Families of abducted TRO staffers to meet Colombo press

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 April 2006, 02:50 GMT]
The Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) and the families of seven abducted humanitarian workers, during the past 6 weeks, report no progress despite reduced exposure to media following the messages received through "third parties" that the abducted would be released if TRO and the families "kept quiet and did not to speak to the media," a press release from the TRO said Wednesday. The organisation has called for a press conference Thursday.
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LTTE rejects SLN condition for fishing in Muttur East Sea

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 April 2006, 02:13 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Wednesday rejected Sri Lanka Navy's (SLN's) condition communicated throught the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that fishermen in LTTE controlled Muttur east coastal villages should register their names and other details at the Muttur jetty located in the government controlled territory when they go to sea for fishing and on their return. Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the LTTE said that it will be an undue burden on the fishermen to travel more than five km to report their departure and return after fishing in shores near their village, sources said
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Two paramilitary cadres wounded in Panichchankerni

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 April 2006, 18:23 GMT]
Two Karuna Group paramilitary cadres were wounded in Panichchankerni, 60 km north of Batticaloa, Wednesday around 5:30 p.m., when Liberation Tigers launched a counter-attack on the paramilitary cadres penetrating into the Liberation Tigers controlled area, eyewitnesses said. A key paramilitary operative, Chooty, wounded in his stomach was transported to the Kirimichchai SLA camp in a motorbike which the withdrawing paramilitary cadres hijacked from a civilian traveller.
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No room for hypocrisy in implementing CFA - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 April 2006, 10:56 GMT]
Armed activities of the paramilitary groups have intensified following the first session of Geneva Talks contrary to the commitment made by the Sri Lanka Government to the February 2002 Cease Fire Agreement (CFA). Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse can no longer pay lip service to CFA after the route of the extreme Sinhala hardline forces in the local elections in the South, LTTE Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan told reporters in Kilinochchi after meeting the newly appointed Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer on Wednesday.
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LTTE area farmers to receive marketing help

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 April 2006, 00:06 GMT]
Mr.V.Visuvalingam, Mannar Government Agent said he will soon be providing marketing facilities to farmers in the Liberation Tigers held areas to sell their agricultural produce in Government-controlled territory in Mannar district. Currently farmers in LTTE held divisions of Madhu and Manthai West in Mannar district struggle to market their produce for decent competitive prices and face financial difficulties, sources said.
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Fisheries: A NorthEast industry in turmoil

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 April 2006, 00:44 GMT]
Fishing ban along a significant portion of 349 km long Northern district coasts, displacement of fisher families, harassment of fishermen by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) along shores and by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) in shallow and deep sea have plunged the fishing industry in NorthEast in turmoil. Fisher families live in perpetual uncertainty even while struggling to meet ends meet on a daily basis. Unfulfilled assistance of help promised by successive Sri Lanka Governments have helped prolong the suffering of these families, Vadamaradchy Fisheries Consortium spokesperson said.
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Trinco results, victory for Tamil nationalism- Elilan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 April 2006, 16:26 GMT]
Tamil voters have endorsed the Tamil nationalism overwhelmingly by handing over the administration of the Trincomalee Urban Council (UC) and Trincomalee town and gravets Pradesiya Sabah (PS) to the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchchi (ITAK) in the local elections held Thursday, said Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) speaking at a discussion held Sunday morning with the newly elected ITAK councilors in the Trincomalee district, sources said.
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Annai Poopathy, a supreme model for Tamils- Ilamparithi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 April 2006, 14:15 GMT]
"Annai Poopathy who sacrificed her life, in a fast-to-death protest in March 1988 protesting against the Indian peace keeping forces (IPKF) and supporting the Tamils liberation struggle, is an example for all Tamils to emulate. In all key events, like the local council elections, we have to tell the world that we Tamils stand determined and united in achieving our just aspirations," said S. Ilamparithi, Jaffna district head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam LTTE political wing, presiding at the 18th anniversary memorial celebration held Saturday 10 a.m, at Palai Maha Vidyalayam.


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Separate regiment, a ruse to split communities, say Muslim Leaders

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 April 2006, 18:16 GMT]
"Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is launching a Muslim regiment in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to widen the split between Muslims and Tamils. Muslim community should not fall prey to this sabotage scheme," said several speakers at the Muslim Council's Eastern Conference held Saturday morning in Loyds Hall in Akkaraipattu, Adalaichenai, Batticaloa, chaired by its president N. M. Ameen.
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SLN, SLA violate ceasefire, Elilan tells SLMM

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 April 2006, 12:06 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) collaborating with paramilitaries had violated the ceasefire agreement in the LTTE controlled Muttur east and Vakarai area said Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Saturday. He lodged three separate complaints with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), sources said.


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Thanthai Chelva's 108th birthday celebrations held in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 March 2006, 10:59 GMT]
"The dreams of "Thanthai" Chelvanayagam, embodied in the Vaddukkodai resolution, are coming true," said Mavai Senathirajah, Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian in the special ceremony held Friday 9 a.m, commemorating the 108th birth anniversary of Mr. S. J. V. Chelvanayagam in Vavuniya, said sources.


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Norway island attack by SLN draws warning from LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 March 2006, 20:04 GMT]
Mr.Elilan, LTTE Trincomalee district political head, informed the Trincomalee head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Mr.Ove Thursday evening in Sampoor that LTTE has the right to movement in seas adjoining LTTE controlled coastal areas and this right does not violate the ceasefire agreement, LTTE sources said.
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LTTE political office in Arayampathi burnt

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 March 2006, 10:07 GMT]
The Arayampathi political office of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), located in the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled area in Kathankudy, Batticaloa, was set on fire Thursaday morning by unidentified persons who had damaged and robbed the things inside the office, said sources from Kathankudy.


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Polling commences for 266 local councils in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 March 2006, 05:16 GMT]
Polling in about 8829 centers to elect 3624 members to 266 local government authorities comprising 12 municipal councils (MC), 34 urban councils (UC) and 220 pradesiya sabahs (PS) countrywide began Thursday morning at 7 a.m. A total 11,037,763 voters are eligible to cast their franchise to elect their members from about 25,523 candidates fielded by political parties and independent groups.
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Sri Lankans go to local polls Thursday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 March 2006, 20:42 GMT]
Sri Lankans will elect 4442 members for the 330 local councils in the elections to be held Thursday. In Trincomalee elections are being held after a lapse of 12 years, and in six NorthEast districts- Jaffna, Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya and Batticaloa the elections have been postponed for six months.
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LTTE will participate at Geneva Talks if safe passage guaranteed through Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 March 2006, 16:15 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) will participate at the second session of peace negotiations in Geneva during 19-21 April provided that the Government of Sri Lanka and the Norwegian facilitators guarantee the safety and safe passage of the Tamil Tiger negotiating team through Colombo Katunayake international airport. Mr. Anton Balasingham, chief negotiator of the LTTE, said he made this specific request for the security of the negotiating team when he met the Norwegian Development Minister, Mr. Erik Solheim Wednesday at his residence in London.
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Solheim and Hanssen-Bauer to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 March 2006, 13:29 GMT]
Norwegian International Development Minister Erik Solheim who met Liberation Tigers Chief Negotiator Wednesday in London, will be visiting Colombo next Thursday, according to a press release issued by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Colombo on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the newly appointed Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer will be visiting Sri Lanka on Monday 3 April on a four day visit.
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SLA, paramilitary collusion can lead to talks breakdown- TNA MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 March 2006, 08:15 GMT]
"Escalation of paramilitary activities assisted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops in Valaichenai villages pose serious threat to peace process," said Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Batticaloa parliamentarian S. Jeyanandamoorthy, in a press release, issued Wednesday. Meanwhile, Mr Ariyanendran, another TNA parliamentarian, accused the SLA troops for assisting the paramilitaries in the cordon and search operation held in Valaichenia Tuesday, and urged the International Community to condemn this act which openly violated the commitments made by the Sri Lanka Government in Geneva talks.


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SLA violates ceasefire agreement in Muttur-LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 March 2006, 02:05 GMT]
The Trincomalee district political secretariat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Tuesday lodged a complaint with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that a group of soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in connivance with paramilitaries had unlawfully entered the area and attacked the LTTE camp located in Athiamankerni village in Seruvila division on March 27 night around 7 p.m. SLA soldiers and paramilitaries had fled from the scene when the LTTE cadres successfully retaliated their attack, the complaint said.
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Expel Norway, demands JVP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 March 2006, 01:39 GMT]
"If Norway is not sacked immediately from the peace process, we will amass more than two hundred thousand people in a protest demonstration in front of the Norweigian Embassy," warned Wimal Weerawanse, parliamentarian and propaganda Secretary of marxist Jathika Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), at a meeting in Colombo Tuesday evening, sources said. Patriotic National Movement (PNM), an alliance of extreme Sinhala nationalists, organized the meeting at Mahaveli Centre Colombo.


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