LTTE delegation meets British Tory leaders

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 September 2003, 17:22 GMT]
The political leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Mr. S.P.Thamilchelvan, met with the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the British Parliament and Shadow Foreign Secretary, Mr. Michael Ancram,M.P., and Lord Ashcroft, the former treasurer of the British Conservative party, in Colombo Thursday shortly after his return from abroad, LTTE peace secretariat sources said.
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Hill country Tamil leader Thondaman remembered

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2003, 17:57 GMT]
Sri Lanka Saturday remembered the services rendered to the minorities and oppressed people by the hill country Tamil leader late Saumiyamoorthy Thondaman on his 90th birthday, which falls on August 30, 2003, sources from upcountry said.


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‘Tamil question is not a minority issue' – Prof. Uyangoda

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 August 2003, 19:09 GMT]
“The challenge for the future is to reform the Sri Lankan state without generating violence in Sinhala society. And that is a tremendous challenge for any ruling elite in Colombo,” said Prof. Jayadeva Uyangoda, the well regarded political commentator in the Sinhala and English media in Sri Lanka, in a wide ranging interview with TamilNet this week. He emphasised the need for developing means for greater dialogue and engagement between the Tamils and Singhalese to resolve the conflict.
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LTTE leader served notice through the media in MoU case

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 July 2003, 15:59 GMT]
The Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka Wednesday served notice by newspaper publication on the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Mr.V.Pirapaharan, the second respondent in cases filed separately by the Sinhala Jathika Sangamaya, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and the Sihala Urumaya, who challenged the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the LTTE on 22nd February 2002 on the grounds that it was “illegal and unconstitutional,” legal sources said
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Junior LTTE officers complete training

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 July 2003, 13:05 GMT]
At a ceremony held in the Vanni Saturday to mark the completion of training of the junior officers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the leader of the LTTE, Mr. V. Pirapaharan, participated, made a speech and awarded certificates to the officers, LTTE sources said.
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LTTE leader pays homage to Lt. Seelan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 July 2003, 15:27 GMT]
The leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Mr. V. Pirapaharan, unveiled a large photo of the late Lt. Seelan (Charles Antony), the first attack commander of the LTTE, and paid his respects by lighting the sacrificial flame, at a specially organized ceremony in a location in the Vanni, sources said.
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Lt. Seelan commemoration held in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 July 2003, 18:07 GMT]
The twentieth death anniversary of Lieutanant.Seelan (Charles Antony), the first attack commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), was observed in Trincomalee, his birthplace, at an event held at the LTTE political office in Eastern port town Tuesday, sources said.
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LTTE to commemorate anniversary of Lt. Seelan’s death

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 July 2003, 16:14 GMT]
The twentieth anniversary of the death of Lieutenant Seelan (Charles Antony), a senior attack commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, will be observed Tuesday (July 15) in the Northeast province on a grand scale, sources said.
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Black Tigers’ Day celebrations in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 July 2003, 16:14 GMT]
The Black Tigers’ day celebrations were held in Batticaloa on Saturday, with the main event at the Valaichenai-Pethalai play grounds, where the LTTE’s special commander for Batticaloa-Ampara, Mr. T. Ramesh and many other LTTE area leaders attended as the Chief Guest, sources said.
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Record crowds throng Jaffna Pongu Thamil rally

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 June 2003, 12:33 GMT]
Around hundred and fifty thousand people crammed the Jaffna Medical College grounds and its environs for the Pongu Thamil rally Friday said the organisors of the event. Pongu Thamil calls for the immediate return of thousands of homes and lands occupied by the Sri Lankan armed forces in the northern peninsula. The Pongu Thamil flame was lit by the Vice Chancellor of the Jaffna University Prof. S. Mohanadas. Buddhist nuns, monks and two officials from the Sri Lankan Prime Minister’s office were among the special guests.
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Student parliament convened in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 June 2003, 02:11 GMT]
Hundreds of students from schools in Jaffna district took part in a student parliament held at the Veerasingam Hall on Saturday, sources in Jaffna said. This was the first time an event of this type was organized in Jaffna peninsula, student leaders in Jaffna said.


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Tamil students uprising celebrated in Northeast

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 June 2003, 14:03 GMT]
Thousands of Tamil students in the Northeast Friday celebrated the day of Student Uprising participating in processions and holding public meetings in several parts of the Northeast, sources from different districts in Northeast said.
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LTTE rejects government's new proposals

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 May 2003, 06:55 GMT]
The leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has rejected the new set of proposals submitted by the government of Sri Lanka instituting a development structure for the rehabilitation and development of the Northeast.
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LTTE seeks premier's response on interim administration proposal

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 May 2003, 06:53 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) today called upon the Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, to formally respond to proposals by its leader, Mr. Vellupillai Pirapaharan, for an interim administrative set-up in the Northeast. The LTTE’s comments were made in a letter by its chief negotiator, Mr. Anton Balasingham, to the Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. Vidar Helgesen.
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Helgessen on shuttle diplomacy to end talks impasse

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 May 2003, 12:46 GMT]
Norwegian delegation led by deputy foreign minister Mr. Vidar Helgessen held about two hour talks with the leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Saturday afternoon at Killinochchi peace secretariat. He briefed the LTTE leaders on the outcome of the talks he had with the government peace negotiators about the requests by the LTTE leader Mr.V.Pirapaharan made during the discussion with the Norwegian foreign minister Mr.Jan Petersen, Vanni sources said.
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Sri Lanka's PM leaves for India amid political crisis

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 May 2003, 16:21 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe left Friday morning to Cochin in South India on a private visit while his senior peace negotiators began discussions with the Norwegian delegation led by deputy foreign minister Mr. Vidar Helgessen to explore ways to resolve the present crisis following the temporary withdrawal by the LTTE from peace talks, political sources in Colombo said.
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Tigers say Colombo should implement talks’ decisions

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 May 2003, 11:12 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers will not participate in peace negotiations with the Sri Lankan government until Colombo implements decisions taken at six rounds of talks since last year, Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of the LTTE told Norway’s Foreign Minister Mr. Jan Peterson during a crucial meeting in Kilinochchi Thursday. Col. Karuna and Col. Pathuman, the commanders of the LTTE’s Southern Front Forces and the head of the political division Mr. S. P Thamilselvan were associated with Mr. Pirapaharan at the discussion with the Norwegian FM.
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Peace snag said rooted in Sri Lanka's constitution

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 May 2003, 00:02 GMT]
Norwegian Foreign Minister Mr. Jan Peterson accompanied by his deputy Mr. Vidar Helgessen Wednesday morning arrived in Colombo to hold crucial talks with the leaders of the government and LTTE to in a bid to restart Sri Lanka’s stalled peace talks. Japan and Norway are keen that the LTTE take part in crucial aid conference next month in Tokyo. The Tigers, however, say Colombo should first establish legally operable bodies and procedures to ensure a direct say for Tamils over the utilization of funds pledged by donors for reconstructing the war torn northeast.
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Pirapaharan felicitates Kumar's family

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 May 2003, 00:28 GMT]
Velupillai Pirapaharan, leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) , awarded the 'Maamanithar' medal to Yogaluxmi Ponnambalam, wife of late Kumar Ponnambalam, in honor of her husband in a special function held in Kilinochchi, Sunday, sources said. Late Kumar's children, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, a lawyer and Tamil National Alliance (TNA)Parliamentarian, and Mirnalini Ponnambalam, a physician, accompanied their mother to the function.
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Colombo to take positive steps to resume talks with LTTE-Peiris

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 May 2003, 16:37 GMT]
Sri Lanka's cabinet spokesman, Minister G.L.Peiris, said Thursday that the Sri Lanka government is in the process of taking positive steps to accelerate the resettlement of internally displaced and to strengthen the function of the Subcommittee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs(SIHRN) in an attempt to bring the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam back to the negotiating table.


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