De-escalation, normalisation district committee meets in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 November 2002, 19:27 GMT]
The first meeting of the Trincomalee District Sub Committee on De-escalation and Normalisation (TDCSDN) was held Thursday at the office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in the eastern port town. The three hour discussion, observed by the head of the SLMM in Trincomalee, Mr. Jan Ledang, centred on high security zones, resettlement of displaced people and opening of roads now closed for security reasons, sources said.
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TNA wants EPDP disarmed

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 November 2002, 07:49 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Wednesday appealed to the United National Front government to take immediate steps to ensure that no one engaged in political activity in Neduntheivu and Kayts in Jaffna district is armed. "The UNF government should take appropriate action to diffuse the situation and to assure the people of Neduntheivu and Kayts that they will not be subjected in the future to the violent and undemocratic actions of the Eelam Peoples Democratic party (EPDP)," said in a press release issued by the parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance Wednesday.
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TNA meets PM over EPDP cadres in Delft

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 November 2002, 19:41 GMT]
A Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary delegation Monday brought to the notice of the Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe that members of Eelam Democratic party (EPDP) now in Delft island in Jaffna district are armed and are also moving about in naval uniform. The TNA delegation requested the Prime Minister to take stern steps to prevent incidents similar to those that had taken place at Kanchirankuda and Trincomalee last month, in the Delft Island.
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TNA abstains from voting to register protest

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 November 2002, 17:54 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians Monday refrained from voting when the Interior Ministry financial allocation in the 2003 budget was put to vote during the committee stage debate. "The TNA parliamentary group decided not to vote for the Interior Ministry financial allocation to register our dissatisfaction to the government for its inaction regarding Kanchirankuda and Trincomalee incidents in which several Tamils were killed," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, TNA parliamentary group leader.


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TULF commends Norway, International Community

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 November 2002, 19:21 GMT]
The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), main constituent of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), while commending Norway and International Community for their support to the peace process, made an appeal to Tamils from making statements that will have adverse impact on the peace process. People who have rarely stood up for the human rights or democratic rights of the Tamil people cannot make any honest contribution to the Tamil question, said the Secretary General of the TULF Mr.R.Sampanthan in a press release at the conclusion of the central committee meeting held Sunday in Colombo.
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Military-LTTE commanders meet at Muhamalai second time

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 November 2002, 18:40 GMT]
The delegations of the Sri Lanka armed forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam met Saturday at Muhamalai and discussed several issues regarding the question of resettling displaced families in high security zones and removal of fishing restriction in the Jaffna peninsula. The discussion, the second of its kind, commenced around ten in the morning, continued till six in the evening, sources said.
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Trinco journalists briefed on torture victim rehabilitation

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 November 2002, 18:33 GMT]
The Family Rehabilitation Center (FRC) in Trincomalee Saturday held a one-day seminar for local journalists on rehabilitating torture victims. "The main objective of the FRC is to rehabilitate the victims of torture physically and psychologically and make them to lead normal lives in the society," said Dr.Gnanagunalan, medical officer of the FRC when addressing the seminar held at Trincomalee Town Hall Saturday morning.
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East development review before Sub-Committee meet

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 November 2002, 22:37 GMT]
Three Tamil Parliamentarians and political officials of the Liberation Tigers Of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from the eastern province are meeting in Kilinochchi Saturday to review development needs of the eastern districts in preparation for the forthcoming meeting of the Sub-Committee for Rehabilitation and Resettlement scheduled for Monday, 18 November, sources said.
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Parliament approves President votes without cut

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 November 2002, 21:33 GMT]
The parliament Friday evening approved the votes for the offices of the President and Prime Minister without cut. The committee stage budget debate, which began Friday morning, continued for about five hours. The votes were approved without division.
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Parliament adopts UNF second budget

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 November 2002, 07:49 GMT]
The second budget of the United National Front government was passed Thursday in parliament by a majority of thirty-six votes. One hundred twenty nine parliamentarians voted for the budget and ninety three voted against. Parliamentarians of the main opposition People's Alliance (PA), Sinhala hardliner party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the National Unity Alliance (NUA), the breakaway group of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress voted against the budget.
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Budget fails to recognize needs of NorthEast -Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 November 2002, 21:15 GMT]
"The budget does not provide any relief to the devastated northeast. To treat the northeast in the same way as the rest of the country would tantamount to a refusal to acknowledge the devastation and deprivation suffered by the people of northeast," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) group leader participating in the budget debate Thursday.
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Vavuniya Children with Special Needs excel in sports

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 November 2002, 18:57 GMT]
Kirupananthamoorthy Nitharshan and Raveendran Thanusha, students at the Empowerment Campus in Vavuniya district, obtained medals in a nationwide sports meet for children with special needs organized by the Colombo Metropolitan Rotary Club, held earlier this month.
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Sea Tigers, SLN confer on Jaffna issues

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 November 2002, 12:44 GMT]
The Deputy Commander of the Sea Tigers Wednesday urged the Sri Lanka Navy not to engage in any action that would disrupt the peace negotiations to end the island’s conflict at a meeting with a Sri Lankan military delegation in the no man’s land in Muhamalai in southern Jaffna Wednesday.
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Resettlement should focus on most deserving –Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 November 2002, 19:45 GMT]
Tamil national alliance MP, Mr. R. Sampanthan, Monday strongly objected to moves by Sri Lankan government officials to ignore the most deserving and the most numerous Internally Displaced Persons in Trincomalee and instead to give priority to demographic balance in selecting families for resettlement projects in the district.
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Kuchchaveli IDPs urge speedy resettlement

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 November 2002, 17:34 GMT]
Hundreds of displaced Tamil families from villages in Kuchchaveli division, 34 km north of the Trincomalee district and now residing in refugee camps elsewhere Sunday said that they should be resettled in their areas without delay and should be provided with necessary facilities. They attended a meeting held Sunday at Kuchchaveli Vivekanandan Maha Vidiyalayam where the resettlement of the displaced and their rehabilitation were discussed.
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Kanjirankuda inquiry one sided - Chandra Nehru

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 November 2002, 02:40 GMT]
"The Committee appointed to investigate the Kanjirankuda violence has produced a grossly one-sided report. I have no faith in this Committee. I urge the Prime Minister to appoint a new Committee that can maintain its independence and conduct an impartial and thorough investigation of the recent violence," said Chandra Nehru, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Member of Parliament (MP) for Ampara district while speaking in the Parliament on 8 October.
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Tamil member of Kanchirankuda committee dissents

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 November 2002, 17:30 GMT]
The sole Tamil member of the committee appointed by Sri Lanka’s Interior Minister to inquire into the shooting incident at Kanchirankuda on the island’s southeastern coast on October 9, 2002 said Friday that he strongly disagreed with the conclusion of that his colleagues had arrived at.
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MP gives up boycott after meeting SLA commanders

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 November 2002, 14:22 GMT]
Mr. Gnanamuthu Krishnapillai, Member of Parliament (MP) of Batticaloa district agreed to give up his boycotting of parliament after meeting commanders of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Thursday morning. The MP met with Brigadier S.R. Balasuriya, commander of 23rd division in Minneriya and Colonel R. de Silva, commander of 23-3 Brigade in Batticalo at the MP's residence in Kaluwanchikudi on instructions from Joint Chief of Staff, Lionel Balagalle.
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Mylanthanai massacre accused make statements from dock

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 November 2002, 18:20 GMT]
All eighteen accused soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Tuesday made statements from the dock in the Colombo High Court (HC) in the Mylanthanai massacre case denying their involvement in the crime. The case is being heard daly from 2nd October before a Sinhala speaking Jury at the request of the accused, who are also Sinhalese.
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Tamil poetry 'Towards the path of Peace' released in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 November 2002, 23:12 GMT]
A collection of Tamil poems titled 'Towards the path of Peace' and composed by Poet Sigandithasan was released in Trincomalee Saturday evening. "No one can benefit by derailing the peace process now being taken forward," said the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan addressing the event.
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