Ex-LTTE cadre killed in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 December 2004, 16:01 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed Mr. Arul Jehan (25) in Batticaloa Kallady 4th cross street Wednesday evening around 7.30 PM, Police said.
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GoSL entirely responsible for resuming talks - LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 December 2004, 11:07 GMT]
"The responsibility of resurrecting the stalled peace process is entirely with the government in ensuring that its coalition partners reflect the thinking of the president, if she is in fact really sincere, and her military refrains from coercive and provocative actions", Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, Head of the Political Wing of the LTTE told the Norwegian facilitators Wednesday in Kilinochchi. "Norwegian delegation was unable to give assurance that Sri Lanka Government will take any constructive steps to take the peace process forward" Thamilchelvan told the Press after the meeting.
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Transport issues delay Solheim's meeting with Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 December 2004, 06:51 GMT]
The meeting between Norwegian peace envoy Eric Solheim and Liberation Tigers Head of Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan expected to be held in Kilinochchi at 11.30am Wednesday will take place at 2pm, according to LTTE sources in Vanni. Mr Solheim arrived in Anuradhapura this morning in Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopter and is travelling to Kilinochchi from Vavuniya by land, sources in Vanni confirmed.


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Seized heroin, ganja destroyed in Mannar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 December 2004, 11:17 GMT]
A consignment of three and a half kilo of heroin and three and a half kilo of ganja seized by the vigilant group of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) when being smuggled into the island during the weekend was destroyed in the presence of public in the heart of Pesalai police division in Mannar district Tuesday around noon, civil sources said.
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RSF says concerned over attacks on Tamil media

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 December 2004, 21:12 GMT]
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Monday voiced concern over threats to the news media in the war-torn north and east of Sri Lanka after a Tamil-language daily newspaper and the premises of a radio and TV group were the targets of violent attacks two days apart. RSF said in a statement that the attacks not only posed a threat to journalists but also denied the public reasonable access to news and information. It called for thorough investigations to identify and punish those responsible.
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Norwegian peace envoy arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 December 2004, 14:31 GMT]
Mr.Erik Solheim, special envoy to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, arrived in Colombo Monday evening. Mr. Solheim will have meetings with President Chandrika Kumarathunghe, the opposition leader Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe, representatives of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), according to the Norwegian Embassy sources in Colombo. Mr. Solheim is scheduled to meet with the LTTE Political Head, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, on Wednesday.
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Funeral held for Tamil scholar Sokkan

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 December 2004, 13:48 GMT]
The cremation of late veteran Tamil scholar Mr.K.Sokkalingam, fondly called "Sokkan" took place amid torrential rain in Chemmani Hindu cemetery Monday evening. Large number of people of all walks of life bade farewell to the departed Tamil educationist who rendered invaluable service to the development of Tamil language and its literature for more than four decades.
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‘No Karuna group, only SLA psy ops’ –Kausalyan

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 December 2004, 04:47 GMT]
“Sri Lanka military intelligence has from time to time unleashed brutal state terror in the East, using individuals and paramilitary groups such as PLOTE Mohan and Razeek group. There is no Karuna group operating in the East now. The recent violence in the East in the name of ‘Karuna group’ is a continuation of this state terror by the SLA,” said Mr. E. Kausalyan, the political wing leader of the Liberation Tigers in the East, speaking to journalists at the LTTE secretariat in Kokkadicholai Saturday.
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Veteran Sea Tiger Lt.Colonel Maravan dies

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 December 2004, 18:54 GMT]
Lt.Colonel Maravan (S.Stanislauss), a veteran cadre of the Sea Tigers division of the Liberation Tigers, passed away at the age of 68 at his residence in Mullaithivu on Saturday, and his body was brought to Jaffna Sunday afternoon through the Muhamalai army checkpoint for the people of the district to pay last respects, sources said.
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Attempt to destroy Nilaveli LTTE office thwarted - LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 December 2004, 14:59 GMT]
Mr.Thooyavan, LTTE Nilaveli division political head in Trincomalee district Sunday lodged a complaint with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that an abortive attempt has been made to destroy the LTTE's Nilaveli political office by setting fire to the asbestos roofed building and a cadjan hut Sunday early morning around 3.30 a.m. Addressing a group of Trincomalee based journalists later in the day Mr.Thooyavan accused that some members of the State armed forces located in the area were allegedly behind this attempt, sources said.
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Sokkan demise irreparable loss to Tamil nation - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 December 2004, 22:57 GMT]
The Political wing of the LTTE in its condolence message Saturday said that it honourd Vidwan Sokkan by declaring him Patriot (Natup Patralar). He worked hard in his old age too to mould a new generation that should dedicate for the development of Tamil language and literature, the condolence message added.
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Human rights of Tamils denied in "No war, No peace situation" - JDCHA

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 December 2004, 14:38 GMT]
The Jaffna District Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (JDCHA) Friday accused the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) that it has failed to address the needs of aggrieved persons in the NorthEast. JDCHA reminded that the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) is a signatory to the UN optional protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The need of the hour is a pragmatic approach by the HRCSL to arrest the deteriorating law and order, it noted.
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Give urgent priority to ISGA, IFT tells Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 December 2004, 11:23 GMT]
Noting that the the proposal to resume Talks based on ISGA was accepted by the previous Government of Sri Lanka at the end of six rounds of talks and much deliberations between parties, the International Federation of Tamils (IFT), a consortium of expatriate Tamil organizations based in Geneva, in a press statement issued Friday warned that the present government’s suggestions to include ISGA proposals "as part of the final conclusion of the broad-based Talks" may provide for "misleading, prevaricating and ultimately sabotaging the Tamil people’s struggle for equality and justice."
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Women protest against new army sentry points in Trinco

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 December 2004, 04:42 GMT]
Hundreds of Tamil women in Trincomalee Thursday protested in front of the Trincomalee office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) demanding the removal of new sentry points established by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) following the violent incidents on 2 December in the east port town, sources said.
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Halt the drift and resume peace process, NPC tells GoSL, LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 December 2004, 14:19 GMT]
''The danger in the present situation is the possibility of escalation that suddenly goes out of control of both sides and plunges the country into inadvertent war...We also call upon the two parties to make a concerted effort to ensure that the safeguards in the Ceasefire Agreement are functional,'' said the National Peace Council, in a press release issued in Colombo Thursday.
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New SLA sentry points in Trincomalee violate CFA- Elilan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 December 2004, 13:28 GMT]
Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Wednesday lodged a complaint with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has established several sentry points in the Trincomalee town and its suburbs after December 2nd in violation of the Ceasefire Agreement signed by the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, SLMM sources said.
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CFA in danger of collapse, Prof Peiris says

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 December 2004, 12:20 GMT]
''The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has demanded that the Norwegian facilitators engaged in the peace process should quit, whereas the President insists that they should continue to be the facilitators. It is evident that contradictions within the Sri Lanka's ruling coalition have reached the highest point...On the peace front, given the amplitude of contradictions within the Government, the ceasefire agreement (CFA) suffers erosion day by day,'' said UNP spokesperson, Prof., G.L. Pieris, M.P. at a media conference held today wednesday the Opposition Leaders's office.
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Passing out parade for LTTE Special Forces held

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 December 2004, 12:41 GMT]
A passing out parade for Special Forces units of the Liberation Tigers that completed their courses at the LTTE's Military Training School was held on Monday, 6 December, in the Vanni, according to a statement from the LTTE media co-ordinating office in Kilinochchi. The leader of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan presented certificates and prizes to the units. He gave a talk on strategy, tactics and the challenges of modern warfare.
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ISGA is a credible document, Business Leader says

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 December 2004, 11:55 GMT]
"Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposal from the Liberation Tigers is a credible document. Many Southern political parties endangering peace by rejecting the ISGA without comprehensively analysing the proposal and identifying the positive aspects," said Deva Rodrigo, chairman of the Sri Lanka chamber of commerce, during a discussion at Colombo Plaza Hotel last week with a delegation of South African businessmen, sources said.
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Grenades thrown at Batticaloa LTTE office

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 December 2004, 04:12 GMT]
Unidentifed persons threw four hand grenades at the Batticaloa town political office of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Tuesday early morning around 1.20 a.m., Batticaloa police said. Although few LTTE political activists were at the office, no one was injured in the attack, police sources said.
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