NE Education officials meet LTTE in Vakarai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 March 2003, 01:10 GMT]
Officials from the NorthEast Provincial Education Department met with members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam political division, Friday morning, in Pannichangkerni School, Vakarai, Batticaloa district for detailed discussions related to educational development in the Vakarai region, sources said.
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NE Music, Dance, Drama festival to be held in Trinco

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 March 2003, 16:56 GMT]
A five day North East Tamil Music, Dance and Drama festival is to commence on March 20 in Trincomalee. Around four hundred artists are expected to participate in the festival.
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Thiriyai prepares for resettlement amid navy harassment

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 March 2003, 00:30 GMT]
As the first paddy harvest after nearly twenty years is nearing completion at Thiriyai, the displaced Tamil families who returned from Vanni and residing currently in welfare camps at Nilaveli pleaded Tuesday at a mobile service held in Thiriyai, that authorities should make immediate arrangements to resettle them in their own lands, sources in Trincomalee said.
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UNICEF, LTTE agree on action plan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 March 2003, 20:35 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the UNICEF Tuesday agreed on the development of an action plan on children affected by war in the North-East, including children involved in child labor, civilian or military, sources said.
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17 Indian fishermen injured

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 March 2003, 11:51 GMT]
Seventeen Indian fishermen who tresspassed into Sri Lankan waters 7 pm Monday were injured during clashes with fishermen from Pesalai, Mannar district when the local fisherfolks rounded up Indian fishermen and brought them to Pesalai shores, sources in Mannar said.


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Japanese IDI team meets Kilinochchi GA

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 March 2003, 00:48 GMT]
A delegation of the Infrastructure Development Institute of Japan (IDI), led by Mr.Yoshiyo Yabe, Senior consultant and Director of Planning Department of IDI, met with Kilinochchi Government Agent(GA), Rasanayagam, at the Kilinochchi secretariat Saturday, sources in Kilinochchi said.


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Thai delegation meets Thamilselvan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2003, 20:02 GMT]
A special delegation of Thailand government, lead by the Commissioner of the Economic section of the Thailand ministry of Foreign Affairs met with the Head of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) political section, S.P. Thamilselvan and communicated the desire of the Thai government to provide help and to participate in the development of the war affected North East region, sources in Vanni said.
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Busy schedule awaits Balasingham in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2003, 19:34 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) theoretician and leader of the LTTE negotiating team in the current peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the LTTE, Mr. Anton Balasingham, arrived in Kilinochchi 4 pm Sunday with his wife and Secretary to LTTE peace delegation Adele Balasingham, sources in Vanni said.


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Impact and Issues of Forestry on Northeast Coastal Resources

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 March 2003, 23:00 GMT]
There is an urgent need for protection of mangroves, estuarine and swamp forest/vegetation as important components of the northeast coastal resources of Sri Lanka together with fisheries, coral reefs, seagrass, beaches and sand dunes, amongst others if we are to preserve the environment of Northeast for future generations. An examination of forestry issues that impact the conservation and management of North East coastal resources follows.
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Hindus observe the Maha Sivarathiri day

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 March 2003, 21:33 GMT]
Hundreds of thousands of Hindus in Sri Lanka Saturday night observed the Maha Sivarathiri day with great devotion. Special poojahs and religious discourses are being held throughout the night in several leading Hindu temples in the island, especially in the North-East province, exhorting Hindus to lead their lives according to the teachings of Saiva saints and philosophers, sources said.
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40% of Pooneryn children under-5 malnourished

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 February 2003, 12:20 GMT]
During a seminar on the issue of nutrition held recently in Vanni, health officials in Pooneryn in Kilinochchi district informed that of the 3299 children of under 5 years in the region, 1371 are affected by malnutrition, sources said.


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Rotary housing project for Vanni returnees at Varothia Nagar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 February 2003, 21:49 GMT]
The Trincomalee Rotary Club Saturday laid the foundation stone for a forty-house project at Varothia Nagar, 5 km north of Trincomalee town to the returnees from Vanni region. The German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) has agreed to finance this project by allocating 3.6 million rupees, Trincomalee Rotary Community Services Director Mr.A.Z.J.Singarayer said.
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World Bank helps Vavuniya families to resettle

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 February 2003, 21:03 GMT]
As the first phase of World Bank's Unified Assistance program for helping displaced families resettle in their own villages, World Bank's resident representative in Sri Lanka, Peter Harold, presented checks of Rs.25,000 (US $250) to forty families, in a meeting held at the Vavuniya Tamil Maha Vidyalayam, Saturday, sources in Vanni said.
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SLA tightens security at Muhamalai, Uyilankulam checkpoints

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 February 2003, 17:59 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers manning Muhamalai check point have tightened their checks and interrogation after the Manipay incident in which LTTE women cadres, civilians and journalists were assaulted by the SLA soldiers and police, sources said.
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Protest shutdown in Batticaloa, Amparai on CFA anniversary

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 February 2003, 08:53 GMT]
Shops and businesses were closed and roads were deserted in the Batticaloa district Saturday in protest against Colombo's failure to -'satisfactorily honour' the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) with the Liberation Tigers. The LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) signed the CFA on one year ago, on 22 Feb. 2002.
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Implementation of Cease-fire Agreement not adequate- Sivajilingam

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 February 2003, 23:52 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian (TNA) Mr.M.K.Sivajilingam said Friday addressing a conference held at the Jaffna district secretariat that the Cease-fire Agreement (CFA) has not been implemented in a way to alleviate the sufferings of the displaced people who are still languishing in refugee camps and welfare centres.
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Protest against GOSL failure to implement ceasefire agreement

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 February 2003, 21:12 GMT]
The Jaffna District People's Forum (JPDF) Friday called for a token hunger campaign in front of the Nallur Kandasamy Temple on Sunday to highlight that cease-fire agreement (CFA) signed by the United National Front (UNF) government and the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) has not benefited Tamils in the northeast province. The Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) has failed to implement the agreement fully, the campaign organizers said. The Consortium of NGOs in Jaffna district Friday called for a 'hartal' (general shut down) Saturday for the same reason till 10 in the morning, sources said.
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Centers for Employment, Technology Training open in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 February 2003, 01:46 GMT]
Opening ceremonies for an Information and Technology Training Center and Womens Employment Training Center, established by the Vanni Center for Community Advancement, were held Wednesday 10am, sources in Vanni said.
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LTTE Leader felicitates Eelanaatham staff

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 February 2003, 00:42 GMT]
Leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, V. Pirapaharan, participated in the anniversary celebrations of Eelanaatham, a daily published in Vanni, entering its 14th year of uninterrupted publication, and presented awards to the staff of the news paper, LTTE sources in Vanni said.
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TNA refutes PA MP's charge on Buddhist shrines

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 February 2003, 16:58 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian from Trincomalee Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham participating in the debate on the no confidence motion against the Defence Minister Tuesday Tuesday refuted charges made by a Peoples Alliance (PA) parliamentarian Mr.M.K.A.de.S Gunawardene that Hindu temples have been constructed after destroying Buddhist shrines in the eastern province, parliamentary sources said.
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