TNA protests new Buddhist shrine in Tamil village

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 January 2003, 19:12 GMT]
A Tamil National Alliance delegation, headed by Mr.R.Sampanthan, Tuesday met with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremasinghe, and protested the construction of a new Buddhist shrine in Vilankulam, a historically Tamil a village, and the ban on renovating the historic Hindu temple at Kanniya, in Trincomalee, which had been destroyed by the war, sources said.
Full story >>

Forced to do Party work, Govt. employees complain

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 January 2003, 18:08 GMT]
Field officers of the para military Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) controlled local bodies in the Jaffna district Tuesday complained to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) that they are being forced to distribute EPDP political pamphlets house to house in their areas, sources said.
Full story >>

Jaffna local bodies to be administered by special commissioners

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 January 2003, 14:14 GMT]
The life term of all local authorities in the Jaffna district, which expires on February this year, will not be extended. Instead special commissioners will be appointed to administer these local bodies. A decision this effect was taken at the discussion between the Tamil National Alliance parliamentary delegation and the government group led by the Prime Minister held Tuesday, TNA sources said.
Full story >>

SLA cannot deny the rights of IDPs to resettle in HSZ - TNA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 January 2003, 12:50 GMT]
The United National Front (UNF) government Tuesday gave assurances to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) that it would take steps to resettle displaced inside the high security zone (HSZ) in Jaffna once the Indian defence expert submits a report on that issue, sources said. TNA stressed that although SLA is empowered by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to prevent Liberation Tigers (LTTE) from entering the HSZ, SLA cannot deny the rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from resettling in their own homes in their own land, sources said.
Full story >>

District Court dismisses action by Athaullah faction

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 January 2003, 21:21 GMT]
The legal action instituted by the Athaullah faction of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) to prevent Minister Rauff Hakim from holding his faction's eighteenth delegate conference on Sunday was dismissed by the Colombo District Court Friday.
Full story >>

PTA to stay - Defence Minister

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 January 2003, 15:35 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Defence Minister, Mr. Tilak Marapone, said in parliament Friday that a decision on abolishing the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary provisions) Act would be made only after considering all future repercussions of such a removal. The present situation is "not conducive to doing away with the PTA," said Mr. Marapone.


Full story >>

Batticaloa journalist's home attacked

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 January 2003, 03:32 GMT]
The home of senior Batticaloa journalist, Mr. Senathirajah Jeyanandamoorthy, was attacked with grenades around midnight Tuesday. The attackers poured petrol and set fire to the house located in the Sri Lanka army high security zone in Valaichenai, 32 kilometres north of Batticaloa. The fire did not spread due to rains and the efforts of neighbours, his colleagues said. Mr. Jeyanandamoorthy had received several death threats in the past from a suspected Islamic extremist group in the area.


Full story >>

Picketing in Tellipallai continues

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 January 2003, 12:11 GMT]
Several hundred people displaced from high security zone (HSZ) in Jaffna peninsula continued their fast and picketing third day Tuesday in front of the office of the additional government agent in Tellipalai. They launched this campaign Friday demanding that they should be allowed to resettle in their villages, which have been declared high security zone by the State armed forces, Valigamam Peoples Forum (VPF) sources said.
Full story >>

No official talks to form alliance with JVP - PA

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 January 2003, 17:12 GMT]
The People’s Alliance (PA) General Secretary and a former minister, Mr.D.M.Jayaretna, Monday said no discussion took place between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the main constituent of the PA and the JVP, regarding the formation of a coalition. "There were no official level talks between the leadership of the two political parties regarding forming a political alliance. However, both parties would work against the present government jointly whenever need arises," said M.Jayaratna.
Full story >>

Court prevents Athaullah group functioning as SLMC officials

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 January 2003, 16:29 GMT]
The Colombo District Court Friday issued injunction on five rebel leaders of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) preventing them from functioning as executive officials of the party. The District Judge Ms Malini Gunaretna made the order after inquiring into the petition by the leader of the SLMC and Minister Mr.Rauff Hakim, legal sources said.
Full story >>

Film release celebrates Sea Tigers' tenth anniversary

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 December 2002, 17:43 GMT]
“Nitharsanam” TV unit of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Tuesday released the film “ Kadaloorakatru” (A wind along the coast) produced after the ceasefire agreement between the government and LTTE came into force, simultaneously in six districts in the northeast province celebrating the tenth anniversary of Sea Tigers, sources said.
Full story >>

Public urged to safeguard Jaffna's antiques

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 December 2002, 16:33 GMT]
The Head of Tamil Department of the Jaffna University, Professor K.Shanmugathas, Saturday made an appeal to all citizens to take immediate measures to safeguard antiques found in Hindu temples and other public places from being smuggled out of Jaffna peninsula, sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>

LTTE's help sought to trace Jaffna missing

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 December 2002, 16:24 GMT]
The Jaffna Missing Persons Guardian Association (MPGA) Saturday appealed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) seeking its assistance to trace their loved ones disappeared during 1996 and 1997 after arrest by Sri Lanka's State armed forces, sources said.
Full story >>

TRO compensates victims of hartal violence

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 December 2002, 17:58 GMT]
Trincomalee district secretariat of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) Friday distributed one hundred and seventy seven thousand rupees to the victims of the October 11 hartal violence. Each family of the dead was given ten thousand rupees and the wounded forty-nine persons were given three thousand rupees per head as compensation, sources said.
Full story >>

TRO to compensate victims of Trinco 'hartal' violence

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 December 2002, 14:16 GMT]
The Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) will compensate the families of victims of the hartal (general shut down) violence on October 11 in Trincomalee town when three tamil civilians were killed and several injured, sources in the eastern town said.
Full story >>

'Vihare construction continues in Tamil village despite protests' - TNA

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 December 2002, 13:25 GMT]
Construction of a Buddhist shrine in Vilankulam, a traditional Tamil village, 11 km off west in the eastern port town is continuing despite protests made to the Prime Minister by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader and the Trincomalee district parliamentarian Mr.R.Sampanthan, said TNA Member of Parliament (MP) Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham, Thursday.


Full story >>

Trinco university campus faces uncertain future

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 December 2002, 01:49 GMT]
In a meeting held at Trincomalee Sri Koneswara Hindu College hall Monday evening, leading educationists, citizens and heads of schools in the Trincomalee district expressed serious concern over the lack of support by the University Grants Commission and the Administration of the Eastern University on developing Trincomalee campus of the East University of Sri Lanka to a quaity academic institution, sources said.
Full story >>

Nedunthivu residents reject TNA plea to suspend picketing

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 December 2002, 18:01 GMT]
Residents of Nedunthivu island in Jaffna district Tuesday rejected a plea made by Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians to suspend their month long picketing against the presence of members of the para military group Eelam Peoples Democratic party (EPDP) in their village on the basis of the assurance given by the Prime Minister, TNA sources said.


Full story >>

SLA ragging kills soldier, 16 remanded

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 December 2002, 15:07 GMT]
The Chavakachcheri acting Magistrate Tuesday ordered sixteen soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to be held in remand in connection with the ragging death of a fellow soldier, S.Ratnayake (25) of Balangoda, legal sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>

Rehabilitation, Development discussed in Trinco conference

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 December 2002, 05:27 GMT]
The political section of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) organized a conference Sunday to discuss proposed development and rehabilitation work in Trincomalee district and to establish a framework for the Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that promotes close coordination to avoid duplication of effort while facilitating the NGOs to function without any obstacles, sources in Trincomalee said.
Full story >>