‘Tamils should create their own musical tradition’

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 August 2003, 04:38 GMT]
“As a people with a history of having refined folk arts and literature, the Tamils should create a musical tradition uniquely theirs, and great musicians and intellectuals should help to create such a tradition," said “Thamilmani Mullaimani” Mr. V. Subramaniam, speaking at a two-day regional literary festival organized by the Vavuniya Cultural Federation Saturday.
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TEPS expands service in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 August 2003, 17:55 GMT]
Twenty-four policemen from the Tamil Eelam Police Service (TEPS)’s headquarters in the Vanni have reached Batticaloa on Saturday with the guidance of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, and the policemen are staying at the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam-controlled Vakarai area, 32 km to the north of Batticaloa town, TEPS sources said.
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SLA denies passage to dead LTTE cadre's uniformed body

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 August 2003, 01:55 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army refused permission to take the body of a dead Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadre through the SLA checkpoint in Uylankulam in Mannar to his hometown under the SLA control in Mannar for funeral rites, on the grounds that they could not allow the LTTE uniform and flag on the body, and the relatives of the cadre had to be taken to an LTTE-held area where the funeral with full honors took place, LTTE political sources in Mannar said.
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SLA releases a fifth of the paddy fields in Thenmaradchi HSZ

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 July 2003, 15:08 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army Thursday said it has released about one thousand acres from the high security zone in the Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district for paddy cultivation. The area declared as HSZ in Thenmaradchi by the SLA in 1999, and in effect since then, girdles more than five thousand acres of paddy fields, farmers’ association sources said.
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'Pongu Thamil' event to be held in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2003, 14:31 GMT]
Though the ceasefire has brought a halt to the war, "everyone should understand that the fight to win the Tamil people’s political rights has not stopped," said Mr. Sivashakthi Ananthan, the Vanni parliamentarian, speaking at a meeting held Sunday at the Suthananda Hindu Youth Association hall to plan the ‘Pongu Thamil’ (‘Tamil resurgence’) events.
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Thamilchelvan says doors to peace wide open

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2003, 06:42 GMT]
“The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are keenly studying the proposal for an interim administrative structure sent by the Sri Lankan government although it fails to meet the expectations of the Tamil people”, said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan addressing more than five thousand troops of the LTTE’s southern front forces on the grounds of ‘Meenaham’, a sprawling military base complex in Tharavai, about 40 kilometres northwest of Batticaloa, late Sunday night.
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Students demand Siddha Medical Faculty at Jaffna University

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2003, 14:22 GMT]
The Vice Chancellor of the Jaffna University, Professor C. Mohanadas, has appointed a seven-member committee to submit a report on the demand by the Siddha Medical Students' Union that a faculty should be established at the university to teach Siddha medicine instead of creating an institution outside the university, education sources said.
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Junior LTTE officers complete training

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 July 2003, 13:05 GMT]
At a ceremony held in the Vanni Saturday to mark the completion of training of the junior officers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the leader of the LTTE, Mr. V. Pirapaharan, participated, made a speech and awarded certificates to the officers, LTTE sources said.
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Postal services in Mullaitivu to improve

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 July 2003, 03:33 GMT]
Even in the midst of severe shortages of essential goods and a lack of public transport, the Postal service in Mullaitivu has managed to provide at least 50% of the services it would have provided in normal times, with the support of the Government Agent and the Postal Services workers, the Postal Superintendent for Mullaitivu, Mr. Veerasingham Kumaraguru, said.
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Contractors signed up for Reconstruction in the Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 July 2003, 03:06 GMT]
Approximately forty contractors have signed up for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts according to information revealed in a recent meeting where the head of the Institute for Construction, Training And Development (ICTAD) participated, Vanni sources said.


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Batticaloa News in Brief

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 July 2003, 17:07 GMT]
LTTE Senior Commander Karuna meets Tamil activists, Sathurukondan residents undergo security checks and LTTE to open Eastern Police Head Quarters in Kokkadichcholai.


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US group completes clearing parts of Sarasalai region of mines

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 July 2003, 10:56 GMT]
Mine clearing group from United States America (USA) is to cermonially hand over a mine cleared section of Sarasalai in Thenmaradchy district, Jaffna, to Secretary S.Srinivasan Monday 10am in an event to be held at the Central Community Center in Sarasalai, local papers reported.


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Workshop on pre-school education held in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 July 2003, 19:30 GMT]
One-day workshop on curriculum formulation for training pre-school development co-ordinators in the northeast province was held Friday at the North East Provincial Guest House in Trincomalee, sources said. The workshop was organized by the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) and the Provincial Education Ministry Secretary Mr.R.Thiagalingam inaugurated the workshop.
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World Bank commends LTTE for its cooperation

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 July 2003, 15:43 GMT]
The Country Director of the World Bank in Sri Lanka, Mr Peter C.Harrold, Friday launched the Tamil version the of the publication “Sri Lanka Country Assistance Strategy 2003-2006 (CAS)” at an event held at the North East Provincial Health Ministry auditorium in Trincomalee, where he thanked the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for the close cooperation the LTTE has extended to the Bank in implementing projects it funded, sources said.
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Norwegian envoy carries IA proposals to Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 July 2003, 12:35 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Mr.Jon Westborg Thursday morning left Colombo to Killinochchi with Sri Lanka Government's proposals to establish an Interim Administrative (IA) structure in the northeast province, Cabinet Spokesman and Constitutional Affairs Minister Mr. G.L.Peiris said duirng his weekly press briefing in Colombo Thursday, sources said.


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School reopened in Omanthai HSZ

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 July 2003, 11:15 GMT]
"For the many children who were displaced, denied of basic education and forced to eke a living selling nuts along A9, this event marks an important turning point in their lives," said Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Vavuniya district Political Head, Sengathir, speaking at the opening ceremony of Omanthai Mahavidyalayam in the High Security Zone (HSZ), sources attending the function said.
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Sea Monitors to hold talks with Sea Tiger head next week

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 July 2003, 19:42 GMT]
The Norwegian head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, Major General (retd.) Triggve Teleffsen, who on Wednesday held key talks with the head of the Sea Tigers division of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Colonel Soosai, in Mullaitivu, and concluded his three-day visit to the LTTE held Vanni region, told journalists that the SLMM’s Sea Monitors would visit Kilinochchi next week and hold talks with the Sea Tiger head, sources said.
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LTTE leader pays homage to Lt. Seelan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 July 2003, 15:27 GMT]
The leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Mr. V. Pirapaharan, unveiled a large photo of the late Lt. Seelan (Charles Antony), the first attack commander of the LTTE, and paid his respects by lighting the sacrificial flame, at a specially organized ceremony in a location in the Vanni, sources said.
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Lt. Seelan commemoration held in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 July 2003, 18:07 GMT]
The twentieth death anniversary of Lieutanant.Seelan (Charles Antony), the first attack commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), was observed in Trincomalee, his birthplace, at an event held at the LTTE political office in Eastern port town Tuesday, sources said.
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SLA shifting FDLs inside No-man's zone - Theepan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 July 2003, 13:19 GMT]
Col.Theepan, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Commander of Northern Region has complained to the Norwegian head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, Major General (retd.) Triggve Teleffsen, that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has shifted their Forward Defence positions inside the no-man's zone in Muhamalai, Kilali and NagarKovil areas, tamil daily Uthayan reported.


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