Panchayat Raj brought back in Rajapakse deliberations

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 April 2007, 16:38 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa, while on his visit to the 14th SAARC Summit being held at New Delhi had discussions with Mr. Mani Shanakar Ayyar, Indian Central Government Minister on Panchayat Raj system Sunday at the Maurya Sheraton Hotel in New Delhi, a press release from the Presidential office said. In October 2006, when the inclusion of the Indian third tier administrative model was first brought up and touted as “ray of hope” to solve Sri Lanka’s “domestic problems,” Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian dismissed the concept saying "It is foolish to think Panchayat scheme will satisfy Tamil people."
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Appeal to MPs, ICRC, GA to bring murdered student’s body home

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 March 2007, 10:51 GMT]
Eight Tamil parliamentarians have written to Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary, Gothebaya Rajapakse, on behalf the family of a murdered Jaffna University student, who are pleading for permission for his body to be taken to their home in Viswamadu in Tamil-Tiger controlled Vanni. The family has also requested the University authorities and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) office in Kilinochchi to also help, relatives said.
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Canadian Memorial Stamp issued for late Navaratnam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 January 2007, 16:17 GMT]
A set of Canadian Memorial Stamps and First Day Cover were issued at a memorial function in Toronto Saturday, honoring the contribution by late V. Navaratnam, a doyen of Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK), the Federal Party, and who called upon the Tamil youth to fight for the establishment of a separate self-governing Tamils State in 1969. Mr Navaratnam urged the youth to fight, when he left the Federal Party and founded Thamil Suyadchi Kalaham, the Organisation for Tamil Self-Governance, after witnessing failed negotiations for power-sharing with Sri Lankan leaders for almost three decades.
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"Majority Report" authors commended

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 January 2007, 19:33 GMT]
A group of Sri Lankan academics and civil activists in a letter sent to the members of the Experts Panel on Constitutional Reform Friday, said that the "Majority Report provides a reasonably compromised and remarkably consensual road map for effecting the necessary constitutional changes towards a political resolution," and added that "the onus is now on [Sri Lanka's] President Rajapakse and the leaders of the SLFP and the UNP to take the lead and act on these recommendations."
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NorthEast demerger, breach of International Treaty- Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 January 2007, 06:53 GMT]
“Not only the Tamil speaking people but also the International Community are unhappy with the de-merger of NorthEastern province. Though the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka told that former President J. R. Jayewardene’s step was defective and invalid, the Sri Lanka's President Mr. Rajapakse who wants to share no powers with Tamils, seized the opportunity quickly and declared the de-merger amidst the opposition from many of his own cabinet ministers and Members of parliament. Mr Rajapakse has not only betrayed the Tamil people, but also breached an international treaty, R. Sampanthan told in the Sri Lankan Parliament Wednesday.
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Indian Prime Minister receives TNA leaders

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 December 2006, 07:48 GMT]
Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh Friday received five Tamil National Alliance leaders R. Sampanthan, Mavai Senathiraja, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Selvam Adaikalanthan and Suresh Premachandran at his office in New Delhi. TNA MPs told media that the meeting was very cordial and that they had brought focus to the humanitarian crisis in Vaharai and Jaffna where food is used as tool of war by Colombo. Dr. Manmohan Singh emphasized that he had conveyed to Colombo that there could be no military solution to resolve the Tamil national problem and that it should address the political aspirations of the Tamil people through a negotiated settlement.
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Army vows not to let food into Vaharai, says will capture region

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 November 2006, 19:41 GMT]
Despite a personal assurance given Thursday by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse to Tamil parliamentarians that emergency food supplies would be permitted to reach tens of thousands of Tamil refugees facing starvation in LTTE-controlled areas, Sri Lanka Army at the border turned back convoys on Friday and Saturday. Saturday’s returning convoy was stopped by suspected paramilitary men and subsequently looted by refugees in government controlled areas. A local Army officier, has told civil officials not to send any more convoys, vowing the Army would not allow food into LTTE-controlled areas under any circumstances and saying the area would be captured soon.
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Thousands pay homage to Raviraj in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 November 2006, 01:58 GMT]
"Raviraj was a leader who fought for Tamils' rights and gave a democratic voice to their struggle. The Sri Lanka Government should hold itself responsible for Ravraj's assassination," said Rajitha Senaratne, United National Party parliamentarian for Colombo, addressing a public meeting organised by the Anti-War Front at Vihara Mahadevi Park in Colombo held Monday evening around 4:20 p.m held to pay homage to the slain Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Raviraj, sources Colombo said.
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Body of youth with gunshot wounds found in Kattankudy

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 October 2006, 09:43 GMT]
Kattankudy police recovered the body of a youth with gunshot wounds near Puthukudiruppu Ayurveda Medical Centre in their division, Tuesday around 9:30 a.m, Sources in Batticaloa said. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Special Task Force (STF) road patrol unit first found the body with hands and legs bound and eyes tied, said Kattankudy police.
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Indian model ill-suited to address Tamil demands- Gajendrakumar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 October 2006, 03:44 GMT]
While the Sri Lanka Government negotiators in Geneva II heralded the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) as key to formulating “a political and constitutional framework for the resolution of the national question,” an APRC delegation has been touring India to study India's “federal” setup. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian and Member of the Parliamentary Consultative Committees for Constitutional affairs, said that the post-partition constitution of India was not required to address any sovereignty issues similar to those that lie at the core of Tamil struggle, and therefore, is ill-suited for Sri Lanka.


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GoSL urged to ensure legal basis for merged NE before November 7

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 October 2006, 14:05 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance Parliamentary Group on Thursday in the Sri Lankan Parliament, urged the Government of Sri Lanka to immediately take the necessary action to validly restore the Status Quo Ante pertaining to the constitution of the North-East as one Unit. "Failure to take immediate steps to validly merge the Northern and Eastern Provinces as one Unit, will permanently shut the door on the possibilities of finding a solution within one country." The TNA has urged the Sri Lankan Government to respond favorably by the 7th of November 2006 the latest.


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TNA boycotts SL parliament protesting NE merger ruling

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 October 2006, 08:49 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Thursday morning walked out of the Sri Lanka's parliament in protest of the Supreme Court ruling that the temporary merger of the North and East provinces was illegal and violated Sri Lanka's constitution. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam in a statement to the parliament Thursday said his party would boycott the sittings of the parliament until the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) reveals its stand on the merger decision, parliamentary sources said.


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SLAF revenge bombing kills baby, girl in Mullaithivu

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 October 2006, 16:24 GMT]
A one-year-old baby girl and a 12-year-old girl were killed and 15 civilians were wounded when Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers attacked Kaiveli, a village in Puthukudiyiruppu, between 5:15 and 5:45, Monday, medical sources in Mullaithivu said. Four SLAF Kfir bombers targeted a civilian settlement on the left side of Puthukudiyiruppu - Paranthan Road. 9 civilian houses were destroyed in the bombardment. A one-month-old baby miraculously escaped from the attack. A Kfir jet came down in Negombo when it took off to bomb Puthukudiyiruppu this evening.
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Co-chairs must act to stop war- Gajendrakumar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 October 2006, 18:30 GMT]
"Co-chairs and the International community should go beyond making statements by taking concrete steps to pressure the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to stop waging an aggressive war and to compel the GoSL to engage in meaningful talks with the Liberation Tigers," said Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, at a press meet held Thursday morning in Colombo Renuka Hotel, TNA sources in Colombo said.
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SLA arrests 16 Tamil civilians in Chavakachcheri

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 August 2006, 09:20 GMT]
Sixteen Tamil civilians were arrested by soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) when they were conducting a cordon and search operation in Chavakachcheri town and its suburbs Allarai, Periyamawadi, Kappachchi Mavadi and Kovilkuddiruppu Thursday afternoon from 12.30 p.m. till 4.30 p.m. About five thousand civilians were taken to Chavakachcheri Hindu College and were produced before a masked man who identified these sixteen civilians. They were detained in the Varani SLA camp. Relations of the arrested civilians immediately lodged complaints with the Jaffna regional office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), civilians sources said.
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Allow free movement to civilians seeking safety, TNA appeals to Rajapakse

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 August 2006, 20:04 GMT]
Pointing out that the imposition of curfew in Jaffna Peninsula resulting in denial of legitimate right of civilians to move to safer areas is a severe violation of fundamental human rights, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) members appealed to Sri Lanka's President Rajapakse to "issue directions that no restriction whatever be imposed on civilians moving to safer and more secure places in order to ensure their personal safety and security," in a letter issued in Colombo Saturday, TNA sources said.
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Trader shot dead in Ariyalai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 May 2006, 03:12 GMT]
Two motorbike-riding gunmen shot and killed a video rental shop owner on Ponnambalam Road in Ariyalai around 7:45 p.m. Friday, Police said. Residents in the area alleged that the gunmen who followed the victim were Sri Lanka Army operated gunmen.
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Tamils cannot depend on SL Government for security- TNA

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 May 2006, 15:02 GMT]
"Killings of Tamil civilians continue unabated in the NorthEast. Thousands have fled and many are fleeing their villages fearing safety to their lives due to harassment of security forces, and instead of taking constructive steps to allay fears of Tamil people, the Government of Sri Lanka is taking steps harmful to the welfare of Tamil people," said the leader of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group R. Sampanthan during a press briefing held at the Sri Lanka Parliament building Wednesday noon, sources said.
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TNA appeals for an even-handed approach

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 May 2006, 13:48 GMT]
Pointing out that the "primary cause of the current violence has been due to the refusal of the Sri Lankan State to implement key provisions of the CFA that obligates the State to disarm and dismantle Paramilitary armed groups in the Northeast of Sri Lanka," the Tamil National Alliance in a press release issued Monday, urged "that no action be taken which casts the blame on one side," cautioning that "such a step can irretrievably harm the legitimate interests of the long-suffering Tamil people," and appealed to the European Union and the International Community for a "more even-handed approach."
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Eight civilians feared killed in Thenmaradchi, blood trace, clothes found

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 May 2006, 06:36 GMT]
Villagers who went searching for eight missing youths in Manthuvil East in Thenmaradchi, Jaffna, found blood trace, pieces of clothes, 3 identity cards and at least 6 empty cases of bullets Sunday morning. Eight young men who went to Seerani Kelakkai temple in Manthuvil East, around 7 km northeast of Chavakachcheri are reported missing. A teacher and general secretary of the temple trustee board, and four students were among the victims who are feared dead. Fear has gripped the entire Kelakkai village.
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