Annan hails LTTE-led relief efforts

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 January 2005, 05:41 GMT]
UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, hailed the relief efforts led by the Liberation Tigers in the wake of the Asian tsunami of December 26th and expressed his disappointment over the Sri Lankan governments veto of his plans to visit LTTE held areas devastated by the waves, when he met Tamil parliamentarians Sunday.
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Human-chain protest held in Kaithady

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 December 2004, 11:17 GMT]
The second phase of the human chain demonstration was held Wednesday morning at Kaithady in Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district demanding the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) to resume peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the basis of the Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) proposals of the latter. Traffic through A9 highway was not obstructed. Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) who are located in sentries in the vicinity were withdrawn during the period of agitation. Policemen were deployed at the site to maintain law and order.
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Tamils won’t go against India’s strategic interests - MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 December 2004, 14:17 GMT]
‘The desire to draw limits on the Tamils’ right to self-determination makes the Sri Lankan State align itself with any power that is willing to play along, even to the extent of blatantly seeking the interference of super-powers that would compromise, and put in jeopardy, the strategic interests of India’, said Mr. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Tamil National Alliance MP for Jaffna, speaking on the committee stage debate on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Parliament Friday. The Tamil people won't allow themselves to be used to upset the strategic balance of South Asia, the MP said.
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"Impending disaster is SL President's own making"- Jaffna daily

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 December 2004, 12:50 GMT]
''Sri Lanka's President Ms Kumaratunge has brought to the forefront of political influence ultra Sinhala Buddhist elements with the idea of seizing political power at no less a time when the onus of compulsive responsibility of finding solution to the ethnic problem stood cast on the government of Sri Lanka. It is Ms Kumaratunge who will have to singly take the blame if the present peace efforts fail owing to the hysteria unleashed by the chauvinistic forces whom she had elevated to the high plain of political influence,'' said popular Jaffna daily Uthayan in its Thursday editorial.
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TNA appeals to India not to harm peace efforts

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 December 2004, 14:33 GMT]
''The prime need in Sri Lanka, today, is the peaceful resolution of the Tamil question. The Tamil people are confident that India will not act in a manner harmful to Tamil interests. The Tamil people appeal to Indian government that the conclusion of the Indo-Sri Lanka defence co-operation agreement, and the commencement of development activities in the North-East with the military dimension be not proceeded with, '' said a press release issued by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Wednesday.
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Sri Lanka Cease Fire becoming irrelevant – Tamil MP

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

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

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

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

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 October 2004, 09:25 GMT]
The release of 4.5 billion dollars aid pledged at the Tokyo conference to Sri Lanka should not take place until the stalled peace talk with the Liberation Tigers resumes on the basis of Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposals, delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians told Japanese special peace envoy Mr.Yasushi Akashi during a discussion in Colombo Thursday, TNA sources said.
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International Teachers Day celebration in Kalmunai draws thousands

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 October 2004, 23:32 GMT]
International Teachers Day celebrations were held in Kalmunai, Wesley College grounds on Wednesday in a large scale involving Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala communities. About 2000 pre school teachers from Batticaloa and Ampara districts were taken in procession with pre school children's bands from Batticaloa district and Sinhala zones in Ampara district. The main banner leading the procession was carried by Muslim, Tamil and Sinhala Pre school teachers.
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Solheim addresses LTTE meeting in Geneva

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 October 2004, 18:40 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Erik Solheim Sunday addressed the LTTE Constitutional Affairs Committee meeting in Geneva during its third day sessions, sources in Geneva said.
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TNA criticizes SL President's UN speech

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 September 2004, 01:11 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunge's speech at the United Nations General Assembly "does not reflect true factual position...We urge the President to refrain from making rhetorical statements and focus on resolute action that would enable the recommencement of talks and meaningful consensus-building that would ensure the success of the negotiations," said parliamentarians from Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in a press statement released Thursday.
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Provincial Folk Dance festival held in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 September 2004, 10:41 GMT]
Northeast Provincial Folk Dance Festival was held Saturday evening in Trincomalee St.Mary's College Therese Auditorium under the auspices of Provincial Department of Education. Schools which won the district level competitions participated in the provincial level final competitions held Saturday morning and the winners were awarded prizes and certificates in the Folk Dance Festival held later the same day.
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TNA MPs meet with Japanese Ambassador

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 September 2004, 19:12 GMT]
Members of Tamil Nationall Alliance's (TNA's) Foreign Affairs Committee, Parliamentarians Joseph Pararajasingham and Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, met with Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Akio Suda and Second Secretary Mr. Kenji Miyata at 4pm Tuesday, sources said.
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"Weakening LTTE, main aim of SL Govt"- Balakumaran

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 September 2004, 13:57 GMT]
"Absolutely nothing fundamental has changed on the ground. There can be absence of war, there can be prospects of peace talks, or involvement of the International community, or there can be press releases issued by Chandrika Kumaratunge. But, precious little has changed in the feelings or nationalistic thinking of our people. War has not ended yet," said K.V.Balakumaran, a Senior Leader of the Liberation Tigers, in an interview with the Sydney Tamil Radio Thamil Muzhakkam's "Mannin Mainthargal" program during his recent visit to European countries.
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TNA MPs meet Canadian Ambassador

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 September 2004, 10:44 GMT]
Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Senior parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Kajendran, Ms.Pathmini Sithamparanathan and Selvam Adaikalanathan met with Candian Ambassador Valerie Raymond at the Canadian High Commission in Colombo Friday morning to discuss matters related to Interim Administration Authority Proposals (ISGA), diplomatic sources in Colombo said.
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French diplomats meet TNA foreign affairs committee

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 September 2004, 09:36 GMT]
“We told France if indeed talks on the ISGA commence, there is a good chance that an agreement could be reached in this matter. We said that this is exactly what the Singhalese are afraid of, as it would mean that they would no longer have a monopoly on power, and their hegemony over the Tamil nation will cease for once and for all time. We also said that it is for this reason that we suspect that the Sri Lankan government t is trying to provoke the LTTE to another war by destabilizing the east and supporting Tamil armed groups," said Mr. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam TNA MP Thursday.
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Jaffna TNA MPs to implement common development programme

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 August 2004, 15:31 GMT]
Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Thursday decided to implement a common development programme in the Jaffna district with the funds allocated to them under the Decentralized Budget (DCB) by the central government.
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"Patience running thin"- Gajendrakumar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 August 2004, 18:37 GMT]
''Tamil people are fast running out of patience. It has been three years since the ceasefire agreement was signed and our people continue to be denied the fruits of peace,'' Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Tamil National Alliance MP told TamilNet Thursday.
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