Vavuniya UC, PS elections postponed

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 May 2006, 17:38 GMT]
The Commissioner of Elections Tuesday at a conference announced that elections to two local bodies, Vavuniya Urban Council (UC) and Vavuniya South Pradesiya Sabah (PS-Sinhala division) have been postponed for a period of four months, as the current security situation in the Vavuniya district is not conducive to hold such poll, sources said.
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Hartal in Batticaloa, Amparai against extra-judicial killings

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 May 2006, 17:19 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians of the districts of Batticaloa and Amparai have appealed for a general shut down on Wednesday condemning the extra judicial killings of Tamil civilians in the North and East and the genocidal military operation now launched by the State armed forces against the Tamil people in the country, TNA sources said.
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Blast injures 9 Muslims in Akkaraipattu

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 May 2006, 17:31 GMT]
Nine Muslims were injured in a grenade attack at Pattiadiputty in Akkaraipattu police division when unidentified persons who came in a motorbike lobbed a grenade at them, around 7 p.m, Monday, police in the southeastern town said. The attack comes as preparations are underway to hold elections to several local government bodies in the Amparai district. Civil sources suggested political rivalry might have been the reason behind the attack.
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Gunmen attack STF water bowser in Komari, one wounded

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 May 2006, 13:48 GMT]
A Special Task Force (STF) trooper was wounded and rushed to Amparai hospital after gunmen attacked a water tanker of the elite counter insurgency wing of the Sri Lankan armed forces, the STF, in Komari, Police said. The bowser was tranporting water to soldiers in the newly constructed STF camp, located one kilometer away from the tsunami destroyed old camp.
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Eastern Muslims hold demonstrations, general shut down

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 May 2006, 10:38 GMT]
General shut down was observed Friday in Ninthavur, Maruthamunai, Addalaichchenai, Akkaraipattu and Sainthamaruthu and Kalmunai, predominantly Muslim towns in the eastern province and demonstrations were held after Jumma prayers condemning the attempted murder of Dr.A.G.Hussain Ismail, Vice Chancellor of the South Eastern University, sources said.
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SE University teachers, non-academic staff begin boycott campaign

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 May 2006, 19:29 GMT]
Members of Teachers Union and Non-Academic Staff Union of the South Eastern University in Amparai district Tuesday morning began a boycott campaign till 5th of May condemning the attack by unidentified gunmen on the life of Mr. A.G.Hussein Ismail, Vice Chancellor of the South Eastern University on April 28 when he was on his way to his office from Addalaichchenai where is official residence is located. The vice-chancellor and his security guards escaped unhurt in that attack, sources said.
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South Eastern University VC escapes assassination attempt

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 April 2006, 08:19 GMT]
Mr.A.G.Hussain Ismail, Vice Chancellor (VC) of the South Eastern University located in Oluvil in Amparai district escaped an assassination Friday morning around 10.30 a.m., Kalmunai police said. The VC escaped unhurt when unidentified persons came in a motorbike fired at his car four times when he was on his way to the varsity from his official guesthouse, police in the southeastern town said.
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Alaiyadivembu PS urges government to hold talks with LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 April 2006, 16:56 GMT]
Alaiyadivembu Pradesiya Sabah (PS) at its first meeting held Monday morning unanimously adopted a resolution requesting the Government of Sri Lanka to conduct peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) with sincerity and without duplicity. The resolution further said the government should not adopt a hard-line policy in finding a lasting political solution to the Tamil national question, sources said.
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Expedite building permanent housing to Amparai refugees, appeals TNA MP

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 April 2006, 16:55 GMT]
Mr.K.Pathmanathan, Amparai district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Monday appealed to chairman and councilors of the Alaiyadivembu Pradesiya Sabah (PS) to work hard by exerting pressure on relevant authorities to construct permanent houses to resettle tsunami affected coastal families without any further delay, sources said.
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Eastern Muslims protest against PAFFREL Chairman

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 April 2006, 01:37 GMT]
Several hundred Muslims Friday held demonstrations in Kalmunaikudi, Maruthamunai, Sammanthurai and Ninthavur in the Amparai district after Jumma prayers against Mr. Kingsley Rodrigo, Chairman of the People Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) for making a statement that armed groups are functioning in the Muslim community. PAFFREL Director Rodrigo had not withdrawn the statement yet but has only expressed his regret if the statement had hurt the feelings of the Muslim community, organisors said.
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ITAK local heads abstain from conference, cite security reasons

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 April 2006, 01:30 GMT]
Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of the Urban Council and four Pradesiya Sabahs controlled by the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchchi (ITAK) in the districts of Amparai and Trincomalee, citing security resons, did not attend the national level meeting, convened by Sri Lanka's President, for all heads and deputy heads of local government authorities elected in the elections held on March 30, sources said.
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ITAK officials take oaths in three Amparai Councils

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 April 2006, 19:36 GMT]
The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchchi (ITAK) took control of three Pradesiya Sabahs, Alaiyadivembu, Thirukovil and Karaitivu in Amparai district Thursday. Mr.Kanagasabai Pathmanathan, Amparai District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian with Mr.M.S. Peer Mohamed Thamby administered oaths to the newly elected councilors of these PS in separate events the same day, sources said.
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"Non-violent struggle will not work," says student leader

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 April 2006, 11:31 GMT]
"Annai Poopathy, reverently remembered today at the eighteenth anniversary of her fasting to death for the liberation of the Tamils, shines like a beacon to all of us, as dark clouds of war gather fast in our skies," said Vijayaroopan, president Jaffna University Student Union (JUSU), Wednesday at the memorial day observance held in the Jaffna University. He was one of several speakers at the Annai Poopathy memorial day observed in the districts of the NorthEast.


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Sammanthurai PS Chairman takes oaths

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 April 2006, 16:07 GMT]
New elected twelve-member Sammanthurai Pradesiya Council (PS) in the Amparai district began functioning from Tuesday with Mr. M.I.M.Mansoor taking oaths as the Chairman and Mr.M.Thambikandu as his deputy. Mr. Hassan Ali, Parliamentarian and the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) administered oaths for the eight members of the SLMC elected to the council in the United National Party ticket. Four members of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) were absent, sources said.
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Newly carved out Navithanveli PS office opened

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 April 2006, 14:54 GMT]
Mr.Kanagasabai Pathmanathan, Amparai district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Monday declared open the administrate office of the newly carved out Navithanveli Pradesiya Sabah (PS) in the Amparai district. The election to the Navithanveli PS is to be held on 20 May.
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Karaitivu Pradesiya Sabah office opened

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 April 2006, 16:58 GMT]
The administrative office of the newly created Karaitivu Pradesiya Sabah (PS) in the Amparai district was declared open Saturday by Mr.C.Pathmanathan, Amparai district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian. Parliamentarians of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, Mr.Hasan Ali and Mr.S.Nijamudeen, also participated in the event, sources said.
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Eleven NE local bodies go to polls on 20 May

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 April 2006, 13:56 GMT]
Elections to 22 local government institutions including the Municipal Councils of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha and Kalmunai and Urban Councils of Vavuniya, Gampola and Wattegama are to be held on May 20. Elections to these local bodies earlier scheduled for March 30th were first postponed to April 18 and now extended to May 20 to avoid intervening Wesak holidays and GCE Advanced Level examination, election department sources said.
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Nine Tamil scholars to receive NE Governor's Award

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 April 2006, 03:36 GMT]
The list of names of nine recipients for the North East Governor's Award for the Year 2005 was released Wednesday by the Provincial Secretary for the Provincial Education and Cultural Affairs Ministry Mr.R.Thiagalingam. The recipients who are reputed Tamil scholars will be presented with awards on the second day of two-day Twelfth North East Tamil Literary Festival, which is to commence on April 20th at Mannar Town Hall, sources said.
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International Mine Action Day celebrated in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 April 2006, 02:19 GMT]
Non-governmental organizations and government and UN agencies marked April4 International Mine Action Day with activities in several towns in Sri Lankathe, including the government organized event in Colombo. Regional events included a bicycle race for disabled persons in Trincomalee, sports and cultural events in Vavuniya, drama presentations in Amparai, a mine exhibition in Jaffna, the screening of mine action films in Killinochchi and essay and poem writing activities in Batticaloa, UN agency sources said.
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Mental Health Unit in Kalmunai hospital opened

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 April 2006, 11:44 GMT]
Dr.V.Jeganathan, North East Health Services Development Advisor to the Ministry of Health, Monday morning declared open the Mental Health Unit (MHU) in the Kalmunai Base Hospital. The MHU was constructed at a cost of 1.6 million rupees to provide counseling and psychiatric treatment to mentally affected Muslim and Tamil people from Neelavani to Pottuvil covering Tamil and Muslim villages in the coastal areas in the Amparai district, sources said.
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