LTTE ‘no threat to India’ - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 May 2005, 16:34 GMT]
Any capability acquired by the Liberation Tigers is solely for the protection of the Tamil people and not a threat to India or any other country, the head of the LTTE’s political wing, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, said this week in response to concern expressed by Indian officials over the movement’s naval force and reports it had acquired aircraft
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Vanni journalists protest Sivaram killing

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 May 2005, 12:32 GMT]
A large number of journalists and several Vavuniya residents took part in a demonstration Tuesday organised by Vanni Journalists Association, condemning the abduction and murder of Tamil political columnist and military analysts, Mr. Dharmeratnam Sivaram in Colombo on 29 April. Vanni District Parliamentarians Sivanathan Kishore, Sivasakthi Aananthan, Selvam Adikalanathan and Vino Nokarathalingam, also participated.
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Tamil scepticism mounts as aid deal drifts

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 May 2005, 18:20 GMT]
As the proposed joint mechanism for aid distribution urged by international donors between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers remains mired in Sinhala political manoeuvring, deep scepticism has replaced early optimism amongst the Tamils. More ominously, a belief is rapidly taking root that Colombo is playing for time and keeping the Northeast in the economic and social doldrums whilst developing the Sri Lankan military for a new war.
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SLA, LTTE discuss Trincomalee ground situation

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 May 2005, 16:30 GMT]
Officials of the Sri Lanka Government security forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Trincomalee district met for discussions on the ground situation and to review complaints made by both parties to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) over recent firing incidents, sources said. The hour long meeting was held at the SLMM Trincomalee office in the presence of Mr.Jan Ledang, Trincomalee head of the SLMM.
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Joint mechanism mired in Sinhala politics

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 May 2005, 15:51 GMT]
The joint mechanism between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers called for by international aid donors has become the centre of political manoeuvres by the main Sinhala parties, in whose zero-sum calculations, international aid has a critical role to play.
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Akashi to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 May 2005, 11:55 GMT]
Japanese peace envoy, Mr Yasushi Akashi, is arriving in Sri Lanka on Wednesday for a seven day visit to discuss matters related to the peace process and post-tsunami development, a press release the Japanese Embassy in Colombo issued Monday said.
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Troops fire on Valaichenai protestors, 1 killed

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 May 2005, 10:51 GMT]
A 65 year old man was killed and at least 15 other civilians were wounded when Sri Lankan security forces opened fire on large crowds of people protesting Monday, demanding removal of new Army checkpoints set up near a school in the Batticaloa district. Five women were among those wounded when soldiers and police fired assault rifles for over 10 minutes at Santhiveli, 27 km. north of Batticaloa on the Valaichenai road, sources said. International ceasefire monitors and reporters witnessed the incident, they said.
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SLA embargo on cement, fuel to Muttur east still continues -Elilan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 May 2005, 14:45 GMT]
"It is meaningless to speak of a negotiated political solution and the proposed joint mechanism at a time when the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is still continuing the embargo on the transportation of cement, fuel and building materials to the LTTE held Muttur east in the Trincomalee district to rebuild tsunami destroyed coastal villages," said Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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UNP to reveal its position after UPFA approves Joint Mechanism

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 May 2005, 14:23 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) will make public its position on the Joint Mechanism proposal for a working arrangement with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for post-tsunami rehabilitation of northeast only after United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government approves it with one voice, said Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, leader of the UNP and the former Prime Minister addressing a series of meetings in Sri Lanka's South Saturday, sources said. "The UNP will have to carefully study the final JM proposal before taking a public position," he added.
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‘Sivaram’s phone still ringing, but where?’

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 May 2005, 13:44 GMT]
More than a week after he was abducted and murdered, the mobile phone of one of Sri Lanka’s best known political columnists continues to ring, weekend press reports said. And despite the technology which can allow law enforcement agencies to pinpoint a cellular phone’s location using its relative proximity to local base stations, Sri Lanka’s police claim they have no idea where Mr. Sivaram’s phone might be.
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Military Academy's 10th anniversary celebrated

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 May 2005, 11:39 GMT]
Liberation Tigers (LTTE) celebrated the 10th anniversary of one of its military training academy by organizing a 60 km bike race from Paranthan Junction in A9 to Mullaitivu town Sunday 6.00am, according to sources from Kilinochchi.
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Journalists dismayed over Sivaram debate

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 May 2005, 18:24 GMT]
The lack of a quorum in Sri Lanka’s Parliament and the subsequent lacklustre debate when the abduction and brutal murder of Tamil political columnist and military analyst, Dharmeratnam Sivaram, was taken up Friday dismayed journalists who three days earlier had taken to the streets in a major protest over the brazen killing in Colombo.
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Two LTTE cadres killed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 May 2005, 17:02 GMT]
Two bullet ridden bodies found in Pollonnorawa police division near the border of Batticaloa District were identified as Capt.Suban (Arasaretnam Vigneswaran of Valaththapitty) and Lt.Nilavarasan (Rasalingam Shankar of Kaluwankerny), both from political wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), sources from Vanni said.
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Wickremesinghe declines SL President's invitation for talks

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 May 2005, 02:00 GMT]
Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) declined the invitation extended by Sri Lanka's President MsChandrika Kumaratunge for a discussion on national issues on Monday. "There is no necessity for such discussion at present," said Mr Wickremasinghe in reply to Ms Kumaratunge, reported the State run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) in its Saturday morning news bulletin.
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World Bank will support Joint Mechanism- Peter Harrold

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 May 2005, 17:12 GMT]
Mr.Peter Harrold, World Bank Country Representative in Sri Lanka, Friday said in Puttalam, a Muslim dominated town in the north of Western Province, that the World Bank extends its full support to the implementation of the Joint Mechanism proposed by the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for tsunami rehabilitation in the northeast.
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Civil Groups appeal to reopen Nagarkovil Road

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 May 2005, 14:39 GMT]
Nagarkovil Civil Groups Consortium in Vadamaradchchi east division in the Jaffna district Friday sent a memorandum to Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge to take immediate steps to open the Nagarkovil Road located in the high security zone (HSZ), sources said. The road is currently closed for public use.


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SLA fire damages Muttur east LTTE sentry point- Elilan

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 May 2005, 14:10 GMT]
Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Friday morning lodged a complaint with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in the east port town that the Sri Lanka Army soldiers located in Kaddaiparichchan camp had fired at the LTTE sentry in the LTTE controlled Muttur east. LTTE sentry point was damaged in the attack, Mr.Elilan said.
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Pre-school opened in Paranthan-Puliyankulam

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 May 2005, 13:44 GMT]
Nedunkerni Development and Rehabilitation Organization (NDRO) Thursday opened a pre-school at Paranthan Puliyankulam village in Nedunkerni division in the Vavuniya district with the financial assistance provided by the FORUT.
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Vocational Training Centre opened in Maruthankerni

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 May 2005, 13:39 GMT]
Six-month vocational training course organized by the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) and Rural Economic Research and Development Organization (REERDO) was declared open Thursday in Maruthankerni village in Vadamaradchchi east division of the Jaffna district.
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NECORD provides loans to assist small businesses

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 May 2005, 11:49 GMT]
Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded North East Community Restoration Development (NECORD) awarded loans under the Social Development scheme to increase the earning potential of small scale entrepreneurs at an event held at the Kovil Vayal village in Pachchilaipalli district in Kilinochchi Thursday at 3.30 pm sources from Kilinochchi said. Kvoil Vayal is located 2 km from the Iyakachchi junction on A9 highway.
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