SLMC delegation leaves for London to study devolution

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 October 2003, 18:39 GMT]
A delegation of Muslim politicians and intelligentsia, led by Mr.Rauff Hakeem, left for London, United Kingdom, Saturday at the invitation of the British government on an official visit to study the constitutional arrangements in Ireland and Scotland, sources said.
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Norwegian Advisor on Gender Issues visits Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 October 2003, 15:34 GMT]
Dr. Astrid N. Heiberg, the Advisor to the Subcommittee on Gender Issues (SGI) and Ms. Kjersti of the Norwegian High Commission in Colombo, visited the women’s secretariat in Kilinochchi Thursday morning and held discussions about women’s issues throughout the day, sources in the Vanni said.
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Book on Charles Anthony Brigade released

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 October 2003, 10:59 GMT]
A Book on the ten-year history and achievements of Charles Antony Special Brigade of the LTTE "Nerupatru Neechalil Paththandukal" was released in an event held at Trincomalee Sri Koneswara Hindu College hall Thursday evening. The inaugural release of the book was earlier held in Vanni and the first introductory event was held later in Jaffna, sources said.


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LTTE leader honors Karate Grand Master

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 October 2003, 14:46 GMT]
The leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Mr. V. Pirapaharan, Thursday conferred national honor on the father of Karate in Tamil Eelam, Grand Master Shihan Bonnie Roberts,74, who holds eight black belts and contributed yeoman service to the growth of the art of Karate, sources in the Vanni said.
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Thamilchelvan meets TNA over IA proposals

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 October 2003, 16:04 GMT]
Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, the political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, met with parliamentarians of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on Wednesday at the Kilinochchi peace secretariat, LTTE peace secretariat sources said.
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LTTE delegation returns from Dublin, European meetings

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 October 2003, 12:04 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) delegation, led by its Head of Political Wing S.P.Thamilchelvan, which had been to Dublin Ireland to finalize LTTE's proposals on Interim Administration to Northeast returned to Sri Lanka Saturday. Senior Commander Karuna arrived at the Illupadichenai Sports Grounds at 10.30 am in a special military helicopter, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Book on history of Eelam newspaper journalism released

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 October 2003, 06:34 GMT]
A book under the caption "Eelathu Ithaliyalin Varalarum Mathipeedum" (The history of Eelam newspaper journalism and its evaluation) was released at the second day celebration of the North East Provincial Tamil Literary Festival held Saturday evening at Vavuniya Irambaikulam Girls Maha Vidiyalayam. The event took place in the specially named dais Maveeran Pandara Vanniyan Arangu, sources said.
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Jaffna journalists fast to mark colleague’s murder

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 October 2003, 11:30 GMT]
“Today we see those who murdered Nimalarajan walking about freely. Investigations into his foul murder have been going on for long without any progress. But none of his murderers have been brought to book. We have no faith in Sri Lanka’s system of justice”, said Mr. Velupillai Thavachelvam, President of the Jaffna Journalists’ Association, addressing a protest fast Friday in the northern town to mark the third death anniversary of Mr. Mylvaganam Nimalarajan, the well-known Jaffna journalist.
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NE provincial level science-math competition held

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 October 2003, 00:01 GMT]
The North East Provincial Department of Education held the first provincial level Science-Mathematics Quiz Competition for Grade 11 year students who have excelled in zonal level competitions. The winners of twenty-four zonal level competitions participated at the provincial level competition held Wednesday in Trincomalee Sri Shanmuga Hindu Ladies College hall, sources said.
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STF commandos stay on in hospital

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 October 2003, 13:57 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF), the elite counter insurgency arm of the Sri Lankan armed forces, said Wednesday it would further delay moving out of the Thirukkovil District Hospital, 76 kilometres south of Batticaloa. The hospital, which is in the midst of a large Tamil village, has been garrisoned by the STF for 17 years despite protests by local rights activists and politicians.
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Massive crowds pack Mannar Pongu Thamil

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 October 2003, 13:55 GMT]
More than thirty thousand people packed the Mannar town grounds Wednesday for Pongu Thamil Wednesday. Large processions led by political and religious leaders started from three corners of the Mannar town at 3. 30 p.m. and converged on the ground one hour later. "We want our land", "soldiers! Go back to your homes", the marchers shouted.
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UNDP project to improve Trincomalee fishermen livelihood

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 October 2003, 17:19 GMT]
The United Nations Development Programme has launched a transition programme fisheries project in Trincomalee funded by AusAID to strengthen the capacity of fisheries department and fisheries co-operative societies to enable fishermen to improve their livelihoods as many of them have not been active for a long time due to the restrictions imposed on fishing and also they lost part or all of their fishing gear and other equipments, UNDP sources said.
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Education on Tamil history stressed by Eastern academic

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 October 2003, 16:40 GMT]
Tamil students are forced to learn the history of the Sinhalese, but the history of the Tamils is not part of the subjects taught to them under the current education plan in Sri Lanka, said Ms. Ruby Valentina Francis, a researcher and lecturer at the Eastern University, speaking at the release of a new book titled "Vanniar of Tamil Nadu and Vanniar of Eelam," authored by poet Vellavur Gopal, held Sunday at the Mahajana College hall in Batticaloa, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Women complete job training in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 October 2003, 08:08 GMT]
The job training of women conducted by the Centre for Women's Development and Rehabilitation (CWDR)'s Job training division was completed on Monday, and a function to mark the event was held with speeches and exhibitions starting at 10:00 am, sources in the Vanni said.
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'Dire need for Northeast Children Secretariat'

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 October 2003, 20:11 GMT]
North East Provincial Commissioner of Probation and Childcare Ms Ranjini Nadarajapillai Saturday made an urgent appeal that a Secretariat for Child Welfare should be established for the northeast province to cater the urgent needs of thousands of children who have become destitute due to the war and are being maintained in several children homes, sources in Trincomalee said.
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Salt threatens eight thousand acres in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 October 2003, 18:43 GMT]
Yields in more than eight thousand acres of rice fields in Kopay South in the peninsula are steadily declining due to salination of the lands from waters seeping from the saltpans of Chemmani, on the eastern outskirts of the Jaffna town, local farmers told TamilNet Saturday.
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SED bank branch opened in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 October 2003, 17:53 GMT]
Socio Economic Development (SED) Bank, which has its headquarters in Killinochchi, opened its first branch in the east of the island, Sunday. The General Manager of the SED Bank Mr.S.Sriskandarajah, declared opened the branch in Kadatkaraichcenai village in Muttur east in Trincomalee district.
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Women's Awakening Day celebrated in NE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 October 2003, 00:01 GMT]
The Tamil Eelam Women's Awakening Day and the sixteenth death anniversary of 2nd Lieutenant Malathi (Pedurupillai Sahayaseeli) were marked Friday throughout the Northeast Province on a grand scale with rallies and public meetings where thousands of women from all walks of life participated in the events, TamilNet sources said.
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UNICEF assists hearing-impaired children in NE

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 October 2003, 19:31 GMT]
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has donated hearing aids for sixty-three students with impaired hearing in the Trincomalee district. The event where such students were fitted with hearing aids was held Thursday at the office of the Trincomalee education zone, UNICEF sources said.
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LTTE commemorates first woman martyr

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 October 2003, 02:36 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is commemorating the 16th anniversary of its first woman martyr, 2nd Lt. Malathy, throughout the Northeast on Friday. The LTTE’s women wing said in a statement that it would also observe the women’s awakening day on the same day.
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