Names of Sea tigers killed in merchant vessel announced

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 March 2003, 01:18 GMT]
The names of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) sea tigers killed in international waters 220 miles from Trincomalee shores when the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) fired on their merchant vessel on March 10 were announced by the LTTE Wednesday, sources in Vanni said.
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Japan deepens Sri Lanka peace role

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 March 2003, 11:55 GMT]
Along with hosting the sixth round of direct talks between the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lankan government, Japan this week signaled its determination to play a leading role in bringing peace to the strife-torn island when one of its top diplomats joined Norwegian officials at the negotiating table. Japan’s deepening involvement in the peace process was this week welcomed by the Liberation Tigers.
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Resettlement should be about more than just politics

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 March 2003, 21:39 GMT]
While the attention of the peace talks and in the international community focuses on the internally displaced Tamils of the northern peninsula, the Tamils of the east, forced out by the Muslim Home Guards of the Sri Lanka Government have been forgotten. Residents of Tamil villages destroyed in the colonization of the east told TamilNet of their desire, and current inability, to return home.
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LTTE peace secretariat launches official website

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 March 2003, 15:57 GMT]
The peace secretariat of the LTTE has launched its official website from its headquarters in the Vanni, and the website, www.lttepeacesecretariat.com, will regularly carry the official press releases, current updates, events and photographs of the peace process, LTTE sources at the peace secretariat in Kilinochchi said.
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SLA blocks resettlement outside HSZ

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 March 2003, 18:01 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has refused permission for resettlers to build new houses or repair their damaged ones in Pannalai area close to Vasavilan which is outside the forward defence line of the Palaly high security zone (HSZ) in Jaffna district, civil sources said.


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LTTE to attend Japan peace talks

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 March 2003, 17:38 GMT]
The delegation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) will leave Colombo on Sunday night to attend peace talks in Hakone, Japan, scheduled to commence on March 18, said Mr.Anton Balasingham, LTTE theoretician, Saturday, addressing a press conference held at Killinochchi Peace Secretariat, sources said.
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Ian Martin meets Thamil Eelam Police Chief

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 March 2003, 13:15 GMT]
Ian Martin, the former Secretary General of Amnesty International, and special envoy to monitor Human rights dimension in Sri Lanka, met with the members of the Thamil eelam police force, Thursday, for discussions on human rights issues, sources in Vanni said.


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Trinco Rotary organizes home economics exhibition

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 March 2003, 16:51 GMT]
"The younger generation should be encouraged to shun white-collar jobs and facilities should be created to engage them in self-employment projects, which could ensure self-reliance and economic prosperity in their lives," said the President of the Trincomalee Rotary Club, Mr.R.Thirukumaranathan, addressing a gathering after he declared open a one-day exhibition on Home Economics in the east port town.


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Unmanned Vehicle seen in Killinochchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 March 2003, 12:06 GMT]
An Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) was seen in skies above Kilinochchi and Mankulam, circling and flying in different directions around 10 am for half an hour Friday, sources in Kilinochchi said.
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Chandrika Kumaratunge meets Muslim delegation

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 March 2003, 11:28 GMT]
The President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge held a two-hour discussion Thursday afternoon at presidential Secretariat with a delegation of Muslim parliamentarians on representation to Muslims in the peace talks now in progress between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The talks were conducted in a cordial atmosphere, Muslim sources said.
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Vanni TNA MPs fast, demanding Tamil detainees' release

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 March 2003, 02:19 GMT]
Three Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Messrs Selvam Adaikalanathan, Raja Kuhaneswaran and Sivasakthi Anandan with hundreds of Tamil residents Thursday held a fasting campaign in front of the S.J.V.Chelvanayakam statue in Mannar town Thursday from morning till evening demanding the immediate release of all Tamil political prisoners from prisons at Kalutara and elsewhere in the south, sources said.
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SLMM head holds talks with senior LTTE leaders

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 March 2003, 17:35 GMT]
The new head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Mr.Triggve Teleffsen Wednesday arrived in Killinochchi to hold discussions with senior leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) regarding the attack by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) on a LTTE merchant vessel off Mullaitivu Monday, sources in Vanni said. The LTTE had earlier condemned the attack as "a grave violation of the ceasefire agreement,” and warned that “this grave incident will have far reaching implications for the peace process.”


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'We are committed to peace' - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 March 2003, 00:22 GMT]
The political advisor of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Mr.Anton Balasingham said that the LTTE will not allow the peace process to become a trap to weaken the Liberation Tigers. "Despite provocations and attacks on us we are determined to participate constructively in the peace process. We want to convince the world, particularly the Sinhala people, that we are committed to peace," said Mr.Balasingham addressing a gathering, which followed the opening of the main court complex of the Thamileelam judiciary in Killinochchi Tuesday morning, sources said.


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Mannar fishermen protest

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 March 2003, 12:33 GMT]
Members of Parliaments (MPs) Selvam Adaikalanathan, N. Sivasakthi Anandan and K. Rajakuganeswaran joined members of the Federation of Mannar fishing coopertive in a protest march today against South Indian fishermen poaching in SriLankan seas, said sources from Mannar.
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Tamil leader Kumar Ponnambalam remembered

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 March 2003, 18:07 GMT]
Tamils should join hands irrespective of party politics to defeat the forces that are now rallying round in the south against the peace process, said a political activist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Mr.Vennilavan addressing the third death anniversary of late All Ceylon Tamil Congress leader Mr. Kumar Ponnambalam at Nelliyady Rajaledchumi Theatre Sunday.
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Minister addresses Security forces in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 March 2003, 13:54 GMT]
"Our government is committed to and working hard to finding a political solution through peace talks. Every citizen of this country should be able to live with dignity and freedom and enjoy equality of status. Based on this premise, we are engaged in talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, to find a solution that provides extensive devolution of political powers within a united Sri Lanka," said Prof. G.L.Peiris, Minister of Political Affairs, Government of SriLanka, while addressing security forces in Vavuniya, Sunday, sources said.
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Foundation stone laid for Kilinochchi hospital building

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 March 2003, 05:39 GMT]
Mr. Tadoa Chino, the president of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), laid the foundation stone for a new hospital building in Kilinochchi Friday during a ceremony organized by the Government Agent (GA) of Kilinochchi, T. Rasanayagam and the Sub-Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs in the North and East (SIHRN), sources said.
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SLN encourages poaching by Indian fishermen - Adaikalanathan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 March 2003, 16:50 GMT]
The Vanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan in a letter to the Prime Minister Saturday blamed the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) for causing rift between Sri Lankan Tamil and Indian fishermen. "I strongly condemn the SLN for purposely allowing Indian fishermen to fish in Sri Lankan waters as a ploy to create ill feeling between fishermen of Mannar and India," said Mr.Adaikalanathan.


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Resettlement to begin in Omanthai-Thandikulam HSZ

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 March 2003, 16:44 GMT]
In a meeting at the Government Secretariat presided by the Vavuniya Government Agent (GA), K. Ganesh, it was decided to resettle former residents of selected areas within the High Security Zone (HSZ) between Thandikulam and Omanthai centered around the A9 highway in Vavuniya district, starting from coming Monday, sources in Vavuniya said.


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Tamil women's contribution to liberation struggle lauded

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 March 2003, 01:14 GMT]
The women's wing leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Ms Thamilini, addressing a workshop on women rights held Friday at Nallur Young Artists' Forum(Ilankalaignar Mantram) in Jaffna said that Tamil women have proved that they are not second to men in contributing to the armed liberation struggle, sources in Jaffna said.
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