Hartal paralyzes NorthEast

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 June 2005, 11:06 GMT]
Normal life in the northeast province was disrupted Friday following the one-day general shut down condemning the failure by the Sri Lanka Government to withdraw troops from Trincomalee town in large numbers. More than fifteen hundred troops are deployed in the east port town following the controversy over the erection of a Buddha statue in a land located close to the central bus stand.
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NorthEast to shutdown as Colombo fails to withdraw troops from Trinco

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 June 2005, 19:16 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians, Representatives of Trincomalee District Tamil People's Forum (TDTPF) and other Tamil civil groups, in a meeting held Thursday, decided to hold a one-day general shut down in NorthEast protesting the continued presence of Sri Lanka troops in Trincomalee town despite the assurance given by the Ministerial team that troops will be withdrawn by Thursday, TNA sources said.
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SLA, Police agree to remove Buddha statue in Omanthai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 June 2005, 00:31 GMT]
After a visit to the Omanthai Pillaiyar Temple grounds Wednesday by Vanni district parliamentarians Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan, Mr.Sivasakthi Ananthan and Mr.Sivanathan Kishore and LTTE Vavuniya district deputy political head Mr.Dharmendra accompanied by Vavuniya Police Officer in charge Mr. Abeyasinghe Bandara, TNA parliamentarian Adaikalanathan said that the Police and the Army have agreed to remove the Buddha statue from the Hindu temple grounds, sources in Vavuniya said.
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Conference decries escalating threat to freedom of expression

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 June 2005, 00:10 GMT]
Representatives of media organizations and Trade Unions, Civil society leaders, artists and members of leftist parties held a conference labelled "Living against murder," protesting against murders of journalists and the rising threat to freedom of expression in Sri Lanka. The conference was held at the Jayawardana Center in Colombo Town Hall.
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Ministerial involvement averts Trinco shutdown

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 June 2005, 00:01 GMT]
Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples' Forum (TDTPF) Wednesday agreed to postpone until June 15 its general shut down action scheduled to take place after June 2nd demanding the removal of controversial Buddha statue after a ministerial team assured the Tamil Forum that the Urban Development Authority (UDA) would take legal action against the unlawful structure and necessary steps will be taken to withdraw army troops from the east port town, sources in Trincomalee said.
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AHRC fears "major breakdown of law and order"

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 May 2005, 21:59 GMT]
Saying it was shocked by the assassination Tuesday of a high ranking Sri Lankan military intelligence officer, Major Nisam Muthaliff, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) said it was concerned at the escalation of violence, saying Sri Lanka is "heading towards a major breakdown of law and order."
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Jaffna officials discuss district development

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 May 2005, 14:25 GMT]
A conference on Jaffna develpment was held at the Jaffna Secretariat between 10 am and 12 noon Monday presided by Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) senior parliamentarian Maavia Senathirajah, TNA sources in Jaffna said.
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Military blocks LTTE commanders’ return

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 May 2005, 14:17 GMT]
Amid the continuing cycle of violence in Sri Lanka’s eastern province, hopes of improving trust between the Sri Lankan military and the Liberation Tigers are being undermined by Colombo’s refusal to provide safe passage to senior LTTE commanders and other cadres across Army-controlled areas, officials said. In the wake of the massacre of an LTTE political leader and his team when travelling by road through Army-controlled roads, there are accusations the use of helicopters is being denied to expose LTTE officials to paramilitary attack.
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Coercive Airpower in the Eelam Conflict- Taraki

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 May 2005, 00:11 GMT]
The article on the use of airpower in Eelam conflict written by late Dharmeratnam Sivaram that appeared in the 19 May 1991 issue of the Island gains added significance in view of recent controversy over Liberation Tigers’ alleged possession of Czech made Zlin type Z-143 aircraft. Full text of the article is reproduced in this feature.


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Meetings with US officials cordial, constructive and positive- Gajendrakumar

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 May 2005, 15:15 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Member of Parliament (MP) for Jaffna district, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, who concluded Saturday his three week tour of the United States meeting several officials of the United States Government and Think Tanks, said he was pleased with the exchanges, and the meetings were "cordial, constructive and positive."
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Journalists wear blackband, remember slain colleague

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 May 2005, 14:01 GMT]
More one hundred media personnel, covering their mouths with black bands and carrying August flowers in their hands, gathered Sunday in front of the Parliament building at 3.00 PM despite heavy showers to show their respect to murdered military analyst and popular journalist Dharmeratnam Sivaram who was killed a month ago, sources said.
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Media colleagues pay tribute to Sivaram

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 May 2005, 02:02 GMT]
Several colleagues from Colombo media, friends and relatives attended the memorial service held Saturday in honor of Dharmeratnam Sivaram, popular military analyst and senior member of TamilNet editorial board who was abducted and killed 28 April. The event was held at the St. Andrew's Scots Kirk Church in Colpetty, Colombo.
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SLMM acting head meets with paramilitary officials in East

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 May 2005, 15:45 GMT]
Mr. Hagrup Haukland, the acting head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) met on Friday with officials from the paramilitary EPDP, PLOTE and EPRLF (V) groups in the East. The meeting took place in SLMM District office located at Lake Road, Batticaloa between 13.10 PM and 14.10 PM.
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All accused in Bindunuwewa massacre case discharged

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 May 2005, 10:25 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court (SC) Friday acquitted all the remaining four accused who had been sentenced to death in the Bindunuwewa rehabilitation massacre case, stating that there was no direct evidence to implicate them with the crime. Five- member bench of the SC comprised Justices T.B.Weerasuriya, Nihal Jayasinghe, N.K.Udalagama, N.E.Dissanayake and Raja Fernando delivered the order acquitting the accused-appellants, Sepala Dissanayake, M.A.Sammy, R.M.Premananda and Senaka Jayampathy Karunaratne, former officer-in-charge of the Bindunuwewa Police, legal sources said.
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Memorial service for Sivaram to be held in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 May 2005, 09:48 GMT]
A thanksgiving service for late Dharmeratnam Sivaram (11 August 1959 - 28 April 2005), popular military analyst and senior member of TamilNet editorial board, who was abducted and killed on 28 April, is to be held on Saturday at St.Andrews Scots Kirk (church) located in Colpetty, Colombo, family members said.
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Attorney General to join Trinco fray

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 May 2005, 20:57 GMT]
The support of the Attorney General should be sought by the Special Commissioner of the Trincomalee Urban Council (UC) to implement a court order to temporarily remove a controversial Buddha statue and other unlawful religious structures in the eastern port town, officials decided Wednesday. The reason for the AG’s involvement was not clear, sources said.
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HRW laments Tamil killings

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 May 2005, 04:57 GMT]
Saying that ongoing killings and abductions throughout Sri Lanka have created “a climate of fear among Tamils across the country,” Human Rights Watch (HRW) Tuesday called for “the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry into the killings and abductions in order to identify those responsible and recommend measures to end the abuses.”
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Army intelligence not to be questioned in Sivaram killing

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 May 2005, 23:03 GMT]
The senior police officer tasked with investigating the abduction and murder last month of Tamil political columnist and military analyst, Dharmeratnam Sivaram, said Tuesday that he would not interview military officials simply on the basis of allegations. Senior Superintendent of Police, Crime Division, Sarath Lugoda, was apathetic over the high profile murder, listeners to his interview by the BBC (Sinhala) service said.
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Fears for safety of Veerakesari associate editor

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 May 2005, 18:24 GMT]
Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF) said Tuesday it is “extremely concerned” about the safety of Vediwel Thevaraj, associate editor of the Tamil daily Veerakesari, who has received death threats.
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"Horrendous consequences if peace process collapses"- TNA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 May 2005, 10:39 GMT]
"The forces who opposed negotiations with the LTTE are forces committed tocontinuing the present structure of governance in this country, who want a unitary structure of government to continue, who want majority hegemony to continue. If these forces succeed, the peace process must inevitably collapse with all its horrendous consequences," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in a recent one-day debate on the current state of the peace process, parliamentary sources said.
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