Lankan PM's statement on peace process to be debated

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 May 2003, 17:10 GMT]
A full day debate on the Sri Lanka's Prime Minister's statement made Tuesday in parliament regarding the current situation of the peace process will be held Thursday from 10 a.m. till 6.30 p.m. This was decided at a conference held Tuesday at the meeting of the leaders of the political parties which are represented in parliament. Speaker Mr.Joseph Michael Perera presided the meeting, sources said.
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Gopalapuram LTTE war memorial opened

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 May 2003, 03:19 GMT]
The war memorial constructed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at Gopalapuram junction in the village of Nilaveli, about sixteen km north of Trincomalee town in memory of LTTE cadres who died in a mid-sea mishap in 1990 was declared open Monday evening, sources said.


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TNA parliamentarians address Muslims in Pulmoddai

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 May 2003, 02:25 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan addressing a meeting at Pulmoddai, a traditional Muslim village about 70km north of Trincomalee district, Saturday said that a lasting political solution could be found for the northeast problem only by ensuring equal rights and privileges to Muslims living in the province.
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Displaced villagers struggle to revive Thennamaravadi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 May 2003, 11:58 GMT]
A group of displaced Thennamaravadi villagers trekked through jungles Saturday morning to visit their abandoned traditional Tamil village about seventy two km north of Trincomalee district and reported that the entire village had been destroyed and remnants of all civilian homes, school buildings and Pilliayar temple are overgrown with shrub jungles, sources said.


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MP denies embezzling legal aid, wants museum in Jaffna Fort

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 May 2003, 11:40 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) take steps to transform the Jaffna fort into a museum, said northern Parliamentarian Mr. M. K Sivajilingam, speaking to the press Friday. He said the TNA will strongly oppose any move by the SLA to build a camp in the Jaffna fort. Mr. Sivajilingam denied reports that he had misused assistance sent by well wishers in England to needy families of Tamil political prisoners in Sri Lanka’s Kalutara prison. Controversy surrounds allegations in the Tamil press that lawyers had embezzled monies collected and sent from UK for the welfare of Kalutara prisoners.
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North East celebrates May Day

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 May 2003, 01:05 GMT]
A four page joint statement declaring that a political solution should be found on the basis of a self-rule with self-determination to the Tamil national question was released at the combined May Day rally organized by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union (CTTU), and several civil organizations held in Jaffna Central College grounds Thursday evening, sources in Jaffna said.


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‘Sri Lanka subjugated by US new imperialism’ – JVP

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 May 2003, 00:05 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s opposition Thursday charged that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government was taking away workers’ rights under cover of the peace process. Opposition leader, Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksha, addressing the People’s Alliance May Day rally at Campbell Park in Colombo, said hard won rights of workers in Sri Lanka are being sacrificed to a ‘new-imperialism’. The Janata Vimukthi Peramuna’s (JVP) in its May Day rally in another part of Colombo city accused the ruling United National Front (UNF) of surrendering the country to “western imperialism led by the USA”.
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Muslim-Tamil amity crucial for peace - Ramesh

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 14:10 GMT]
Though the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has temporarily suspended participation at the peace talks, its talks with Muslim representatives will continue, as strengthening Tamil-Muslim amity is crucial to the two communities regardless of the state of the peace process, Mr. Ramesh, the LTTE’s special commander for Batticaloa-Ampara, told journalists after the second round of talks between the LTTE and Muslim representatives Tuesday.
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Moolai hospital struggles to get back on feet

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 00:15 GMT]
Moolai Hospital in Jaffna, the only large co-operative society medical facility in the northeast, lies largely useless today owing to the lack of doctors, patients and the presence of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) in its environs. Like most schools, hospitals, other public utilities and temples in the northeast, 16 months of peace and many rounds of negotiations between the Liberation Tigers and Colombo have done little to improve the fortunes of this unique achievement of Jaffna’s co-operative movement.
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White Pigeon branch opened in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2003, 22:26 GMT]
The Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) sponsored White Pigeon Technical Institute, headquartered in the Vanni region, opened its third branch Monday at Ananadapuri, three km to the north of Trincomalee town, TRO sources said.
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TNA leader demands reduced army presence in population centers

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2003, 01:14 GMT]
"It is the birthright of the Internally Displaced People (IDP) to resettle in their own lands. There is no need for the internally displaced Tamil families in Jaffna district to seek permission from the government or the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to return to their own lands," said Tamil National Alliance (TNA)parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan addressing a gathering at the Jaffna office of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Sunday on the current political situation, sources said.


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Compensation delay for Kanjirankuda victims decried

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2003, 17:44 GMT]
Relatives of the 7 Tamil civilians shot dead by the commandos of the Special Task Force, an elite wing of the Sri Lankan armed forces, during a public protest in Kanjirankudah, 84 kilometres south of Batticaloa, on 9 October 2002 have not received any compensation, said Batticaloa district parliamentarian Chandra Nehru.
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PM's advisor in Jaffna to see ground situation

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2003, 12:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka Prime Minister's senior advisor Mr.Bradman Weerakone at the end of his two-day visit to Jaffna Sunday said at a conference held at Jaffna District Secretariat that the reply to be sent shortly to the LTTE political advisor Mr Anton Balasingham would contain assurances that will help the resumption of the peace talks. Meanwhile Mr.Weerakone Saturday instructed the Government Agent to hand back the municipal lands to the Jaffna municipal council, sources said
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Muttur lacks basic medical services - TNA MP

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2003, 04:13 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham Saturday brought to the notice of the Minister of Health, Nutrition and Welfare that even after fourteen months of the ceasefire coming into operation Muttur residents are still without basic medical services, sources said.
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Take forward Chelva's ideals - Tamilnadu Don

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2003, 16:32 GMT]
"We Tamils in Tamilnadu are openly supporting the Palestine liberation struggle. We are free to oppose the aggression of Iraq by the United States of America. But it is sad to state that we in Tamilnadu are prevented from expressing our moral support to our Tamil brethren in Sri Lanka," said former vice chancellor of Thirunelvaely Manonmaniyam Suntharanar University in South India, Professor Dr. K.P.Aravanan, delivering 'Thanthai' Chelvanayakam commemoration speech at the Jaffna University Kailasapathy auditorium Saturday afternoon.
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Thanthai Chelva’s 26th death anniversary observed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2003, 13:59 GMT]
The twenty sixth-death anniversary of late Tamil leader "THANTHAI” Mr.S.J.V.Chelvanayakam (1898-1977) was observed through the northeast province Saturday. He was the acknowledged leader of Tamil people for the last 20 years of his life and presided over the 1976 TULF national convention that ratified the goals for a separate state for Tamils in the landmark 'Vaddukoddai resolution.'


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Speedy relief essential for success of talks - TNA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2003, 11:26 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Wednesday requested the United National Front (UNF) government to formulate and implement a new approach that could provide speedy relief to the grievances of several thousands displaced Tamils without further delay fulfilling the justifiable expectations of Tamils since the signing of the ceasefire agreement, sources said.


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EPS fall: reassessing LTTE's manoeuvre warfare prowess

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 21:26 GMT]
Three years ago, on April 22nd, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) hoisted their flag in the heart of what was once one of the most fortified military garrisons in South Asia. The fall of Elephant Pass, described as "impregnable" by a US army officer who visited the garrison months earlier, established the Tigers as the only non-state military force in the world today capable of complex manoeuvre war fighting.
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Trade Unions to hold joint May Day with LTTE, TNA in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 18:27 GMT]
Trade Unions in Vavuniya have agreed to hold a joint May Day with the TNA and the LTTE this year, and arrangements are being made for the May day event with the cooperation of the LTTE, sources said.
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Curfew reimposed after grenade attack kills civilian

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 April 2003, 16:06 GMT]
A Tamil civilian was killed and seven others were injured in a grenade attack on Friday afternoon near Kattaiparichchan bridge which separates army controlled and Liberation Tigers controlled area in Muttur east, police sources said. The curfew lifted Friday has been reimposed Friday afternoon immediately after the grenade attack.


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