Batticaloa fishermen demand equal rights

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 August 2002, 23:30 GMT]
A large number of Tamil fishermen in Batticaloa district Friday held a protest march demanding the government to lift restrictions on fishing and to provide the same privileges now being enjoyed by fishermen in the South. The fishermen also demanded the government to take immediate steps to stop foreign fishing vessels entering Sri Lankan territorial waters.
Full story >>

Peace draws 400,000 to forest shrine festival

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 August 2002, 16:38 GMT]
More than four hundred thousand Sinhala and Tamil devotees from all parts of Sri Lanka thronged the Madhu feast this year, which concluded Thursday. "The number of devotees is unprecedented. After a gap of nineteen years the devotees of the Madhu Maatha (Ave Maria) poured out their suppressed devotion. The hundreds of thousand faithful who flocked to the shrine have expressed their love for peace. Everyone who gathered here have shown that they are against war," Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph, the Bishop of Mannar told TamilNet. The forest shrine of Ave Maria is in his diocese.
Full story >>

Relatives of disappeared persons demonstrate in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 August 2002, 22:09 GMT]
Hundreds of relatives of the disappeared persons in Jaffna district Monday held a demonstration in front of the Jaffna district secretariat, demanding that Colombo investigate the fate of more than 600 youth who went missing after being arrested by the Sri Lanka army in Jaffna in 1997-96. The demonstration was organised by the Missing Person's Guardian Association (MPGA).
Full story >>

SLA troops 'provoking' LTTE, monitors told

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 August 2002, 04:51 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Sunday protested to international ceasefire monitors and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) commanders that government troops are engaged in provocative acts such as advances from their lines and the establishment of new positions closer to LTTE lines in Jaffna. Senior military commanders from both sides met under the auspices of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), the Voice of Tigers (VoT) radio said.
Full story >>

Morogoda visits Valikaamam-north, Thenmaradchi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 August 2002, 13:51 GMT]
A senior minister of the United National Front government Saturday evening said in Jaffna that the resettlement of the displaced in Valikaamam north and Nagarkovil area will take place after the commencement of peace talks between the government and the Liberation Tigers (LTTE). Minister of Economic Reforms Mr.Milinda Morogoda told this to Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians during his visit to Jaffna Saturday to look into the prospects of allowing resettlement in high security zones in the peninsula, Tamil sources said.
Full story >>

ACTC urges Tamil - Muslim unity

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 August 2002, 13:37 GMT]
The All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), Sunday appealed to Tamils and Muslims not to fall prey to the chauvinist forces that are very active in adopting divide and rule policy to achieve their political ends. A resolution to this effect further stated that Tamils and Muslims should work together with one voice to ensure their rights in the Northeast province.
Full story >>

Resettlement to commence after demining Thiriyai village

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 August 2002, 09:20 GMT]
Five hundred and thirteen displaced Tamil families are to be resettled in Thiriyai village in the Trincomalee district in the first stage during September after demining is completed. "The Prime Minister has allocated five million rupees for the resettlement in addition to 3.5 million rupees already allocated," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, Trincomalee district parliamentarian addressing a top level conference held Friday evening at the Trincomalee district secretariat. The Government Agent Mr.N.H.K.Nelumdeniya presided.
Full story >>

Batticaloa journalists protest against attack on Thinakathir

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 August 2002, 08:50 GMT]
Journalists in Batticaloa friday afternoon staged a half an hour picketing blocking the traffic across the main road in front of the newspaper office. The picketing was organised by the East Lanka Journalists Association, condemning the attack on Thinakathir newspaper office thursday night.
Full story >>

Moragoda to visit Thenmaradchchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 August 2002, 17:50 GMT]
A senior minister in the United National Front government is to visit Thenmaradchchi area in Jaffna district Saturday to inquire into complaints that members of state armed forces are removing palmyra trees cut down in the north to south of the country.
Full story >>

TNA to coordinate with LTTE offices

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 August 2002, 21:51 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said Sunday that it would exert pressure on the United National Front (UNF) government to fully implement the ceasefire agreement with the Liberation Tigers. "We will inform foreign envoys in Colombo the urgent need for the full implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement by the UNF government," TNA parliamentarians told reporters.
Full story >>

TNA MP criticises Jaffna trade exhibition

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 August 2002, 17:32 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Mr.M.K.Sivajilingam Saturday said that the Jaffna business community has considered holding trade exhibition at this juncture a mockery when it has not been compensated adequately for the loss due to the war.The Minister of Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugee Affairs Minister Dr.Jayalath Jayawardene declared open the three-day trade exhibition at Jaffna Central College Saturday afternoon.
Full story >>

Navy vacates three schools in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 August 2002, 14:56 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) Friday handed over three government schools, whichthey had been occupying in the Trincomalee district, to the northeast provincial department of education. The handing over event took place at Iranakerni Government Tamil Mixed School hall, one of the three schools, Friday afternoon. The Contingent Commander of the Nilaveli SLN Jayantha de Silva handed over the documents related to the schools to the Trincomalee Zonal Director of Education Mr. K. Thilakaretnam. The other two schools vacated Friday are Thiriyai Tamil Maha Vidyalyam and Sakarapura Sinhala Vidyalyam.
Full story >>

Meetings as troop relocation deadline is missed

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 August 2002, 00:32 GMT]
(News Feature) As the last of the stipulated deadlines for the Sri Lanka military to withdraw from civilian properties passed Thursday without the related terms of the government’s ceasefire agreement with the Liberation Tigers being implemented, international monitors met with senior LTTE officers to discuss the truce while Tamil parliamentarians protested to the Prime Minister.
Full story >>

TNA to meet Ranil before Vanni visit

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 July 2002, 16:44 GMT]
The Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe has invited Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians for an important discussion about the current state of the peace process. The meeting comes a day ahead of the last deadline mentioned in the Cease-fire Agreement (CFA) between the Liberation Tigers and Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe's government.
Full story >>

T. E, S. L Police investigate Madhu murder

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 July 2002, 12:21 GMT]
The Tamileelam Police service Sunday afternoon handed over to the Sri Lanka Police the bodies of three persons from Kandy, suspected to have been murdered in the Madhu region last week. The Government Agent for Vavuniya arranged the transfer, officials said. Mr. Manikavasakar Ilancheliyan, the Vavuniya district judge who inspected the bodies Sunday at the Vavuniya hospital, directed the Police to seek, through the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, evidence, productions, witnesses and suspects arrested in connection with the murder in the LTTE controlled Vanni region.
Full story >>

Confession based convicted to be released

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 July 2002, 22:08 GMT]
Tamil political prisoners who have been indicted solely on their confessions should be released it was agreed at a top level conference held Thursday evening at Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence. It was also decided that immediate steps should be taken to dispose of all other cases within a month.
Full story >>

Tigers’ armed struggle for justice - MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 July 2002, 00:17 GMT]
The armed struggle of the Liberation Tigers has just objectives, Mr. R. Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader said Tuesday addressing a gathering at the conclusion of one day token fast held in Trincomalee Monday evening in protest at the continued detention of Tamil Nadu politician Mr. V. Gopalasamy.
Full story >>

Military blocking Valikamam resettlement - MP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 July 2002, 05:51 GMT]
By refusing to allow displaced civilians to resettle in Valikamam north in the Jaffna district, the Sri Lankan military is violating the ceasefire agreement the government signed with the Liberation Tigers, said Jaffna district parliamentarian Mr. G. G. Gajendrakumar, addressing a press conference Monday at the office of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC).
Full story >>

Defence Ministry Secretary concludes Jaffna visit

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 July 2002, 10:30 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Defence Ministry Secretary Mr. Austin Fernando accompanied by the Sri Lanka Army commander, Lt.Gen. Lionel Balagalle and Sri Lanka Navy commander, Vice Admiral Daya Sandagiri concluded his two-day visit to Jaffna district Sunday.
Full story >>

TNA protests military expansion in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 July 2002, 02:16 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Tuesday requested the Sri Lankan government to halt the establishment of new army camps and the expansion of existing camps in the Thenmaradchi area of the Jaffna peninsula, citing the impossibility of resettling displaced people to their homes under such circumstances.
Full story >>