‘Punitha Boomi’ Celebrates 10th Anniversary

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 October 2002, 20:25 GMT]
'Punitha Boomi', a boys’ home operating from Oddusuddan in the Vanni region, Saturday celebrated its 10th anniversary. The occasion was also marked by the ceremonial opening of four new halls of residence, a cultural centre, a medical house and an administrative office.
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Prosthetic rehabilitation in Vanni

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 October 2002, 00:37 GMT]
Land mines and aerial bombardment have made hundreds of Tamil civilians disabled. But help for the disabled wasn't immediately forthcoming. Fitting artificial limbs was costly and there was severe shortage of hospitals and medical equipment. The organization, Venpura (White Pigeon), was born to address this need. Following the opening of its first site in Kullapiddy Road, Jaffna in 1994, Venpura has been offering free prosthetic services to people in the NorthEast enabling many to become productive members of the society.
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Police blamed for inaction as Trinco protest turns unruly

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 October 2002, 20:27 GMT]
A general shut down ('hartal') organised by a group of Sinhalese youths setting up roadblocks and burning tyres disrupted the normal life in Trincomalee and its suburbs this Friday. The Hartal was held in support of a sit-in-protest campaign started by relatives of the six soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army now in the custody of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
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Hope for Children Director visits Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 October 2002, 16:36 GMT]
"The peace process has started. It is not the end. It will take several years to achieve a solution to the conflict and to establish permanent peace. Our partner organizations in Trincomalee should not remain idle. They must continue to cater to the needs of the children affected by the war," said Dr.Robert Parsons, Founder Director of the Hope for Children addressing staffers of several Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) in Trincomalee Thursday evening.
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Saddened that he didn’t join LTTE says PA MP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 October 2002, 15:04 GMT]
Mr. V. Puththirasihamani, a leading Tamil trade union leader and MP of President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s People’s Alliance said Wednesday that he was saddened that hadn’t joined the Liberation Tigers yet after seeing the violence perpetrated on Jaffna. He was addressing a meeting between the parents and relatives of missing persons in the peninsula and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Human Rights at the Jaffna District Secretariat, Thursday morning.
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Special body to rehabilitate NE children urged

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 October 2002, 21:07 GMT]
"In the northeast of the island more than 900,000 children have been affected by the war. At least 350,000 children have been displaced. About 2000 children have been deprived of their basic education. A special body comprising provincial council and other connected state and non-governmental organisations is urgently needed to rehabilitate these children under the present peaceful environment," said Mr S.M. Cross, Deputy Project Director of the North East Community Reconstruction Development (NECORD) addressing the International Children's Day in Trincomalee Tuesday.
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LTTE, GOSL exchange detainees of war

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 September 2002, 15:46 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers said Saturday that President Chandrika Kumaratunga's government was responsible for delaying the release of the last batch of Sri Lankan army and Navy personnel in their custody by not acting on the matter with "prudent and humanitarian consideration." The LTTE and the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's government exchanged prisoners of war as part of the peace building process to end the island's ethnic conflict Saturday in Omanthai, on the southern border of the Vanni region.
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"Muslims rights should be respected" - Karuna

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 September 2002, 17:15 GMT]
"We must respect the rights of Muslims. We will create an environment where the three communities who live in our area can live in unity. We are not warmongers. We have come forward openly to achieve the legitimate aspirations of Tamils through peaceful negotiations," said a senior commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Colonel Karuna Amman, addressing a large gathering at the concluding event of the fifteenth death anniversary of late LTTE senior commander Lt.Colonel Thileepan Thursday evening held at Vellaveli in the Batticaloa district.


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Disabled Tigers return overland to Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 September 2002, 09:26 GMT]
Seven wounded and disabled Liberation Tigers recuperating at a rehabilitation centre in Mullaitivu Wednesday travelled through Sri Lanka Army controlled territory to meet relatives in Batticaloa, Tamil press reports said Friday.
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Lt.Col Thileepan death anniversary concludes in NE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 September 2002, 20:10 GMT]
"The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have begun peace negotiations with the United National Front government sincerely and with confidence that we can achieve full autonomy based on Tamil nationality, Tamil homeland and the right of self determination" said the Head of the LTTE's Judiciary Mr. Pararajasingham addressing the concluding ceremony of the week long observance in honour of the Tiger martyr Lt.Colonel Thileepan in Poonthottam, Vavuniya Thursday morning.
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Navy intransigence, mines plague Muslim resettlers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 September 2002, 14:48 GMT]
(Feature) “Muslims are still unable to resettle in their villages even after six months of a stable ceasefire because of Sri Lanka Navy’s intransigence and land mines,” said Mr. M. M Saburudeen, the representative of the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) in the Mannar Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and Chairman of the Mannar Citizen’s Committee. “The premises of the Mosques in Talaimannar Pier and Konar Pannai are full of SLN mines. How can Muslims resettle in a place if they cannot pray in the mosque there for fear of the mines?” he asked.
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SLA escorts LTTE convoy to Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 September 2002, 23:34 GMT]
A large number of Liberation Tigers from Batticaloa-Ampara district travelled to the Vanni region by road Tuesday, escorted by Sri Lankan troops. Sources said 285 LTTE members made the journey.
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Education said central to Tamil cause

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 September 2002, 16:35 GMT]
“The National Institute of Education (NIE) discriminates against Tamil medium education, distorts the island’s history taught in schools and is dominated by Singhalese. We can develop and improve our education system when the interim administration for the Northeast is established,” said Mr. Ilankumaran, head of the Education Division of the Liberation Tigers, addressing the inaugural meeting of the Jaffna Education Development Society (EDS) Sunday.
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Vanni MPs slam SLA for blocking resettlement

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 September 2002, 22:54 GMT]
"If Mannar and Vavuniya districts are to be developed the Sri Lanka armed forces have to vacate our homes, and agricultural lands. We are not asking for houses or buildings in Anuradhapura and Madawachchiya. We are only asking permission to go back to our homes, to the lands of our forefathers," said the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Vanni district parliamentarian Mr.Sivasakthi Anandan addressing a conference held Friday at the Mannar district secretariat on resettlement.
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SLA discusses fishermen grievances

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 September 2002, 15:34 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army Thursday held a discussion with representatives of Vadamarachchi fisheries societies regarding their grievances. The conference held at the headquarters of the 52-4 Brigade of the SLA. assurances were given at the conference that the SLA would take up the question with higher authorities to allow displaced Vadamarachchi fishermen now in LTTE held Vanni region to travel by sea in their boats for resettlement in their villages.
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SLA restores Anagarika’s propaganda vehicle

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 September 2002, 15:02 GMT]
The Sri Lanka army said Tuesday that soldiers of its Electrical and Mechanical Engineer Regiment (SLEME) restored the propaganda vehicle used by the Sinhala Buddhist revivalist and nationalist, Anagarika Dharmapala, to “its pristine glory” upon a request by Buddhist clergy. Many Sri Lankan social historians say that Anagarika Dharmapala was the main architect of militant Sinhala Buddhism in Sri Lanka, of the idea that the Singhalese are the only rightful owners of the whole island.
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People's predicament first says LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 September 2002, 22:19 GMT]
(Feature) The first round of formal peace talks between the Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) began Monday in the Sattahip Thai Naval base on a positive note though the head of Colombo’s negotiating team laid down in his opening speech non-negotiable elements which, according to him, should be constant in “determining the parameters of the negotiations." The Liberation Tigers, however, desisted from any reference to ‘irreducible principles.’
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NE observes Lt. Col.Thileepan death anniversary

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 September 2002, 23:52 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Sunday commenced commemorating the fifteenth death anniversary of one of its senior commander Lt.Colonel Thileepan throughout the Tamil dominated northeastern province including Sri Lanka Army held areas for the first time. Lt.Col.Thileepan started his fast unto death agitation fifteen years ago on 15th September, 1987 putting forward five demands to be implemented following the signing of Indo-Sri Lanka agreement in a bid to solve the country's ethnic conflict.
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Resettling IDPs in Vavuniya discussed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 September 2002, 20:16 GMT]
The Defence Secretary said Saturday that immediate resettlement of displaced families in areas close to high security zone in Vavuniya district is impossible. However, at the request of Defence Secretary Mr. Austin Fernando, it was agreed at the conference held Saturday at Vavuniya district secretariat that a committee comprising government and security officials and Liberation Tigers leaders should submit a report regarding resettlement within two weeks, after visiting the areas.
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Mannar farmers plight spotlighted

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 September 2002, 18:31 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Saturday brought to the notice of the United National Front government the urgent need to repair the major Giant Tank in Mannar district, which irrigates more than twenty five thousand acres of paddy land.
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