Colombo requests SC to remove P-TOMS stay order

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 July 2005, 16:25 GMT]
Mr.M.S.Jayasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Relief, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Friday filed a petition in the Supreme Court requesting for the removal of its restraining order from implementing four clauses of the P-TOMS (Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure) till its final determination on the Fundamental Rights application filed by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) parliamentarians. The SC made the restraining order on July 15 when the FR application came up for inquiry, the State run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) reported in its Friday night news bulletin quoting legal sources.
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Tamil National Resurgence Convention begins in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 July 2005, 09:37 GMT]
A Tamil national resurgence conference with more than one thousand Tamil national activists comprising academics, writers, religious dignitaries, representatives of civil organisations and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MPs from Amparai, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Jaffna, Vanni and Mannar, began in Vavuniya at 10:30 a.m on Wednesday at Vairavapuliyankulam Children's Park. Leaders of the Up-Country Peoples Front (UPF) and the Western Province Peoples' Front (WPPF) are also participating in the conference, sources in Vavuniya said.
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Violence shuts down Mannar private busses

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 July 2005, 13:51 GMT]
Private bus traffic in Mannar came to a halt following three violent incidents between Sri Lankan government operated Transport Board (SLTB) bus drivers from Vavuniya depot and private bus operators from Mannar, affecting large number of passengers Monday, sources from Mannar said.
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Social mobilization workshop begins in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 July 2005, 02:18 GMT]
Opening event of a residential nine-day workshop for nearly 30 staff engaged in social mobilization in different districts of NorthEast was held in Kanagapuram in Kilinochchi Saturday at 3.30 pm, sources said. Director of the Socilal Mobilization section of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), Mr M Selvarajah, presided the event.
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Environmental Commission formed in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 July 2005, 11:25 GMT]
The inaugural event of the Thamileelam Commision for Environmental Governance (TCEG) was held at the Planning and Development Secretariat (PDS) located in Kilinochchi presided by Liberation Tiger's Head of Political Wing S P Thamilchelvan at 10 am Saturday, sources in Kilinochchi said. The main mission of the Commission is to ensure environmental protection in the NorthEast, PDS officials said.
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Disarming paramilitaries vital for peace - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 July 2005, 10:34 GMT]
LTTE's Political Head Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, after meeting with a Norwegian delegation Wednesday morning in Kilinochchi told the press that the ceasefire monitors did not bring any new message that will improve the deteriorating ground conditions in the NorthEast. He accused Colombo and the Sri Lankan armed forces for nurturing and promoting paramilitary groups in the SLA held areas of the NorthEast in violation of clause 1.8 of the CFA. "We stressed to Norwegian delegation the urgency of disarming the paramilitaries according to the terms of the CFA," Thamilchelvan told the reporters.
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Mannar fishermen demonstrate against Sedusamudram project

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 July 2005, 12:23 GMT]
A large number of civilians, majority of them fishermen, demonstrated Tuesday morning in Mannar town, opposing the implementation of the Sedusamudram Canal Project (SSCP) claiming that the project will destroy fishing resources in Mannar Sea. Mannar District Fisheries Societies' Federation and Mannar Peace Movement jointly organized the protest.
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SLA bans transporting batteries, wires in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 July 2005, 12:00 GMT]
Sri Lakan Army (SLA) soldiers manning the check points between LTTE controlled and SLA held areas in the eastern districts of Batticaloa and Amparai imposed restrictions on transporting batteries, wires and electric devices from SLA held areas towards Vaharai and other LTTE held areas in the East since Saturday. Civilians were subjected to severe questioning and and body searcj by SLA, Special Task Force (STF) soldiers and the Police. Security is tightened in Batticaloa, Amparai districts, Police sources said.
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SLA to construct new access road to Tellipallai hospital

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 July 2005, 23:39 GMT]
Mr.Tyronne Fernando, North East Governor Saturday declared open the renovated Tellipalai District Hospital and commissioned the newly installed Cobalt Cancer Treatment Plant in the cancer unit of the hospital. Meanwhile, a decision was taken at a conference held in Sri Lanka Army Jaffna headquarters in Palaly and attended by the Mr.Tyronne Fernando and Major General Sunil Tennekoon, Jaffna SLA commander, to open a new access road to the Cancer Treatment Unit enabling the patients and employees to have easy access to the hospital, sources said.
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Ten soldiers injured, security beefed up in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 July 2005, 04:52 GMT]
Security has been beefed up in the Trincomalee district following a grenade attack on a truck of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) injuring ten soldiers including a Lieutenant Wednesday night around 8.30 p.m. at Palathoppur in Muttur division. The attack took place when the army truck was on its way distributing meals to soldiers located in the area, military sources said.
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SC will not unnecessarily intervene in national issues- Chief Justice

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 July 2005, 16:15 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court (SC) Tuesday reserved its order for Friday on the application of providing interim relief in the fundamental rights case filed by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) against the Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS). JVP fundamental rights applications came up before the three member-bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Sarath N.Silva, Justice Raja Fernando and Justice Nimal Gamini Amarathunge on Tuesday for further inquiry, legal sources said.
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One soldier, 13 policemen injured in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 July 2005, 11:58 GMT]
One soldier of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and four policemen of the Sri Lankan Police including a Sub-Inspector sustained injuries in two separate incidents in the suburbs of Trincomalee town Tuesday when the east port town observed a general shut down condemning the killing of LTTE cadres by a group of unidentified gunmen last Sunday at Chelvanayakapuram, Police said.
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Estate Tamils' security is tied to NorthEast's strength- Chandrasekaran

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 July 2005, 23:52 GMT]
"Recognition of the fundamental rights and the right of citizenship of Hill country Tamils is imperative for long term sustainable peace and stability in Sri Lanka," said Parliamentarian and Leader of Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF), Mr Periyasamy Chandrasekaran, when he talked with TamilNet Saturday in Washington D.C. On the future security of the people of Indian origin, Mr Chandrasekaran said, "As a minority community powerless to defend itself against discrimination and repression, the security is tied closely to the security framework to be established by the NorthEast Tamils under the political and military leadership of the Liberation Tigers."
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Tenth anniversary of Navaly church massacre observed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 July 2005, 19:51 GMT]
Tenth death anniversary of 147 Tamil civilians including men, women and children who were killed in the indiscriminate bombing by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) and artillery attack by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on Navaly St Peters Church and Navaly Murugamoorthy Kovil in the Jaffna district on 09 July 1995 was observed Saturday. "The massacre of hundreds of civilians who sought refuge in places of worships was a gross human rights violation by the government security forces," said Rt.Rev Thomas Soundaranayagam, Jaffna Bishop at the Holy Mass held at the Navaly St.Peter's Church Saturday evening, sources said.
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NorthEast Governor visits Mannar

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 July 2005, 16:24 GMT]
Fishermen from Pesalai and Talaimannar in Mannar district Friday complained to NorthEast Governor Mr.Tyronne Fernando that deepening of the Palk Straits under the Sethusamudram Canal Project (SSCP) would destroy the breeding ground of fish in the sea territory close to Mannar shore. Mr.Tyronne Fernando during his one-day visit to Mannar Friday afternoon met with groups of fishermen in Pesalai and Talaimannar separately and inquired about their grievances and difficulties, Mannar district secretariat sources said.
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GTZ funds Elephant Pass Girl's Hostel

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 July 2005, 11:15 GMT]
A Hostel for more than 50 women employees working at the Elephant Pass salterns and salt packing plants was ceremonially opened last week, sources in Kilinochchi said. The facility was built with financial support of the German Government through the German Technical Co-operation (GTZ).
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Tamil youth arrested at Uyilankulam checkpoint

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 July 2005, 10:01 GMT]
Mannar Magistrate Mr.N.M.M.Abdullah Wednesday ordered remand till July 20 for a Tamil youth, Mr. V. Sugunthan, on a report from the Mannar Police that the suspect had been arrested on suspicion when entering the government controlled area through Uyilankulam sentry from the LTTE held area in Vanni, legal sources said.
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NorthEast observes Black Tigers Day

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 July 2005, 16:28 GMT]
NorthEast Tuesday observed Black Tigers Day with sport events and public meetings, sources in Jaffna said. A main event was held Tuesday evening at Nelliyady Central College in Vadamaradchchi division in Jaffna district where on 5th July, 1987 Captain Miller, the first Black Tiger drove an explosive laden truck on Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops garrisoned in the school. Forty soldiers were killed in that attack.


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GTZ funds resettlement of ex-garrison town

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 July 2005, 04:47 GMT]
More than 110 displaced families from the village of Thattuvankotti near Elephantpass moved into their reconstructed houses, built with financial support of the German Government through the German Technical Co-operation (GTZ), at a ceremony organized by the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) Thursday 3.00 pm, sources in Vanni said.
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LTTE issues 2 weeks ultimatum for ensuring travel safety

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 June 2005, 09:05 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Thursday in a crucial meeting with members of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) demanded that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) should provide a clear response on procedures to ensure safety of travel for LTTE cadres in the east. Head of LTTE Political Wing told Scandinavian delegation that Tigers will resume their own armed escort if the GoSL fails to provide satisfactory response within two weeks, sources from Vanni said.
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