SLA rejects rent request for HSZ properties

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 March 2006, 03:07 GMT]
A meeting held Friday between the representatives of Consortium of Jaffna Welfare Associations and the Sri Lanka Military officials at 51-2 Brigade Headquarters in Jaffna to explore ways to simplify procedures allowing civilian owners of SLA occupied private buildings and houses to collect rents, ended without any agreements, sources attending the meeting said. The meeting was arranged by the Jaffna Human Rights Commission officials, sources added.
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Creation of new Trincomalee DS divisions causes concern

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 March 2006, 12:26 GMT]
Mr.R.Sampanthan, Trincomalee district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian raised concern over an attempt to create two more new divisional secretariat divisions, one in the north and the other in the south, in the Trincomalee district. "It is my view that consensus of people within the existing divisions should be sought on such matters. There should not be any attempt to impose a decision on any people," Mr.Sampanthan said in a letter to the Government Agent of Trincomalee district.


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Reduce admission requirements to nursing school, appeals TNA MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 March 2006, 00:02 GMT]
Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan, Wanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian has written to the President to take steps to implement the assurance given Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva that in future youths who obtained pass in science subject in the (GCE O/L) examination will be allowed to apply for admission to Nurse Training School. Current admission policy requires students to pass in Science subjects in GCE A/L examination, sources said.
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International Women's Day observed across NorthEast

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 March 2006, 00:00 GMT]
International Women's Day was observed in several parts of NorthEast on Wednesday, sources said. Local women's organizations and Non-governmental organization participated in events held in Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Jaffna and Mannar.
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Prof. Hoole appointed VC of Jaffna Campus

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 March 2006, 12:08 GMT]
Sri Lanka University Grants Commission (UGC) announced Thursday the appointment of Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole, Professor Peredeniya University and member of (UGC), as the new Vice Chancellor (VC) of Jaffna University by Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse. He will succeed Prof. S. Mohanathas whose tenure expires end of March, education officials said.


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Sri Lankan State lacks consent of Tamil people - TNA MP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 March 2006, 00:45 GMT]
Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, the Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian, speaking at a symposium in Brussels, Belgium,Tuesday, explained how the Sri Lanka state failed to win the consent of the Tamil people, whom it claimed to govern. "The Tamil Nation is being consistently denied meaningful access to Governance to pursue political, economic, social and cultural development. All three Sri Lanka constitutions entrenched the unitary character of the Sri Lanka State in the face of demand for power sharing arrangement by Tamils asserting their right to self-determination," said Mr Ponnambalam.


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Newly constructed Adampan hospital opened

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 March 2006, 16:58 GMT]
The newly constructed district government hospital complex in the village of Adampan in the Liberation Tigers controlled area of Mannar district was decalred open, Monday morning. The hospital was construvted at a cost of 22.4 million rupees by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded North East Community Restoration Programme (NECORD).


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JHU, JVP reject Geneva agreement in All Party Conference

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 March 2006, 11:38 GMT]
Sinhala extremist parties, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), during the All Party Conference (APC) held Monday at the Old Parliamentary building in Colombo submitted separate memoranda rejecting the agreement made between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers in the talks held in Geneva on 22-23rd February, parlilamentary sources said.
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EU Election Observation Mission chief visits Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 March 2006, 06:33 GMT]
John Cushnahan, the chief of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Sri Lanka will arrive in Colombo on Monday to present the full and final report on the 2005 Presidential election. A press release issued by the EU organisation said "the report will make a number of major recommendations for strengthening the electoral process in Sri Lanka." Mr. Cushnahan will meet President Mahinda Rajapakse, the UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, and the leaders of Sri Lanka’s other main political parties.
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Southern NGO donates books to Muttur students

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 March 2006, 12:50 GMT]
Vipra Foundation, a non-governmental organization in the south of Sri Lanka, donated a consignment of textbooks and other learning materials to students affected war and tsunami in the Liberation Tigers held Muttur east in the Trincomalee district. The event took place at a Sinnakulam government Tamil mixed school which has a history of lacking resources for primary education, sources said.
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Jaffna Muslim contestant attacked by armed group

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 March 2006, 17:14 GMT]
Attack on the family of Jaffna Municipal Council contestant, S.M.Suhaib by armed men early morning 9 a.m. Friday is a provocative attack planned to worsen the climate of fear that has already been created by the Sri Lanka Military and collaborating paramilitaries, said Secretary of Jaffna Consortium of Welfare associations ,E Parvatharajah, in a communiqué issued Saturday, sources in Jaffna said.
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Kilinochchi Central College holds Inter-house Sports Meet

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 March 2006, 01:29 GMT]
Killinochchi Central College held its Inter-house athletic meet Tuesday presided by Principal S. Rajamahendran and with K.Pathmanathan, the Kilinochchi Regional Deputy Director of Education as chief-guest, Education officials said. The school was occupied by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) during 1996 'Sathjeya' offensive and resumed classes in 2000 after Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam recaptured Kilinochchi in the 'Unceasing waves' offensive in 1998.
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World Vision supported projects inaugurated in Muttur east

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 March 2006, 20:01 GMT]
World Vision, an international non-governmental organization inaugurated two projects Wednesday, one at Ganeshapuram and the other at Kadatkaraichchenai in the Liberation Tigers held Muttur east to provide learning facilities for students and psychosocial development for children children.
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Jaffna fishermen's woes discussed in SLN, civil society meet

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 March 2006, 00:54 GMT]
A meeting between Northern Region Commander of Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Major General Chandrasiri and a delegation of civil society members held at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Kankesanthurai command of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) to explore solutions to hardships faced by fishermen in Jaffna district, ended inconclusively, sources in Jaffna said. Maj.Gen Chandrasiri told the civil society delegation that responses will be provided within two weeks after consultations with higher authorities in Colombo.
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ITAK appoints Chairman, deputy for Verugal PS

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 February 2006, 08:59 GMT]
The Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kadchchi (ITAK) has appointed Mr.Sabapathipillai Soundararajah as Chairman, and Mr.Vairan Nagendran as Vice Chairman of the Verugal Pradesiya Sabah in the Trincomalee district. ITAK was returned uncontested in the Verugal PS when the nomination closed on 16th February for the thirteen local authorities in the district. The ITAK is now contesting ten local councils excluding Padavi Siripura PS and Gomarankadawela PS, sources said.
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Paramilitary operatives: ultimate victims of covert warfare?

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 February 2006, 22:41 GMT]
Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) met in Geneva Wednesday and Thursday and reconfirmed their commitment to honour and uphold the February 2002 Ceasefire Agreement (CFA). The issue of paramilitary groups figured prominently in the discussions and the GoSL delegation undertook a commitment: that no armed group or person other than its security forces will carry arms or conduct armed operations in GoSL controlled territory.
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Judges' resignation demand response from SL President

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 February 2006, 01:10 GMT]
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) said in a media release issued Tuesday that the resignation of two senior judges from the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) citing "matters of conscience" indicate that issues involved are serious, and that the most appropriate response is for the head of State is to request details from the judges and to take "corrective measures." AHRC points to the history and warns that societies that have the capacity to listen to such views and take action have benefitted in the long term, and those which do not, have brought further ruin upon themselves.


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Book traces Tamil history of Trinco village

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 February 2006, 00:01 GMT]
A compilation of thirty research articles on the history of centuries old Tamil village Thambalagamam in Trincomalee district written by Mr.K.Velautham, a nonagenarian journalist was released Sunday morning at Kulakottan Tamil Vidiyalayam in Thambalakamam, in Trincomalee district. Sri Lankan government has recently changed the name to the Sinhala version "Thambalagamuwa" and is using the new name in its all-official transactions, residents said.
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The Importance of ‘Rearbase’: Taraki, 1989

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 February 2006, 02:05 GMT]
In the 29 October 1989 issue of Sri Lanka's English daily, Island International, late Dharmeratnam Sivaram, popular journalist and Senior editor at TamilNet, writes on the waning importance of a rear base in Tamil Nadu after the end of Eelam war I in 1987. "That a multipurpose comfortable rearbase would in the long term erode the conviction to fight and play into the hands of India was an opinion expressed in 1983. Finally the rearbase started becoming a factor that threatened to undermine the control various leaders had over their fighting cadres," Sivaram wrote.
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Remembrance day for slain students held in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 February 2006, 16:30 GMT]
Forty-fifth day remembrance of five Tamil students shot dead by State armed forces in execution style close to the Trincomalee beach on January 2nd this year was held at the same location Wednesday morning attended by large number of students, parents, teachers and members of public. The Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples' Forum and Students' Association organized the event, sources in Trincomalee said.
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