SL communities at brink of tragedy- Schaffer

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 December 2005, 00:34 GMT]
"The international friends of the SriLankan peace process need to proceed with bracing realism and appeal to the most urgent self-interest on both sides. Without a new commitment to a real cease-fire and a serious dialogue, all of Sri Lanka’s communities stand at the brink of tragedy. The inclusiveness Rajapakse has promised could stand him in good stead, but the key quality he will need is leadership," says former US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Teresita Schaffer.
Full story >>

Colombo to continue to maintain CFA with LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 November 2005, 16:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse Monday explained his future peace plans with the Colombo-based diplomatic community where he said that his new government will continue to observe the ceasefire agreement with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. In his address, the Sri Lankan President told the diplomatic community that he welcomed the remarks made by the LTTE leader Mr. V. Pirapaharan in his annual Maveerar Day speech and reiterated his invitation to the Tigers for fresh talks, a statement from the SL President's office said. The statement said Mr. Rajapaske wanted to "review" the "operation" of the ceasefire.
Full story >>

LTTE to intensify struggle for self-determination if reasonable political solution is not offered soon

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 November 2005, 12:04 GMT]
The leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in his annual Heroes’ Day statement made an urgent appeal to the new Sri Lanka Government of Mr Mahinda Rajapakse to offer a reasonable political solution to the ethnic conflict without further delay. The Tamil Tiger leader cautioned the government that his liberation organisation would intensify the struggle for self-determination and political independence if the new regime adopts a hard-line position and fails to resolve the problems of his people.
Full story >>

Rules guide on use of Tamileelam National flag published

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 21:45 GMT]
The Tiger symbol of Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) created in 1977, was designated as the National Flag of Tamileelam in 1990 without the letters inscribing the movement's name. The civil administration of Tamil Eelam in Vanni Saturday released an updated version of the guide providing instructions and explaining the correct usage of the Tamileelam National Flag. The guide written in Tamil specifies the regulations for flying the flag alone or with national flags of other countries, and for general handling of the flag. The National Flag has four colors, yellow, red, black, and white.
Full story >>

Weather Monitoring Center opens in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 16:31 GMT]
Tamileelam administrative branch opened a weather monitoring and forecasting center (WMC) in Bharathipuram, Kilinochchi Saturday celebrating the fifty first birthday of Leader of the Liberation Tigers, Velupillai Pirapaharan, sources in Kilinochchi said.
Full story >>

VVT celebrates Pirapaharan's birthday with parade

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 14:56 GMT]
Festive atmosphere prevailed in Jaffna district Saturday as residents across the district celebrated the fifty first birthday of Velupillai Pirapaharan, sources from Jaffna said. In Valvettiturai (VVT), his birthplace, school music bands led a parade where villagers and students took his photograph from the Nediyakadu Pillayar temple along VVT hospital to Alady where Pirapaharan's house is located. More than 500 uniform clad members of the recently passed out Auxilliary force also participated in the parade.
Full story >>

Trinco birthday celebrations include book release

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 14:43 GMT]
"Kanthal," a compilation of greetings and quotations in Tamil, specially compiled by Muttur Tamil Women Association Consortium to mark the fifty first birthday of Mr.V.Pirapaharan, Tamil national leader was released Friday morning at an event held at Kaddaiparichchan Vipulananda School in Muttur east in Trincomalee district. Ms Santhi Kumarasamy, President of the consortium presided.
Full story >>

Mannar to hold Heroes Day final event Sunday

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 11:34 GMT]
Heroes Day final events in Mannar district are to be held in mausoleums in Periyapanddivirichchan and Aandankulam in the Liberation Tigers held areas. Parents of about two thousand LTTE martyrs of Mannar district are to be honored Sunday evening at these events, sources said
Full story >>

Fine Arts School opened in Adampan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 11:29 GMT]
A Fine Arts School was declared open Saturday morning in Adampan, a village in Mannar district, about five km off east of the Mannar town, to mark the fifty first birthday of the National Leader Mr.V.Pirapaharan. Mr.V.Visuvalingam, Mannar District Government Agent declared open the school by cutting the ribbon, sources said.
Full story >>

Eye of the storm?

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 08:31 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse’s first address to his Parliament had been keenly, albeit warily, anticipated by those concerned about the peace process. Elected on a hardline nationalist platform (and having easily drawn the majority of Sinhala votes), Rajapakse’s speech curiously received the press coverage of a pro-peace candidate: that he wanted to hold "direct" talks with the Liberation Tigers. But peace advocates paying close attention to his policy statement would have been thoroughly alarmed.
Full story >>

Jaffna Campus Heroes' Memorial unveiled

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 November 2005, 10:53 GMT]
"People of Jaffna will never forget nor pardon the desecration of the memorials of more than 900 war heroes in the hallowed grounds of Kopay Martyrs Cemetary in 1996 by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers," Professor. C. Mohanadas, the Vice Chancellor of Jaffna Univeristy told TamilNet after addressing the opening ceremony of a Heroes' Memorial constructed within the Jaffna Campus premises, Thursday. "It was an act, unheard of in the civilized world," the Vice Chancellor said.
Full story >>

Tamil Eelam TV coverage extended for Heroes Day

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 November 2005, 13:03 GMT]
National Television of Thamil Eelam (NTT) will extend coverage during Heroes day celebrations on the 27 November from 5.00 p.m. to 7.30 p.m, Tamileelam time, and will broadcast live the speech of LTTE Leader Pirapaharan, media unit of the Liberation Tigers said from Kilinochchi.
Full story >>

SLA tightens restriction on food, fuel transport to Muttur

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 November 2005, 17:57 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) tightened their restriction on transport of goods including eggs, meat and fuel into Muttur east from army controlled areas through the checkpoint of the SLA Kaddaiparichchan army camp from this week. SLA has also barred Muttur east fishermen from fishing after 6 p.m. as they have to pass through the high security zone for deep sea fishing, Mr.S.Elilan, LTTE Trincomalee district political head said Thursday. Muttur east is held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).


Full story >>

“Karuna Defection, Wickremasinghe's Ploy” - UNP Stalwart

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 November 2005, 10:04 GMT]
A United National Party (UNP) stalwart in Nuwara Eliya district, Mr. Naveen Dissanayake, has said that it would not be necessary for Sri Lanka’s Military to fight the Tigers. "American and Indian forces will fight the LTTE if Liberation Tigers' leader Pirapaharan opts to wage a war," Naveen Dissanayake told the audience at an Election propaganda meeting, Thursday, at Ginigathena in the upcountry district of Nuwara Eliya, a Tamil daily, Uthayan, quoted in its headline story, Monday. Mr. Dissanayake has also claimed that a situation was created to make the renegade LTTE commander Karuna to get dissatisfied with his leadership during the period covering his trips to Europe, the paper said.
Full story >>

LTTE senior leader Major Ganesh remembered

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 November 2005, 16:21 GMT]
Nineteenth death anniversary of Major Ganesh, senior leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), was observed in Muttur east Saturday at the Major Ganesh mausoleum located in the heart of Kaddaiparichchan, now renamed Ganeshapuram in the memory of LTTE leader. Mr.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head participated as the chief guest.
Full story >>

Doyen of FP, uncompromising on Tamil National question

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 October 2005, 00:16 GMT]
Are leaders of Sinhala community prepared to share state power with Tamils? Mr. V. Navaratnam, the only surviving founder member of the Federal Party that provided political leadership to Tamils for more than three decades since it was formed in 1949, and described as the brain behind FP, shared with TamilNet his views on Tamil National struggle. The doyen of Tamil politics who negotiated with the father of the incumbent President Chandrika Kumaratunge and other Sri Lanka leaders for sharing state power within a federal framework for almost three decades turns 96-years this month in Montreal, Canada. He also inked the Bandaranaiyake Chelvanayagam pact.
Full story >>

'There is no place for moderates'

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 September 2005, 05:40 GMT]
Even as his party leader and incumbent President Chandrika Kumaratunga wrapped herself in the tenets of liberalism whilst addressing the United Nations last week, her party's candidate for her succession, Mahinda Rajapakse, continued to tread an unabashedly Sinhala ultra-nationalist platform at home.
Full story >>

Thileepan's 18th anniversary commemorations begin

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 September 2005, 11:18 GMT]
Preparations to commemorate eighteenth death anniversary of Lt.Col.Thileepan (Rasaiah Parthipan), who fast to death during the occupation of Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Jaffna, have begun in several parts of NorthEast with red and yellow flags symbolizing the Liberation Tigers being flown at main roads, key junctions, business premises and Government buildings, sources said. Thileepan passed away two weeks into his fast after placing five demands to the Indian Government.
Full story >>

Pirapaharan felicitates Nitharsanam cinema artists

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 September 2005, 11:37 GMT]
Leader of Liberation Tigers, V Pirapaharan, felicitated the directors and artists at the "Eerath thee (Wet conflagration)" film release ceremony held at the Nitharsanam conference hall in Kilinochchi Sunday, sources from Kilinochchi said. The film was produced by LTTE Women's wing under the direction of Ms Nimala, and depicts the historical growth of Black Tigers.
Full story >>

Direct talks with Pirapaharan, a Day Dream- TNA MP

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 September 2005, 18:58 GMT]
"Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse is `day dreaming' when he says he will speak directly to the LTTE supremo to settle the ethnic issue," said Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham criticizing the nonchalant attitude of Mr Rajapakse at the beginning of his campaign for Sri Lanka's Presidency.


Full story >>