Jaffna, Vavuniya shut down in hartal, protesters clash with SLA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 February 2005, 10:05 GMT]
The entire districts of Jaffna and Vavuniya Saturday came to a standstill following a general shut down, condemning the killings of Mr.Kousalyan, LTTE political head for Batticaloa Amparai district, his colleagues and Mr.Chandra Nehru, former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for Amparai district. In several areas civilians blocked roads and burnt tyres. Clashes took place at the junctions of Puttur and Kaithady in Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district Saturday afternoon between groups of civilians and soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army when the latter attempted to remove the roadblocks. Soldiers fled from their sentry points when the angered civilians threw stones at them.
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Killing of Kousalyan has poisoned ceasefire - Akashi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 February 2005, 07:50 GMT]
The killing of Kousalyan and his colleagues has "poisoned the cease fire atmosphere" in Sri Lanka, said Mr. Yasushi Akashi, Japan's Special Peace Envoy, speaking to the press after meeting the Liberation Tigers in Solaiyaham, near Kokkaddicholai Saturday. Referring to the distribution of Tsunami aid in Sri Lanka, Mr. Akashi said the "needs in East are probably biggest".
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Colombo should disarm all unauthorized armed groups- NPC

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 February 2005, 17:55 GMT]
The National Peace Council in a media release issued Friday in Colombo said that "there needs to be confidence building and positive action at this time is imperative in view of consistent accusations by the LTTE of alleged military connivance in the activities of the Karuna group. We call on the government to ensure that all unauthorised armed groups are disarmed as required by the Ceasefire Agreement."
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Violence endangering CFA stability, TNA tells Akashi

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 February 2005, 15:10 GMT]
"The violence unleashed against senior LTTE cadres and others on Monday the 7th in government controlled territory situated between two Army Camps, and in an area which has a strong armed forces presence, has raised grave questions in regard to the continued stability of the ceasefire," the Tamil National Alliance delegation led by its parliamentary group leader Mr Sampanthan told Mr Yasushi Akashi, the special envoy of the Japanese Government, when they met him Friday, a press release issued by the TNA in Colombo said.
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LTTE names Marshall political head for Batti-Amparai

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 February 2005, 14:39 GMT]
Liberation Tigers said Friday that Mr. Irasaiah Marshall has been appointed as the head of their political division for Batticaoa-Amparai District. Mr. Marshall who takes Mr. Kousalyan's place, was in charge of the Headquarters Secretariat of the LTTE for Batticaloa-Amparai. He was also in charge of project planning for post Tsunami reconstruction in the region.
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NorthEast Governor visits Kokkilai

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 February 2005, 11:27 GMT]
Governor of NorthEast Province, Mr Tyronne Fernando arrived Thursday morning in Kokkilai, a village resettled with Sinhala families from Negombo, to see the devastation caused by the tsunami, security sources said.
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IOM opens shelter for tsunami victims in Muttur

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 February 2005, 10:51 GMT]
Transitional shelter complex comprising forty-five units constructed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with the funding of the Government of Japan at a cost of 3.2 million rupees was opened Thursday in Naduthivu in Muttur division, south of Trincomalee district, sources said. One hundred eighty families with one thousand persons displaced from Habeeb Nagar who were sheltered in Annahaar Maha Vidiyalayam since December 26 have been shifted to the transitional shelter complex Thursday, IOM sources said.
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Akashi to meet Thamilchelvan in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 February 2005, 09:55 GMT]
Japan's special peace envoy to Sri Lanka, Mr. Yasushi Akashi, will meet head of Liberation Tigers' politicial division, Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, Saturday in Kokkaddicholai, 15 kilometres southwest of Batticaloa town, Japanese sources in Colombo said. Mr. Akashi will discuss Tsunami relief work and aid in the northeast and the current state of the island's long stalled peace process when he meets Mr. Thamilchelvan in the LTTE held region.
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Government's ability to prevent killings limited, says Mangala Samaraweera

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 February 2005, 07:46 GMT]
Cabinet Spokesman of President Chandrika Kumaratunga's Freedom Alliance government Minister Mangala Samaraweera said Friday that although the government was taking all steps to prevent killings in the future, there was a limit to which it can prevent them. The killings took place between Sri Lanka army garrisons at Welikanda and Punanai on the Pollonnorawa-Batticaloa road Monday.
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Sri Lanka in danger of losing Tsunami Aid- Prof. Peiris

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 February 2005, 03:00 GMT]
Failure to reach consensus with the Liberation Tigers in setting up a mechanism that will ensure equitable distribution of aid will lead to Sri Lanka losing large amount of aid pledged by the International community, said Prof G L Peiris, United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian and former Minister of Constitutional Affairs, addressing a press conference held Thursday at the opposition leader's office.
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Jaffna to observe hartal Saturday

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 February 2005, 19:41 GMT]
University Students Union, Students Federation and Tamil Resurgence Movement of Jaffna district have called for a general shut down (Hartal) on Saturday condemning the killings of Mr. E. Kousalyan, LTTE Political Head for Batticaloa and Amparai districts, Mr.Ariyanayagam Nehru, former parliamentarian, and four others on February 7 at Welikanda in the North Central Province, sources said.
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Thamilchelvan slams Colombo for Kousalyan's slaying

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 February 2005, 14:35 GMT]
"The cowardly act of the Sri Lankan government has taken away Kousalyan and his colleagues from us. Kousalyan came back to Batticaloa with many dreams. He came back with ambitious plans to rebuild this land, devastated by the Tsunami and impoverished by the war imposed by the Sinhala chauvinist state", said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, head of LTTE's political division on Thursday, speaking at the funeral of Mr. E. Kousalyan, at Thandiyadi Martyr's Memorial in Batticaloa.
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Kousalyan, a symbol of Tamil unity - IFT

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 February 2005, 12:53 GMT]
The Geneva based International Federation of Tamils (IFT) recalling Mr. Kousalyan's address to thousands of Tamils from the Tamil diaspora in front of the United Nations Building last year, said in a press statement issued Thursday that Kausalyan was a symbol of Tamil unity. IFT appealed to International governments and donors to act decisively to prevent escalation of hostilities as it feared that continued "covert operations" will "wane the mutual trust, goodwill and confidence" between the Liberation Tigers and the Government of Sri Lanka. IFT called upon the countries giving Sri Lanka military assistance to desist from doing so and instead to pressure them to seek a peaceful solution.
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Report details Jaffna tsunami damage

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 February 2005, 11:54 GMT]
Latest report released by the Jaffna secretariat reveals that 47195 people from 12669 families were either displaced or severely affected economically by the tsunami waves in Jaffna peninsula. Out of these 9663 people from 2660 families still continue to be refugee camps. A further 30393 persons belonging to 7934 families are staying with friends and relations, the report said.
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Cortege of slain Tigers in Batticaloa, Kiran

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 February 2005, 08:44 GMT]
Slain LTTE political leader, Mr. Kousalyan’s body was taken to Kiran, 28 kilometres north of Batticaloa, Wednesday afternoon for the people of the village to pay their last respects to him and his colleagues who were killed by gunmen suspected to working with the Sri Lanka military. Hundreds of people filed past the Tiger flag draped coffins which lay at Kiran Government School. “The Sri Lankan government is fully responsible for this heinous crime. Murdering these men who were working for people affected by the Tsunami is an unpardonable act. It reveals the true face of the racist Sinhala regime”, said Mr. Nadarajah Raviraj, Tamil National Alliance MP, addressing the mourners.
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LTTE leaders visit Kousalyan's wife, mother

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 February 2005, 16:54 GMT]
Head of LTTE Political Wing, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, LTTE's Special Commander for Batticaloa, Col. Banu, Head of LTTE's Finance Division, Mr. S. Thamilenthi, LTTE Senior Member Mr. K. V. Balakumaran, and LTTE military commander Mr. S. Nagesh arrived in Karadiyanaru Maha Vithiyalam grounds in Batticaloa 5 PM Wednesday in a SLAF Helicopter facilitated by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM). LTTE leaders visited Mr. Kousalyan's wife Pushpa in Ampilanthurai, Kokkadicholai and Kousalyan's mother and three sisters in Pandariyaveli in LTTE controlled area, LTTE sources said. Kousalyan was married in 22 March 2004, and Pushpa is 7 months pregnant, sources said.
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Colombo cannot disclaim responsibility for Kausalyan killing- TNA

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 February 2005, 11:41 GMT]
The killings of LTTE Political Head for Batticaloa and Amparai districts Mr.E.Koushalyan, TNA former parliamentarian Mr.A. Chandra Nehru and four others on February 7 raise question as to "how such an attack was carried in an area, which has a strong Armed Forces presence. The question also arises as to who could have carried out such an attack without being deterred by the strong presence of Armed Forces," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, TNA parliamentary group leader in a statement made in parliament Wednesday morning, parliamentary sources said.


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STF bars mourners, assault LTTE activist

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 February 2005, 10:45 GMT]
Commandos of the Special Task Force (STF) Wednesday assaulted an LTTE political worker who was putting up black flags in Komari to mourn Mr. Kousalyan, slain by gunmen suspected to be working with the Sri Lankan military. Komari is Tsunami devastated Tamil village on Sri Lanka’s remote southeast coast. STF, the elite counter insurgency arm of the Sri Lankan armed forces, prohibited black flags in the village. In Mandaanai, north of Komari, Tsunami refugees protested against the STF Wednesday for preventing them from mourning the slain LTTE political leader.
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Batticaloa shuts down for Kousalyan, funeral Thursday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 February 2005, 09:33 GMT]
A total shutdown was observed in the Batticaloa district and the coastal areas of the Amparai district Wednesday to mourn the death of Mr. Kousalyan. LTTE officials in Batticaloa said that his funeral would take place Thursday afternoon and that he would be buried at the martyr’s memorial in Thandiyadi, about ten kilometers west Batticaloa town. Muslim towns in the region were also shutdown. Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, head of the LTTE’s political division and Col. Bhanu, commander of the LTTE’s military forces in Batticaloa-Amparai are expected to arrive in the eastern district Wednesday afternoon.
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UN Secretary-General condemns the killings of Kousalyan and colleagues

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 February 2005, 06:18 GMT]
The UN Secretary-General on Tuesday condemned the killings of Mr. E. Kaushalyan, a senior political leader of the LTTE Eastern Province Division, and several colleagues traveling with him, said a UN statement extending Kofi Annan's sincere condolences and deepest sympathies to the families of all the victims. The Secretary-General urged all parties to exercise calm and restraint so as to avoid actions that could disrupt the Cease-fire Agreement of February 2002 or the long-term interest of peace in Sri Lanka.
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