STF hampering Tsunami relief work, Tigers tell SLMM

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 April 2005, 16:56 GMT]
The Special Task Force (STF), the elite counter insurgency arm of the Sri Lankan armed forces, is blocking the Liberation Tigers from delivering Tsunami aid in many areas of the Batticaloa-Amparai district, LTTE leaders told Nordic truce monitors during a meeting in the eastern district Thursday. Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) officials urged the Tigers to resume meetings with Sri Lankan armed forces in the east during the meeting. LTTE leaders had, however, pointed out that such meetings had been futile in the past.
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Jaffna roads to be widened

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 April 2005, 14:26 GMT]
Six major roads in Jaffna district are to be widened to accommodate two way traffic to reduce number of accidents, according to a decision taken at a conference held in the Jaffna district secretariat Thursday morning with the Government Agent Mr.K.Ganesh in the chair, sources said.
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JVP slams NGOs, western countries for meddling

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 April 2005, 18:28 GMT]
“We should spit on NGOs and stop them from walking on our streets. Donor countries and their NGO agents are holding this country to ransom, telling the government to set up a joint Tsunami relief mechanism with the LTTE. It is something that can be done through the Sri Lankan state machinery. There is no need for a joint mechanism”, said Mr. Wimal Weerawansa, the powerful propaganda secretary of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), speaking to a packed audience in Maharagama, an outer suburb of Colombo, at a meeting Wednesday to ‘expose the NGO Mafia that is against the land and the country’.
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SLA yet to allow mechanized fishing in Ariyalai Sea

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 April 2005, 14:58 GMT]
Fisheries societies sources said that even after elapse of three years from the signing of a ceasefire agreement (CFA) between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) stationed in the Jaffna district have yet to allow fishermen of Ariyalai area, a suburb of Jaffna town, to use fishing crafts fitted with outboard engines.
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Congressman concludes visit to Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 April 2005, 04:14 GMT]
Democratic Congressman from Chicago, Illinois, Danny K Davis arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport Tuesday morning 11.45am after his visit to Tsunami affected areas in NorthEast of Sri Lanka. He was received at the airport by members of the Tamil community in Washington Area.
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Sri Lanka navy says patrol boat fired on

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 April 2005, 08:26 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy complained to Nordic truce monitors Tuesday that one of its patrol boats in Trincomalee harbour had come under fire in the Uppaaru area. A member of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission was on board the SLN patrol boat at the time of the incident Tuesday morning around 10.30. No one was injured in the firing, truce monitors in Trincomalee said. SLN accused the Liberation Tigers.
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Vadamaradchchi fishermen receive boats, fishing gear

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 April 2005, 15:39 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), a Sri Lanka Government registered NGO working exclusively in the NorthEast, under its integrated development programme with the funding of Norwegian TRO Monday morning handed over fishing crafts with outboard engines and fishing gear including nets and other accessories to 35 beneficiaries. Each fishing boat is estimated at about Rs.400,000, sources said.
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East undergrads condemn STF

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 April 2005, 12:46 GMT]
Eastern University Students' Union (EUSU) Sunday condemned the Special Task Force (STF) of the Sri Lanka Police for unleashing terror in the east by intimidating political activists of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). "We also condemn the Sri Lanka government the delay in resuming peace talks with the LTTE." EUSU said in its press statement issued Sunday.
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Colombo waging shadow war, says LTTE's official organ

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 April 2005, 07:48 GMT]
"The Sinhala government should come forward immediately to stop waging the shadow war against the Liberation Tigers. Otherwise nothing can prevent it from turning into a real war", said the LTTE’s official organ 'Viduthalai Pulihal' in its latest issue. "The sacrificial lambs of this shadow war are penned in Sri Lankan army camps. Weapons for murder are given to them by the Sri Lankan military. The Sinhala regime is not interested in the peace process and it has no faith in a political settlement (to the ethnic conflict). It has interest and faith only in war", the paper said in its lead story.
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US Congressman visits Kilinochchi, meets with LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 April 2005, 10:00 GMT]
Mr. Danny K. Davis, Democratic Congressman from Chicago, Illinois and his Director of Services, Mr. Danny F. Cantrell, visited the LTTE's Political Headquarters in Kilinochchi on Saturday and met with Mr. P. Nadesan, Head of Thamil Eelam Police, sources in Kilinochchi said.
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LTTE Political Head meets with Director General of Italian Foreign Ministry

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 April 2005, 07:27 GMT]
Exploring the framework of the Joint Mechanism draft as accepted by the LTTE, in a meeting with Mr. Claudio Pacifico, the Director General of the Italian Foreign Ministry in Rome on Friday, Political Head of the LTTE Mr. S.P. Thamilchelvan noted that the inclusive and coordinated mechanism involving International NGOs, local civilian based organizations and the district level Government officials was key to the success of the internationally praised relief operations led by the LTTE initiated Task Force after the December 26 tsunami.
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Mother-Child Care centre new building opened in Akkarayan

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 April 2005, 16:15 GMT]
New building for the Maternity and Child Care Centre was declared open on Wednesday at Akkarayan, which is, located about 20 km off from Killinochchi at eighth milepost. The TRO of Killinochchi district with the funding Norwegian TRO constructed the newly opened building, sources said.


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Security Forces' harassment of civilians on the rise, SLMM told

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 April 2005, 14:16 GMT]
Citing a recent incident where a navy soldier had entered the house of a Tamil civilian and harassed and intimidated him under the pretext of holding inquiry, Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Friday requested the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in the east port town to take immediate steps to stop the intimidation and harassment of Tamil civilians by members of government security forces, sources in Trincomalee said.
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NESOHR delegation meets UN Rapporteur on education

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 April 2005, 10:25 GMT]
A delegation of the North East Secretariat On Human Rights (NESOHR) led by its Vice President Mr. K. Sivapalan (Attorney-at-Law), met with Mr. Vermor Munoz Villalobos, the Special Rapporteur on Rights to Education of the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) on Wednesday in Geneva. Mr. T. Mahasivam, member of the NESOHR also participated. The NESOHR delegation submitted a detailed report about the discrimination shown to Tamils and Muslims students in Sri Lanka in the sphere of education.
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LTTE delegation in Finland, meets with Foreign Minister and Åland representative

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 March 2005, 23:54 GMT]
"The Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) was supposed to bring normalcy. But, under the pretext of High Security Zones (HSZ), Tamil people were denied of access to their homes. The war-displaced people were then heavily struck by the tsunami that multiplied the hardships. The delay in institutionalising a Joint Mechanism and the continued Sri Lankan military support to paramilitary operatives in violation to the CFA clause 1.8 have created a collective sense of frustration in the minds of the Tamil People," Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, LTTE's Political Head explained to Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Erkki Tuomioja, who received the LTTE delegation in Helsinki on Wednesday.
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Equitable distribution of aid stressed in Helsinki meet

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 March 2005, 05:31 GMT]
“Post-tsunami aid should be equitably distributed in proportion to the damage," said Ambassador Mikko Pyhala, Asia and Oceania, when he met the Liberation Tigers' delegation led by Head of the LTTE Political Wing, S.P Thamilchelvan, at the Finland Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tuesday, LTTE sources in Helsinki said. Ambassador Pyhala also encouraged the parties, the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL), to arrive at a decision without further delay to institutionalize the joint mechanism for post tsunami management, sources further said.
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Amparai observes hartal over STF assault

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 March 2005, 10:54 GMT]
A hartal was organized Tuesday by Amparai residents protesting the violent incident at the Mandaanai Tsunami refugee camp where the Special Task Force (STF) personnel from Kanjiranguda camp attacked nine cadres of Liberation Tigers including Mr. S Kuyilinban, head of LTTE's political division for Amparai, Monday, severely injuring them, sources said. Transportation came to a standstill and the markets in the district were closed, according to sources.
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Thamilchelvan expresses serious concern over CFA violations

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 March 2005, 05:32 GMT]
"Norwegian facilitators should take serious note of the deteriorating situation which tends to have adverse effects on the CFA, the peace process and most importantly, post-tsunami management", Mr. S.P. Thamilchelvan, LTTE's Political Head told Norwegian Special Envoy Mr. Erik Solheim who met him in Vienna on Monday. Thamilchelvan expressed serious concern over attacks on Liberation Tigers political officials and unarmed cadres in Amparai and Batticaloa in Sri Lankan military controlled areas. In the meantime, situation is tense in Amparai on Tuesday as protestors called for a Hartal condemning the STF attack on LTTE's Political Head for Amparai, Mr. Kuyilinpan.
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Evacuation underway in NorthEast coastal areas

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2005, 18:49 GMT]
As a precautionary measure to avoid a possible tsunami from a 8.2 richter scale aftershock near Sumatra, LTTE units are evacuating coastal village residents and refugees in transit camps to higher grounds, sources said. FM radio and TV stations continued to provide updates on the quake that hit Sumatra Monday at 16.10 hrs GMT. Temple bells in almost all villages were rung alerting people to evacuate.
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Austrian academics, LTTE discuss peace building in Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2005, 11:59 GMT]
“LTTE’s concern for the Tamil people is demonstrated by its flexibility,” said Professor Johan Galtung after the LTTE Political Team led by Mr.S.P.Tamilselvan met with Austrian academics in Stadtschlaining, Austria in the Institute for Integrative Conflict Transformation and Peace-building (IICP) Sunday 27 March 2005.
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