Tamil scepticism mounts as aid deal drifts

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 May 2005, 18:20 GMT]
As the proposed joint mechanism for aid distribution urged by international donors between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers remains mired in Sinhala political manoeuvring, deep scepticism has replaced early optimism amongst the Tamils. More ominously, a belief is rapidly taking root that Colombo is playing for time and keeping the Northeast in the economic and social doldrums whilst developing the Sri Lankan military for a new war.
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Troops fire on Valaichenai protestors, 1 killed

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 May 2005, 10:51 GMT]
A 65 year old man was killed and at least 15 other civilians were wounded when Sri Lankan security forces opened fire on large crowds of people protesting Monday, demanding removal of new Army checkpoints set up near a school in the Batticaloa district. Five women were among those wounded when soldiers and police fired assault rifles for over 10 minutes at Santhiveli, 27 km. north of Batticaloa on the Valaichenai road, sources said. International ceasefire monitors and reporters witnessed the incident, they said.
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Journalists dismayed over Sivaram debate

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 May 2005, 18:24 GMT]
The lack of a quorum in Sri Lanka’s Parliament and the subsequent lacklustre debate when the abduction and brutal murder of Tamil political columnist and military analyst, Dharmeratnam Sivaram, was taken up Friday dismayed journalists who three days earlier had taken to the streets in a major protest over the brazen killing in Colombo.
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Two LTTE cadres killed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 May 2005, 17:02 GMT]
Two bullet ridden bodies found in Pollonnorawa police division near the border of Batticaloa District were identified as Capt.Suban (Arasaretnam Vigneswaran of Valaththapitty) and Lt.Nilavarasan (Rasalingam Shankar of Kaluwankerny), both from political wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), sources from Vanni said.
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UN petitioned to pressure GoSL for murder inquiry

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 May 2005, 11:16 GMT]
Speakers at a memorial event held in Temple Hall, Paris, condemned the murder of Tamil journalist, Mr Dharmeratnam Sivaram, and urged the United Nation's (UN's) Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression,Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders to pressure the Government of Sri Lanka to conduct an independent inquiry into the killing, a press release issued Friday in France by Tamil Center for Human Rights (TCHR) said.
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Jaffna journalists, academics protest against Sivaram murder

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 May 2005, 10:56 GMT]
Hundreds of Jaffna journalists, university academicians, priests and heads of non-governmental organizations Saturday morning held a demonstration in front of the Jaffna regional office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) condemning the brutal killing of senior journalist Mr.Dharmeratnam Sivaram in Colombo. sources said.
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Editor seeks protection after JVP threats

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 May 2005, 11:07 GMT]
Mr. Lasantha Wickramatunga, Editor of Colombo based newspaper Sunday Leader, informed of imminent risk to his life and sought protection from Inspector General of Police, Mr Chandra Fernado, after threatening statements were made by Mr Wimal Weerawansa, a government-party MP and leader of the parliamentary group of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) during a meeting held at Maharagama by JVP's front, the ultra-nationalist Patriotic National Movement (PNM).
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TNA demands international commission to probe Sivaram murder

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 May 2005, 10:16 GMT]
Mr.R.Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Friday demanded in Sri Lanka's parliament that the government should take steps to constitute an international commission of inquiry comprising of impartial and qualified persons from the countries in the SAARC region, like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and from the Commonwealth countries like Australia, New Zealand and canto to investigate all aspects of the murder of journalist Mr.D.Sivaram.
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‘Sivaram killing a blow against peace’ – US don

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 May 2005, 17:46 GMT]
The abduction and murder last Thursday of political columnist and military analyst, Dharmeratnam Sivaram by suspected Sri Lankan state agents “will hinder peace and promote war” in Sri Lanka, writes Prof. Tom Plate, Director of Asia Pacific Media Network, in a op-ed published Thursday in the Korean Times. “The anguish felt worldwide perhaps surprised the morally suspect government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga,” Prof. Plate, who is with the University of California, Los Angeles, wrote.
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Four soldiers injured, artillery gun destroyed in SLA armoury explosion

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 May 2005, 03:41 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has launched a full-scale investigation into the sudden explosion in its armoury located in Thanankilappu in Thenmaradchchi division in the Jaffna district Wednesday morning around 11 a.m where four SLA soldiers were seriously injured and an artillery gun was destroyed, the State run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) and private electronic media reported in news bulletins quoting army spokesman Brigadier Daya Ratnayake.
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‘Taraki died defending the Tamil cause’- paper

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 May 2005, 03:26 GMT]
Condemning the abduction and murder last week of political columnist and military analyst Dharmeratnam Sivaram, the Tamil Guardian newspaper this week reproached those who sought to rationalise his killing on the basis of his support for the Tamil struggle. “Yes, he was a Tamil patriot. [But] in a field laden with hyperbole and zeal, Taraki’s writing compelled prevailing understandings to be questioned rather than simply foist his own views on readers. His death will sadden those on all sides prepared to listen to rational, even if contrary, arguments,” the paper said.


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Tsunami hit Soodaikuda villagers to get new houses

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 May 2005, 10:53 GMT]
The Social Development Centre (SDC), headquartered in Killinochchi signed an agreement with the Assembly of God (AG) to construct 76 houses for tsunami-affected families in Soodaikuda, a remote village in the Muttur east in the Trincomalee district. The Fida International of Finland through the AG is providing the financial support for the project, sources said.


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SL Parliament to debate on Sivaram murder

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 May 2005, 09:17 GMT]
Leaders of political parties represented in the Sri Lanka Parliament Wednesday decided to hold a special debate on the killing of a senior journalist Mr.D.Sivaram, Speaker Mr.W.M.J.Lokkubandara announced.
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TNA MPs protest, demand inquiry into Sivaram’s murder

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 May 2005, 05:47 GMT]
Tamil Nation Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians held a demonstration at Jeyanthipura Junction and marched to the Parliament Ground, Wednesday, protesting aginst the abduction and murder of leading Tamil journalist Mr.D.Sivaram, last week. The MPs demanded Sri Lanka’s President to hold an impartial inquiry to identify the killers.
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Rights Group warns of Sri Lanka's collapsing rule of law

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 May 2005, 00:05 GMT]
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) condemned the murder of journalist Dharmeratnam Sivaram and faulted the Government of Sri Lanka for its inability to arrest the "collapsing rule of law" across Sri Lanka and for creating a culture of impunity where "anyone can get away with murder," in a media release issued on 3 May 2005.
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UNESCO: Sivaram killing ‘shameful crime’

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 May 2005, 16:46 GMT]
UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura Tuesday condemned the murder of political columnist and military analyst, Dharmeratnam Sivaram, as a “shameful crime” and his death “a great loss for Sri Lankan journalism and for UNESCO.”
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Protests mark Press Freedom Day

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 May 2005, 11:02 GMT]
Marking the World Press Freedom day, hundreds of journalists of print and electronic media demonstrated carrying placards with photos of Mr Sivaram and shouting slogans demanding freedom of expression, in front of the Fort railway station in Colombo Tuesday, sources said.
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Australian Tamils condemn journalist's murder

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 May 2005, 10:52 GMT]
The Australian Federation of Tamil Associations, in a press release issued Tuesday condemned the murder of Dharmeratnam Sivaram and said, "This murder is the latest in a series of brutal slayings of Tamil journalists which includeBBC journalist, Mr Mylvaganam Nimalarajan and Mr Nadesan...We call upon the Australian Government and the Australian Media in particular to condemn this brutal and premeditated murder. AFTA is outraged that the Sri Lankan politicalestablishment should continue silencing the voice of Tamils despite the cease-fire."
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'Sivaram was a terrorist journalist' - JHU

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 May 2005, 00:02 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s hardline monks party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) this week denounced Mr. Dharmeratnam Sivaram, the Tamil political columnist and military analyst who was murdered on Friday, as a “terrorist journalist” working for the LTTE. Saying Mr. Sivaram was akin to “Hitler’s Goebbels” a statement issued by the JHU's General Secretary, Omalpe Sobitha Thera, said he had “undermined the morale of the armed forces who were fighting the fascist Tigers.” Saying Sivaram should have been arrested according to the laws of Sri Lanka, the JHU urged the government to take stern action against others working in support of the Tigers.
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Sivaram an inspiration to Tamil journalists - Uthayan

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 May 2005, 20:33 GMT]
Saluting the work of Dharmaretnam Sivaram, the Tamil columnist abducted and murdered in Sri Lanka’s capital on Friday, the popular Jaffna Tamil daily, Uthayan, said in its editorial Monday that he would remain an “inspiration to Tamil journalists with love for the nation and their people.”
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