Kottaikadu villagers suffer without drinking water

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 November 2004, 17:38 GMT]
About 300 families living in Kottaikadu village in Jaffna district undergo hardships without drinking water in their area as the only available well is overflowing with floodwater due to heavy rain. Kottaikadu village is located in Valigamam division. Sand bunds constructed by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers prevent rain water flowing into the sea resulted in flooding the village including the only well villagers use for drinking water, civil sources said.
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Corporal Rajapakse to submit written submission

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 November 2004, 11:54 GMT]
The Jaffna High Court Friday allowed Army Corporal Rajapakse, one of the accused sentenced to death in Krishanthy rape and murder case, to submit written submission on December 7 against charges levelled against him in six Habeas Corpus (HC) applications filed by parents and relatives of several Tamil youths arrested by the army in 1996-1997 and later reported disappeared, legal sources said.
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IT Centers opened in Mullaitivu Schools

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 November 2004, 11:14 GMT]
Two Information Technology centers were opened in Puthukudiyiruppu Maha Vidiyalayam and Mullaitivu Mahavidyalayam Monday as part of the second phase of a project undertaken by The Economic Consultancy House (TECH), Non-Governmental Non-Profit Sharing Organization registered with the Government of Sri Lanka, to provide computer learning facilities for 5000 students in 50 schools, sources from Mullaitivu said.
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Tamils concerned over India's moves- TNA MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 November 2004, 04:28 GMT]
"Visits of Indian military and naval chiefs to Sri Lanka and Indo-Sri Lanka defence agreement expected to be signed next week in India by both governments during the visit of Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge have caused apprehension among Tamils that preparations are underway for another war in the island," said Ms Pathmini Sithamparanathan, Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian in a press release issued Tuesday.


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Sri Lanka opposition boycotts Kumaratunga's peace parley

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 November 2004, 14:31 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga addressing the first meeting of the National Advisory Council for Peace and Reconciliation (NACPR) Monday said devolution of power to an extent should be found within the framework of the United Sri Lanka. "Solution to the northeast conflict should not be war,"said President Kumaratunga. Opposition parties, including the largest Tamil party in Sri Lanka's Parliament, boycotted the parley. Tamils charge that the NACPR is a time buying tactic by President Kumaratunga.
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Tamils must act to preserve cultural values- Semmanan

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 November 2004, 11:54 GMT]
"The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in occupation in Jaffna district is engaged in attempts to destroy our freedom struggle by degrading our cultural values. We should all be alert to defeat this enemy and join hands to safeguard our cultural identity and values" said Mr.Semmanan, Deputy Political Head of the Liberation Tigers in Jaffna district addressing the final event of the two-day Divisional Cultural Festival held Sunday at Karaveddy Predesiya Sabah hall, sources said.
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Computer training centre opened in Alankerni

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 October 2004, 01:10 GMT]
With support from London-based expatriate organization TR TEC, Trincomalee branch of TECH,The Economic Consultancy House, a Non-Governmental Non-Profit Sharing Organization registered with the Government of Sri Lanka, Friday opened the seventh free computer-training centre in a remote Tamil village Alankerni, in Kinniya division in Trincomalee district. The centre is housed in Alankerni Vinayagar Maha Vidiyalayam.
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LTTE delegation meets John Hume

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 October 2004, 14:46 GMT]
“Learning to live with diversity and respect for each other is the cornerstone of a meaningful democracy," said Social Democratic and Labor Party (SDLP) Leader, former Member of EU Parliament and Nobel Laureate, Mr. John Hume, in a meeting with the LTTE delegation led by its Head of Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan, Friday, said LTTE sources in Ireland.


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Ranil warns against altering Sri Lanka's constitution

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 October 2004, 16:30 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s opposition leader Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe said Friday that any attempt by President Chandrika Kumaratunga to alter the country’s constitution might encourage the Liberation Tigers to exercise the mandate obtained by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) at the last general elections to summon their own constituent assembly in the northeast. Addressing a seminar by the International Democratic Union-Asia Pacific Democratic Union at the Taj Samudra Hotel in downtown Colombo, he said: “it can really throw a spanner in the peace process."
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Batticaloa undergrad dies in Jaffna road accident

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 October 2004, 15:52 GMT]
Mr.Jeevaretnam Vivekanandan of Batticaloa, second year in the Art Faculty of Jaffna University died in a road accident Friday evening when his motorbike skidded while turning towards the entrance of the varsity under heavy shower, Jaffna Police said.
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"Revive Jaffna palmyra, coconut industry"- TNA MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 October 2004, 12:34 GMT]
Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Mr.Suresh Premachchandran Friday wrote to the Chairman of the Coconut and Palmyra Development Societies Federation, Provincial Commissioner of Co-operative Development and the Government Agent the urgency of reviving the palmyra and coconut industry in the peninsula, which is currently being neglected by the government and other related agencies, sources said.


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Refugee camp in Trinco collapses, injuring three

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 October 2004, 17:31 GMT]
One of the two old buildings constructed during colonial days in Jamaliya area in the suburbs of Trincomalee town and currently being used as refugee camps collapsed Thursday afternoon wounding three internally displaced persons including two women. One of the injured was admitted to the intensive care unit in Trincomalee general hospital. Other two are also warded in the hospital, sources said.


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Two PLOTE cadres reported missing

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 October 2004, 09:51 GMT]
Two members of the PLOTE, an ex-Tamil militant group in Vavuniya, were abducted by unidentified gunmen in a suburb of the northern border town, Sri Lanka Police said Thursday. Their whereabouts are not yet known, according to Police. The PLOTE cadres have been missing since Tuesday night, relatives said.
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TNA delegation meets Akashi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 October 2004, 09:25 GMT]
The release of 4.5 billion dollars aid pledged at the Tokyo conference to Sri Lanka should not take place until the stalled peace talk with the Liberation Tigers resumes on the basis of Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposals, delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians told Japanese special peace envoy Mr.Yasushi Akashi during a discussion in Colombo Thursday, TNA sources said.
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Mirusuvil massacre case inquiry to resume

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 October 2004, 02:09 GMT]
The stalled inquiry into the Mirusuvil massacre case is to resume before the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar (TAB) on the instruction of the Supreme Court that TAB could continue its proceedings although the confession made by one of the accused soldier Mr.R.M.S.Ratnayake was declared inadmissible, legal sources said.
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PAFFREL, Sarvodaya hold dialogue on electoral reform

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 October 2004, 11:10 GMT]
"Electoral laws in Sri Lanka need to be critically reviewed and reformed if future elections are to be free and fair," said Mr Bandula Kulatunge in a discussion meeting in held in Vavuniya organized by PAFFREL and Sarvodaya attended by several civil organizations, sources said.
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Legal wrangle over appointment of UPFA nationalist MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 October 2004, 10:42 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court (SC) granted special leave to Mr.Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, incumbent Deputy defence Minister and Buddha Sasana Minister, to proceed with his appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal (CA) that it has jurisdiction to hear the Writ Application challenging his appointment as a MP of the UPFA National List. The SC further issued interim order staying the further proceedings in the Court of Appeal until its concludes the inquiry into the appeal by the aggrieved party, legal sources said.
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Akashi to meet JVP leaders

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 October 2004, 10:37 GMT]
Mr.Yasushi Akashi, Japanese special peace envoy who is scheduled to arrive in Colombo evening has agreed to meet the political leadership of the Sinhala nationalist-Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), major constituent of the United Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, during his seven day stay in Sri Lanka, State run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) reported in its news bulletin Wednesday.
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SLA asked to consider allowing cultivation in Jaffna HSZ

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 October 2004, 12:41 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Tuesday directed the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to submit a report by 3rd December on the possibility of allowing cultivation in the agricultural lands in the high security zones (HSZ) occupied by the SLA soldiers in the Jaffna district, legal sources said.


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Controversial NACPR to meet in November

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 October 2004, 13:36 GMT]
National Advisory Committee for Peace and Reconciliation (NACPR), a group formed by Sri Lanka's President and touted as a mechanism to introduce inclusivity in the peace process, is to meet on 1st November, a press release from the Sri Lanka President's office said. Opposition United National Front (UNF) opposed it calling NACPR a tactic to delay the peace process, and TNA earlier rejected an invitation to join the NACPR.
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