New military top brass responsible for Jaffna attack - Vice Chancellor

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 December 2005, 13:19 GMT]
Jaffna University Vice Chancellor Professor C. Mohanadas charged the newly sworn-in top brass of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for unleashing troopers on a peaceful demonstration. "This is a worst form of politically motivated military tactic," he said addressing a press meet held at the Jaffna Campus Student Union offices at 5 p.m. Monday. Professor Mohanadas condemned the attacks by the SLA on peaceful demonstrators including the attack on him Monday morning at Parameswara junction in Jaffna.
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No peace talks until SLA atrocities on Tamil civilians cease-TNA MP

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 December 2005, 11:54 GMT]
Mr.Mavai Senathirajah, Jaffna District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian speaking during the budget debate in parliament Monday warned the Government not to think of peace negotiations until the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) stops attacks on Tamil civilians in Jaffna district. SLA soldiers are seen in front of every house in Jaffna district and people are living under fear. Under these circumstances no meaningful peace negotiations could be held, said Mr. Senathirajah.
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International political advocacy indispensable to maturing Tamil struggle- Sithamparanathan

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 December 2005, 00:03 GMT]
“Congressional meetings gave me hope that a conducive atmosphere is emerging in the supreme legislative body of the US with regards to the Tamil struggle. It is critical that we maintain sustained efforts to reinforce relationships with congresspersons interested in our struggle, and address human rights issues raised by UN agencies and watchdogs. With the maturing phase of our struggle, focussed political action in major world capitals has become an urgent priority,” said Pathmini Sithamparanathan of Tamil National Alliance (TNA), and the first woman Member of Parliament (MP) for Jaffna, when she talked to TamilNet in Washington D.C concluding her two-week speaking tour in US Saturday.
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LTTE confers National Patriot title to sportsman Gunaratnam

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 December 2005, 17:01 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Sunday conferred "Nattupattalar" (National Patriot) title on the departed veteran sportsman Mr.A.S.Gunaratnam. Attorney-at-Law Mr.K.Sivapalan read out the statement issued by the LTTE Trincomalee district political secretariat conferring the title at an event held Sunday morning at Trincomalee Hindu Cultural Hall where the body of late Mr.Gunaratnam was kept for paying last respects by the people of the east port city, sources said.
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Jaffna Campus area tense, SLA attack injures worker

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 December 2005, 14:14 GMT]
Rasaratnam Puhalasri (33) from Navaly South, an employee at an ice cream parlor at the Parameswara juntion was severly injured when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops attacked civilians around the Jaffna campus areas following altercation between Jaffna campus students at the International Tamileelam Student Union offices near Parameswara junction at 5.30 p.m. Sunday. Residents said that troopers forced entry into Student Union offices to prevent a group of campus students from travelling to Punguduthivu, triggering confrontation.
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Book released on history of Kokuvil Hindu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 December 2005, 14:05 GMT]
Past students of Kokuvil Hindu College Jaffna released a book detailing the ninty five year history of the school in an event held at the Subramaniam Hall at 10.30 a.m. Sunday presided by the present Principal of the school Mr P Kamalanathan.
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Veteran NorthEast sportsman dies

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 December 2005, 00:00 GMT]
Mr.A.S.Gunaratnam, retired Assistant Director of Sports in the North East Provincial Education, Cultural, Sports and Youth Affairs Ministry and currently Assistant Director of the North East Youth Affairs Ministry passed away Friday in Colombo after a brief illness. He had been a colorful personality in the field of sports not only in the North East but also at the national level. He had been fluent in all three languages, Tamil, Sinhala and English. He was 68 at the time of his death, family sources said.
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Maintaining symmetry of power, key to meaningful peace talks- Adaikalanathan

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 December 2005, 20:34 GMT]
“Instead of choosing a constructive political path setting incremental milestones to monitor progress in addressing the national crisis, various Sri Lanka governments in power, were preoccupied with an "oppressive mindset" and have attempted to weaken the Tamil struggle by purposely dragging out peace processes,” said TNA parliamentarian Selvam Adaikalanathan, speaking to TamilNet Friday. He said that a meaningful peace process is possible only if the prevailing strategic symmetry of power is maintained between the two parties.
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Mental health unit opened in Trincomalee hospital

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 December 2005, 04:19 GMT]
The newly constructed Mental Health Unit in the Trincomalee general hospital by the Medicos Del Mundo (MDM Doctors of World, Spanish NGO) at a cost of 12 million rupees under the Tsunami Rehabilitation of Medical Institutions' Project in the northeast province was opened Wednesday. The Unit includes facilities for counseling, treatment section, and play room for the children. It also has 12 beds for male and female indoor patients, health department sources said.
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Indian Naval Commander in Chief in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 December 2005, 11:32 GMT]
Vice Admiral Sureesh Mehta, Commander in Chief of the Indian Navys Eastern Naval Command is on a visit to Sri Lanka between 12 Dec to 16 Dec 05, a press release by the Indian Embassy in Colombo said Wednesday. Vice Admiral Mehta met with Sri Lankan Government President and Commanders of Security forces, the release added.
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Adampan hospital reopens after fifteen years

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 December 2005, 03:52 GMT]
The newly constructed government hospital at a cost of about twenty million rupees at Adampan in Mannar district was declared open for the use of civilians residing in the villages of Aandankulam, Palaiyady, Puthukulam, Parapukadanthan, Vaddakandal, and Karukkaikulam held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) with religious observances. Adampan is located in the LTTE held area. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded North East Community Restoration Development (NECORD) project carried out the project, sources said.
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Claymore attack in East, 2 SLA soldiers wounded

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 December 2005, 04:50 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were seriously injured when unidentified attackers detonated a claymore mine at a foot patrol of twelve SLA soldiers in Vantharumoolai, 17 km northwest of Batticaloa town. The attack took place Monday morning around 7:30 a.m. near the Eastern University building on Batticaloa - Valaichenai main road, police said.
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LTTE's Human Rights engagement on constructive track - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 December 2005, 11:21 GMT]
“While Colombo has been increasingly engaged in portraying Tamils’ struggle for self-determination as ‘terrorism’ in international fora taking advantage of the changed political climate following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, and the consequent war on terrorism, Liberation Tigers have exhibited genuine desire to adhere to the international human rights standards by closely engaging with UN agencies,” said Political Head of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) , S.P. Thamilchelvan, during his keynote address on Human Rights day event organized by the NorthEast Secretariat On Human Rights (NESOHR) in Kilinochchi Saturday.
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Policeman killed, LTTE cadre abducted from Vavuniya Hospital

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 December 2005, 10:20 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed an armed policeman, Mahes Ranasinghe, inside the Vavuniya Hospital premises and abucted Ms Gunaratnam Puveneswari who was undergoing treatment at the hospital under police custody. The incident took place around 2:45 p.m. Sunday at ward no 1. Mr Ranasinghe was killed at the entrance to the ward while four unarmed policemen were guarding the patient inside the ward, police said. Puvaneswari, who took cyanide when Sri Lanka Navy arrested her with four others on board a boat in Mannar sea last Tuesday, was taken away by the men who entered the ward.
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US NGO exhibits tsunami relief photos

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 December 2005, 20:59 GMT]
Operation USA, a Non Governmental Organization based in US, held a photo exhibition featuring tsunami relief activities carried out in the NorthEast of Sri Lanka by Tamil Rehabilitation Organization and other relief agencies. More than 300 photographs were on display at the exhibition which opened for public Thursday 7 p.m. at the Operation USA offices at Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles. Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP for Jaffna district, Ms Pathmini Sithamparanathan who is currently in US on a speaking tour, also attended the opening event.
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CID to interrogate LTTE cadres in Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 December 2005, 13:49 GMT]
Mannar Magistrate Thursday agreed to an application by Police to send the five alleged LTTE cadres arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) on Tuesday evening to Colombo for further investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The five, including two women, were arrested in Pallimunai Sea in Mannar district when they were traveling in a boat, police said.
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Legal Aid Centre for tsunami victims opened in Trinco

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 December 2005, 00:29 GMT]
Legal Aid Commission of Sri Lanka Wednesday morning opened its Free Legal Aid Centre in Trincomalee district to provide free legal assistance to victims of tsunami disaster. Asia Foundation is funding the project tsunami victims in obtaining relief for their hardships. Mr.S.S.Wijeratne, Chairman of the LACSL and Mr.Anton Balasingham, High Court Judge, Trincomalee district jointly declared open the office of the Trincomalee centre on the second floor of the Trincomalee Court Complex. Mr.K.Sivapalan, Attorney-at-Law has been appointed co-coordinating officer of the centre.


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SLN arrests five LTTE cadres in Mannar Sea, one takes cyanide

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 December 2005, 16:47 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLAN) Tuesday evening around 4.30 p.m.arrested five LTTE cadres including two women traveling in fibre glass boat in Pallimunai sea area in Mannar district. One political cadre, Miss Gunaratnam Puvaneswary alias Uthaya, (20), took cyanide and was immediately taken to Mannar hospital. She was later taken to Vavuniya hospital in critical condition, Mannar Police said.


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Akashi to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 December 2005, 13:01 GMT]
Embassy of Japan in Colombo said in a press release issued Tuesday that Mr. Yasushi Akashi, representative of the Government of Japan for Peace-building, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Sri Lanka, will visit Sri Lanka from Wednesday to Sunday to discuss the current situation with the Sri Lankan government and other parties concerned.
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TNA MP on US visit

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 December 2005, 13:35 GMT]
Ms Pathmini Sithamparanathan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Member of Parliament (MP) for Jaffna district arrived Friday evening in US for a two week speaking tour. She accepted an invitation by the Florida Tamil Sangam to speak at the organization's annual event on 11 December, organizers of the event said.
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