Thousands affected by floods in NE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 December 2002, 16:35 GMT]
One hundred thousand families mainly from Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Amparai and Killinochchi, have been badly affected by the flood waters caused by torrential rains in the northeast province since Monday evening, social department officials said Tuesday.
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AG urged to file appeal against Mylanthanai acquittal

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 December 2002, 13:05 GMT]
A delegation of leading human rights lawyers led by President Counsel Mr.Desmond Fernando requested the Attorney General (AG) to consider filing appeal against the acquittal order by the Colombo High Court in the Mylanthanai massacre case in which eighteen soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army were charged with murder, attempted murder of thirty five Tamils including men, women and fourteen children under twelve years, legal sources in Colombo said.
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Self employment help benefits low income Mutur residents

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 December 2002, 01:03 GMT]
Low income residents of Mutur living below poverty line were given bicycles, sewing machines and water pumps that enhanced their income earning potential, in a function held at Chenaiyoor Central College in Muttur east Thursday as part of the World Bank funded North East Integrated Agricultural Project (NEIAP), sources said.


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Police record statements from Nelliady victims

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 December 2002, 16:47 GMT]
The Jaffna Police Friday recorded statements from three traders in Nelliady area and an employee of the Janasakthi Insurance Corporation regarding the attack by the Police on last Tuesday on civilians when they were picketing the Eelam Peoples Democratic party (EPDP) office against its presence in Nedunthivu and elsewhere in the peninsula, sources said.
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Hartal paralyses Jaffna district

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 December 2002, 15:08 GMT]
All activities in the Jaffna district came to a standstill and normal life was disrupted Thursday as Hartal (general shut down) was observed in protest to the attack by the Police on unarmed civilians picketing against the presence of para military Eelam Peoples Democratic party (EPDP) in Nedunthivu and other places in the peninsula Tuesday, sources said.
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NE Emergency Reconstruction to begin with World Bank funding

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 December 2002, 17:27 GMT]
The World Bank Country Director Mr. Peter Harrold and the North East Provincial Council (NEPC) Chief Secretary Mr.S.Rangarajah will sign an agreement for the North East Emergency Reconstruction Programme (NEERP) Thursday at 12 noon at the auditorium of the NEPC Health Ministry in Trincomalee, sources in Trincomalee said.
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Sri Lanka Opposition decries Government's fiscal policies

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 December 2002, 04:30 GMT]
The second budget of the United National Front (UNF) government passed in parliament Tuesday night with a majority of thirty-six votes with one hundred and twenty one parliamentarians voting for the 2003 budget and ninety one voting against, parliamentary sources said.
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EPDP, PLOTE, EPRLF meet SLA officers in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 December 2002, 20:38 GMT]
The paramilitary EPDP, PLOTE and EPRLF(V) groups met with officers of the Sri Lanka armed forces at the headquarters of the 23-3 brigade of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Batticaloa today to discuss their own security, sources said.
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SLN expands Thiriyai naval base

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 December 2002, 20:14 GMT]
Thiriyai Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) main base, relocated to a new location one mile from the Thiriyai Tamil Vidyalayam in May this year, is now being strengthened as a permanent base, a group of civilians told the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader and the district parliamentarian Mr.R.Sampanthan when he paid a visit Saturday evening to see if any progress has been made by recently resettled farmers, sources said.
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SLAF occupation adds to Muthalikulam farmers' woes

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 December 2002, 16:43 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) occupies twelve buildings of the Irrigation Department located at Pankulam and Muthalikulam, 24 km west of Trincomalee town blocking the Engineers from providing water to resettled farmers engaged in paddy cultivation causing severe hardship, rehabilitation agency sources said.
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TNA demands better facilities for Mutur villages

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 December 2002, 19:56 GMT]
"More than twenty Tamil villages in Mutur east held by Tamil Tigers are without electricity supply and most of the roads in these villages cannot be used by motor vehicles," said Tamil National Alliance (TNA) national list parliamentarian Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham participating in the committee stage debate for the budgetary allocations of the Ministry of Power and Energy and the Ministry of Transport held Wednesday and Thursday.
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LTTE denies involvement in abduction

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 December 2002, 17:07 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Thursday categorically denied any involvement in the alleged abduction of three members of para military Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) in the Batticaloa district, sources said.
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TNA mourns death of veteran Trinco Tamil activist

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 December 2002, 21:21 GMT]
"At a time when we are at the doorstep of finding a just, permanent and lasting solution to the Tamil national question through talks between the United National Front (UNF) government and the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) Trincomalee Tamils have lost a veteran activist who has worked for the political emancipation of his community for about fifty years," said the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan paying Homage to Mr. Subramaniam Gunanayagam Sunday evening.
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Bishop exhorts Tamils to work with confidence

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 December 2002, 17:22 GMT]
"Tamils in northeast province now live in a transitional period expecting a constitutional change to find a just and lasting political solution to their problems. We should work towards this with utmost confidence," said Rt.Rev. Dr.Kingsely Swampillai, Bishop of Trincomalee-Batticaloa Diocese, addressing the annual prize-giving day of the Trincomalee St.Joseph's College as Chief Guest Saturday.


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Minister, journalists meet Nedunthivu residents

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 November 2002, 07:43 GMT]
Hundreds of residents of Nedunthivu (Delft island) in Jaffna district fasting for the thirteenth day against the presence of para military Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) told a group of visiting journalists Thursday that they would continue their campaign until the EPDP cadres left their village.
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All Sinhala jury acquits Mylanthanai accused

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 November 2002, 16:29 GMT]
All the eighteen accused in the Mylanthanai massacre case were acquitted by the High Court Judge Mr.S.Sriskandarajah when the Sinhalese speaking Jury brought a unanimous verdict of not guilty Monday around eight thirty p.m. In this case the Attorney General had indicted eighteen Sinhala soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army with the murder of thirty-five Tamil civilians including fourteen children in the Mylanthanai village in Batticaloa district on August 9 1992.
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'Country cannot afford to miss this opportunity for peace'- Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 November 2002, 12:54 GMT]
"We must not lose the present opportunity to achieve permanent peace with a just, fair and lasting political solution to the ethnic conflict," said Mr.Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader addressing the Annual Parents' Day and Oli Vizha of the Trincomalee St.Mary's College Sunday evening. Hundreds of parents attended the function held at College Thresian Auditorium.
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Heroes Day celebrations commenced in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 November 2002, 12:40 GMT]
The ‘Maaveerar Naal’ (Heroes Day)celebrations commenced in Trincomalee district Monday. At Sampoor, LTTE district military commander Colonel Pathuman inaugurated the Maaveerar Day celebrations by hoisting the Tamil Eelam national flag while District Political Head Mr.Tilak lighting the flame of sacrifice.
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Mylanthanai massacre case verdict on Monday

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 November 2002, 18:59 GMT]
The verdict in the Mylanthanai massacre case is to be delivered after the High Court Judge Mr.Sriskandarajah concludes his charge to the Sinhala speaking Jury Monday (25.11.2002). The case is being heard in the Colombo High Court since October 2 daily excluding weekend and public holidays, court sources said.
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PM's meeting with TNA, EPDP, and PLOTE fail to reach consensus

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 November 2002, 16:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe Friday evening held a one hour discussion with delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the leaders of the para military Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) and the Peoples Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) to diffuse the tension now prevails in the Jaffna peninsula following picketing campaign against EPDP presence in Neduntheivu.
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