100 member UK medical volunteer team to work in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 March 2005, 15:17 GMT]
A group of about one hundred medical officers and volunteers from United Kingdom comprising Indian, Sri Lankan and European nationals belonging to Satya Sai Samithi Society, arrived this week in Sri Lanka to conduct medical camps in the NorthEast, sources in Trincomalee said.
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LTTE delegation meets EU's Deputy Director for External Relations

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 March 2005, 05:23 GMT]
The delegation led by Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, the head of political section of the LTTE, on Thursday, met with Mr. Hervé Jouanjean, the Deputy Director for External Relations for the European Union and discussed the post-tsunami joint mechanism and the current state of peace process.
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Thamilchelvan discusses post-tsunami reconstruction with German officials

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 March 2005, 04:25 GMT]
The LTTE delegation which is on an official visit to European countries arrived in Berlin on Wednesday and held talks with German Economic Cooperation and Development Minister Ms. Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul. The delegation led by Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, Head of the Political Section of the LTTE, also met Mr. Bernd Borchardt, South Asia Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Jürgen Weerth, German Ambassador to Sri Lanka. Germany is Sri Lanka's second-largest bilateral donor, next to Japan.
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Kumaratunga moves to clip JVP's strong media links

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 March 2005, 13:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga is reported to have taken over the administration of the Media Ministry, held by Minister Mangala Samaraweera, in a move widely seen as intended to limit the strong links the radical Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has with the State media institutions, especially the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Co-operation (SLRC), Independent Television Network (ITN) and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), political sources in Colombo said.
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LTTE showed maximum flexibility in accepting joint mechanism proposal - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 March 2005, 21:56 GMT]
Although the proposed joint mechanism for post-tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction did not fully meet the requirements necessary to facilitate recovery efforts in NorthEast to proceed unhindered, the LTTE accepted the proposal in view of the urgency demanded by the situation in NorthEast, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, LTTE's political head told Swedish Minister for Development Cooperation, Ms. Carin Jamtin, when he met with the Minister in Stockholm Tuesday, sources said.
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LTTE delegation meets Norwegian facilitators in Oslo

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 March 2005, 16:45 GMT]
"We told the Norwegians that Sri Lanka Government should without delay extend co-operation to finalize the joint mechanism for aid distribution and should take immediate steps to end the targetting of LTTE political officials and cadres working in the East by paramilitary operatives operating with the backing of the Sri Lanka Army," said Head of LTTE Political Wing, S.P Thamilchelvan in Oslo Friday during a brief press conference held at the Hotel Continental in Norway's capital Oslo at 3 pm.
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Thamilchelvan, Nadesan bound for Europe

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 13:52 GMT]
A high level delegation of Liberation Tigers will begin an official visit to several European capitals from Friday. “Our meetings will focus on delivering aid to Tsunami affected people in northeast directly and efficiently”, Mr. S. Puleedevan, Secretary General of the LTTE peace secretariat in Kilinochchi, told TamilNet. The delegation led by Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, head of LTTE’s political division, leaves Colombo Thursday and will travel to Norway, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Ireland, and Switzerland. The Tigers will also visit the European Union headquarters in Brussels, Puleedevan said.


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Muslim abducted, killed in Batticaloa north

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 07:29 GMT]
A Muslim auto rickshaw driver who was abducted Tuesday evening by unidentified gunmen in the in the general area of Kadjuwatte, about 55 kilometres north of Batticaloa, was found shot dead Wednesday morning, Sri Lanka army (SLA) spokesman Brig. Daya Ratnayaka said. He blamed the Liberation Tigers for the abduction and killing. "This is a foul murder carried out by the Sri Lanka army and its lackeys calculated to destroy cordial relations between Muslims and Tamils in the east. We will not rise to the bait", said Mr. P. Thayamohan, a senior LTTE political official in Batticaloa. A member of the Liberation Tigers was shot dead in this area in an ambush on Monday.


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UNICEF has erred - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 March 2005, 18:47 GMT]
The question of child soldiers continues to vex strained relations between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers. That the matter has been raised against the Tigers by the UN and other rights organizations is considered by Colombo as a feather in its foreign policy cap. "The Government of Sri Lanka is more interested in cynically exploiting the child soldiers issue for its black propaganda war against us than in finding a political solution to the conflict", said Mr. S. P . Thamilchelvan in an interview with the TamilNet this week. He said there were serious errors in the UNICEF report on child recruitment by the LTTE.
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Norwegian ambassador meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 March 2005, 13:35 GMT]
Mr.Hans Brattskar, Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Saturday met with Head of LTTE Politicial Wing S.P Thamilchelvan at the LTTE Peace Secretariat, sources in Kilinochchi said. The Ambassador expressed his Government's concern and condemnation over the killing LTTE political cadres in the east, during the meeting and when he later met with journalists in Killinochchi, sources said.
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Attacks on LTTE political leaders serious and disturbing - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 March 2005, 15:46 GMT]
"The continuing killing and shooting of our senior political leaders is a very serious and disturbing matter", said Mr. S.P Thamilchelvan, head of LTTE's political division, in a message conveyed to the Norwegian government through its ambassador in Colombo Tuesday night. "The killing of Mr. Kousalyan and the attack on Ms. Kuveni, both senior political leaders of the LTTE, since the Tsunami is casting a dark shadow over the peace process", said Mr. Puleedevan, secretary general of the LTTE peace secretariat.
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Kumaratunga says no paramilitaries with Sri Lanka army

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 February 2005, 07:17 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga told Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Eric Solheim that there aren’t any paramilitaries working with the Sri Lankan armed forces, according to a press release by the Presidential Secretariat Friday. The Liberation Tigers say that Colombo had committed to disarm paramilitaries working with the Sri Lankan armed forces in the island’s northeast under the terms of the cease fire agreement (CFA) it signed with them three years ago. The statement said that Mr. Solheim conveyed to Ms Kumaratunge LTTE’s concern regarding the implementation of Article 1.8 of the CFA in relation to disarming of paramilitary groups when he met her Thursday in Colombo.
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Colombo should stop covert war - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 February 2005, 16:27 GMT]
"The Sri Lankan military has formed new paramilitaries to wage a covert war on the Liberation Tigers and our people. This covert war should be stopped immediately. We pointed out during the discussion that the cease fire and peace would fall apart if this covert war against us continues. The cease fire agreement (CFA) can be sustained if the Sri Lankan government abides by the provisions it promised to honour by signing the CFA with us", said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, head of the LTTE’s political division, speaking to the press after meeting Norway’s special peace envoy, Mr. Eric Solheim in Kilinochchi Tuesday. The Liberation Tigers and Colombo signed a CFA on 22 February 2002.
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Solheim in Sri Lanka, 3rd anniversary of CFA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 February 2005, 06:25 GMT]
Norwegian Special Peace Envoy Mr. Erik Solheim and Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Mr. Hans Brattskar arrived in Kilinochchi Tuesday morning to meet with the LTTE's Head of Political Division, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan. The LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) signed the Oslo-facilitated Cease-Fire Agreement (CFA) 3 years ago, on 22 Feb. 2002.
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Mannar Bishop writes to LTTE over shooting at sea

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 February 2005, 13:24 GMT]
Mannar Bishop, Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph, wrote to the Liberation Tigers Saturday regarding the incident at sea near Vidathaltheevu in which armed persons believed to be Sea Tigers fired on the boats of fishermen from Pallimunai, a coastal suburb of Mannar town, damaging the boats. Angered by the incident, a group fishermen from Pallimunai attacked and damaged the LTTE's political office in Mannar town Friday.
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Thamilchelvan visits tsunami affected Vaakarai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 February 2005, 12:03 GMT]
Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, Head of Political Division of the LTTE, on Thursday visited Tsunami affected coastal areas in Vaakarai, the main village south of the Verugal River, 65 km to the north of Batticaloa town, and discussed post-tsunami relief and resettlement efforts with the affected people and relief workers, sources said.
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Thamilchelvan arrives in Sampoor on three-day visit

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 February 2005, 16:02 GMT]
Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan, Political Head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Wednesday evening around 4 p.m. arrived from Batticaloa to Sampoor Maha Vidiyalayam grounds in the LTTE controlled Muttur east, south of Trincomalee district by a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) special helicopter, sources in Trincomalee said. Colonel Sornam, Trincomalee district military commander and Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head received him on his arrival, sources said.


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Tigers meet Muslim leaders in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 February 2005, 14:24 GMT]
“First they divided us. Then they divided you. Sinhala leaders will always deny our rights. Tamil Muslim unity should be the foundation of your liberation struggle”, said Mr. I.M Ibrahim, secretary of the Mosque Federations of Amparai District, addressing senior Liberation Tiger leaders at a meeting between LTTE Muslim community leaders of Batticaloa and Amparai districts Monday in Kokkaddicholai, 15 kilometres southwest of Batticaloa town. “There are still problems, fears and doubts between us. We cannot gloss over them. We should grapple with them and build our unity at the grass roots level”, Mr. Thamilchelvan told the Muslims in his address.
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Pirapaharan honours slain TNA MP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 February 2005, 12:39 GMT]
Leader of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan Saturday posthumously honoured Mr. Ariyanayagam Chandra Nehru as Maamanithar, the highest honour granted by the LTTE. The citation signed by the LTTE leader was given to Mr. Nehru's widow and son at a special ceremony in Pavattah, in the interior of Sri Lanka's southeast coast. Nehru's body, draped in the LTTE flag was taken from Thirukkovil to the LTTE conference centre in Pavattah, in the Kannjikudichcha Aaru region which is controlled by the Tigers.
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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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