Tamil women's problems spotlighted in Vavuniya gathering

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 August 2004, 14:28 GMT]
A gathering of Tamil Eelam Women Associations, Sangamam, was held in Vavuniya Irambaikulam Girls Maha Vidiyalayam Monday on a grand scale. Noting that "women are subjected to more violence than during the war period", Vavuniya district Political Head of the LTTE's Women Wing, Ms Alai, said that the gathering was conducted to study about the violence and the forces behind the atrocities committed against women.
Full story >>

Peace talks should be over ISGA proposals - Mannar Bishop

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 August 2004, 02:35 GMT]
“The Interim Self Governing Authority [ISGA] document was only a proposal for discussion as a step towards a viable alternative to separation. The current talk of a counterproposal to be made by the [Sri Lanka] government is not acceptable to the Liberation Tigers, as the LTTE feels this will become an opportunity for the government to bide its time…The government can bring up all its proposals at the discussion table over the ISGA proposals,” said the Bishop of Mannar, Rt.Rev. Rayappu Joseph, when TamilNet interviewed him Monday.
Full story >>

EU urges early recommencement of talks

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 August 2004, 18:03 GMT]
While noting that the meeting with the LTTE was constructive and the matters were discussed in a frank and open manner, the EU in a press statement issued on Monday called upon the LTTE for the earliest resumption of peace talks and stated that the peace process and the development process are inter-linked.
Full story >>

Tigers reiterate stand, say Tamils losing peace hope

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 August 2004, 12:13 GMT]
''We explained to the European Union envoys the LTTE leadership's stand that we are ready to restart negotiations with the Government of Sri Lanka on the basis of the Interim Self Government Authority proposal which was endorsed by the Tamil people at the general elections", said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, head of LTTE 's political division, speaking to the press after meeting a top EU delegation from Colombo Monday in Kilinochchi.
Full story >>

British, Dutch, EU envoys meet LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 August 2004, 07:47 GMT]
The British High Commissioner for Sri Lanka and the ambassadors of European Union and Netherlands met the head of the LTTE's political division, Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, Monday in Kilinochchi for discussions about the island's long deadlocked peace talks. The visit of three envoys comes in the wake of the Liberation Tigers saying last week they will re-enter peace negotiations only if the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) is institutionalised first.
Full story >>

Senior EPDP leader shot dead in Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 August 2004, 05:03 GMT]
Mr. Bala Nadarajah Iyer (Sinna Bala), a senior member of the EPDP, a close ally of Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga, was shot dead in Colombo by unidentified gunmen Monday around 8.15 a.m. Mr. Iyer was the spokesman for the EPDP and was on the editorial board of its paper Thinamurasu.
Full story >>

SLA blocks LTTE political activists in Trinco

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 August 2004, 18:45 GMT]
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army Sunday evening surrounded a group of political activists of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at Mc Heyzer road in Orr's Hill, a suburb in Trincomalee town, and blocked their movement. Later they were allowed to go by the SLA at the intervention of monitors of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee following a strong complaint lodged by Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the LTTE, against the action of the SLA, sources said.
Full story >>

'Solution should be based on what Tamils want' - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 August 2004, 18:33 GMT]
"We created the conditions for Peace Talks by unilaterly declaring a cease-fire in December 2001. Solution to the Tamil problem should be on the basis of aspirations of the Tamils because they are the ones who have faced discrimination, oppression and war for many years. It cannot be based on what the Sinhala people want. It cannnot be based on what the Sinhala government wants. This is why the political pacts Tamils made in the past with Sinhala leaders came to naught." said Mr. S.P. Thamilchelvan in a press briefing in Kilinochchi Saturday.
Full story >>

Sri Lanka's PM meets with Norwegian PM in Athens

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 August 2004, 13:31 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse met with Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik Saturday in Athens. Prime Minister Bondevik believed that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are committed to the process, a press release from the Royal Norwegian Embassy said Saturday.
Full story >>

LTTE ready to resume talks based on ISGA- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 August 2004, 10:48 GMT]
Institutionalising the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposals put forward by the Liberation Tigers must be viewed on a humanitarian perspective rather than making it a political bargain to satisfy extremist elements in the southern polity, Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan, the head of the LTTE’s political wing told Norwegian Deputy Ambassador at a meeting held in Kilinochchi, Saturday. "We are waiting for a positive response from the government to recommence negotiations on the basis of ISGA proposals," Mr. Thamilchelvan told the Norwegian diplomat, LTTE’s peace secretariat website reported.
Full story >>

Killings continue in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 August 2004, 04:40 GMT]
A man, suspected to be linked to a paramilitary group, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen close to a Sri Lanka army camp in Valaichenai, 32 kilometres north of Batticaloa, Friday night around 8.30. Twenty eight persons, including a senior journalist and a university academic, have been killed in areas controlled by Sri Lankan armed forces in the Batticaloa and Amparai districts since renegade LTTE commander Karuna fled the region on 9 May this year following a lightening but ruthless assault by the LTTE.
Full story >>

Liberation Tigers release Sri Lanka army soldier

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 August 2004, 16:33 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam Friday released from their custody a Sri Lanka army soldier who had crossed the line of control dividing areas held by them and by Colombo. The soldier, Shalitha Pradeep Kumara Hettiarachchi,28, of Warakapola, 68 kilometres east of Colombo, was handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Kilinochchi.
Full story >>

TNA MPs welcome POTA's repeal, urge India to revoke ban

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 August 2004, 13:52 GMT]
''We welcome the Indian Central Government for its intention to abolish the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). At the same time, we also urge the Indian Government to consider lifting the ban on the LTTE and create a more meaningful and conducive environment necessary to bring the stalled peace process in Sri Lanka back on track'', TNA MPs Mr. Joseph Pararajasingam and Mr. Selvam Adaikalanathan told TamilNet Friday.
Full story >>

Trinco Rotarians hold medical camp in Eachilampathu villages

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 August 2004, 02:34 GMT]
The Trincomalee Rotary Club last weekend conducted a one-day medical clinic in the village Muttuchenai, which is located in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE )-held Eachilampathu division in the Trincomalee district. Rotarian Dr.E.G.Gnanakunalan organized the clinic with the assistance of Capt. Charles Gnanakone of Humanitarian Rehabilitation Services of NE (Lanka) Ltd, Colombo, who provided thirty thousand rupees worth of medicine to the clinic, sources said.
Full story >>

TNA, LTTE map strategy for grass roots campaign

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 August 2004, 17:29 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers and Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians in the Batticaloa-Amparai districts Thursday mapped out a strategy for grass roots campaign to educate people in the region about ''the political, economic, social and historical background and roots of the Tamil struggle'', an LTTE official in the east said.
Full story >>

Jaffna TNA MPs to implement common development programme

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 August 2004, 15:31 GMT]
Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Thursday decided to implement a common development programme in the Jaffna district with the funds allocated to them under the Decentralized Budget (DCB) by the central government.
Full story >>

Civil Society Forum supports federal constitution in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 August 2004, 21:06 GMT]
"An Interim Administrative structure should be established in the NorthEast Province on the basis of the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposals of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Thereafter a new constitution based on the fully-fledged federal concept should be formulated. The country would be divided into two in failing to do so," said Civil Socieity Forum Chairman, Dr.Kumar Rupasinghe, addressing a press conference Wednesday at Hotel Nippon in Colombo.
Full story >>

LTTE, STF meet after long gap

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 August 2004, 11:15 GMT]
The Special Task Force, the elite counter insurgency arm of the Sri Lankan armed forces, met the Liberation Tigers Wednesday in Akkaraipattu, 64 kilometres south of Batticaloa for discussions on observing the cease fire and resolving matters that have been cause for friction in the Amparai district. The LTTE delegation told the STF and Police that attacks on their cadres in Sri Lankan government held areas of the district should stop.
Full story >>

Killings escalate in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 August 2004, 04:13 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot dead a person suspected to be linked to renegade LTTE commander 'Karuna' in the early hours of the morning Wednesday around 1.30 a.m. in Kiran, 27 kimoetres north of Batticaloa. He was riding a motorbike when the gunmen ambushed him at Kiran junction, Police said. Another person beleived to be an army informant linked to 'Karuna Group' was shot dead Tuesday night around 7.20 p.m. in Kaluwaanchikudy, 24 kilometres south of Batticaloa.
Full story >>

SLFP, UNP should act together to recommence negotiations - NLF

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 August 2004, 02:57 GMT]
"It is indeed absolutely incumbent on the two so-called major parties (UNP and SLFP) to get their act together to recommence negotiations and take them forward fruitfully to an equitable outcome, especially because it is these two parties that are irrefutably responsible, jointly and severally, for the sins of omission and commission that triggered the 20 year long war," Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne, the leader of the New Left Front (NLF), told TamilNet in an interview Monday.
Full story >>