30 a.m., Friday, police said.
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GoSL donates USD 25 000 to US hurricane victims

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 September 2005, 06:47 GMT]
United States Charge’ d’Affaires to Sri Lanka and the Maldives James F. Entwistle expressed gratitude to Sri Lanka's President Kumaratunga and the Government of Sri Lanka Friday for their condolences and pledge of assistance to hurricane victims in the U.S. The Government of Sri Lanka will donate $25,000 to the American Red Cross for immediate assistance to those affected by the hurricane, and Sri Lankan Ambassador to the U.S. Bernard Goonetillike will call upon Sri Lankan physicians in the U.S. to volunteer their services to the injured and ill, according to a press release from the Embassy of the United States of America in Colombo.
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Tactical imperatives drive LTTE's responses - Balakumaran

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 September 2005, 02:22 GMT]
"Liberation Tigers' recent responses to emerging political issues are tactical, reflecting the organization's political maturity and the need to further expose to the international community, Government of Sri Lanka's inability to effectively address the Tamil National question," said Mr. K. V. Balakumaran, a senior LTTE member and former EROS leader, when TamilNet asked for his comment on the recent characterization by the Colombo press of LTTE "climbing down" on previously stated positions on issues.
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Jaffna journalists hold demonstration against attack on Tamil media

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 September 2005, 14:17 GMT]
Large number of journalists based in Jaffna district Thursday morning held a one-hour demonstration in the Jaffna central bus stand condemning the assault on journalists of Sudar Oli, Colombo Tamil daily and its offices at Wellawatte and Grandpass. The shouted slogans, carrying placards protesting against the government for not taking prompt action to safeguard the Tamil media in Colombo, sources said.
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Mannar court releases three-wheeler suspect on bail

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 September 2005, 14:16 GMT]
Mannar Magistrate Mr.N.M.M.Abdullah ordered the release of Mohamed Sultan Mohamed Sahabdeen on surety bail in a sum of fifty thousand rupees when was produced in court Thursday morning on a report by the Police that he was arrested who was arrested by the Sri Lanka Army at the Uyilankulam checkpoint when he was about to enter the LTTE held Nachchikudah village with false documents regarding the ownership of the vehicle, legal sources said.
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Tens of thousands attend Tamil resurgence event in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 September 2005, 12:11 GMT]
Around one hundred thousand people from various parts of Vanni mainland took part in the Tamil national resurgence event held in Kilinochchi on Thursday. The event was held in support of the July 27 Vavuniya Convention and was organised by the Tamil Resurgence Task Force. The entire township was decorated with felicitation arches and yellow and red bi-colour flags with a festive appearance. "This event would inform the world that time is ripe for us to decide our own destiny," Mr. M. Sivabalan, president of the Task Force told TamilNet. The event ceremonially began at 4:00 p.m. in Kilinochchi common playground.
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