Tamil MPs slam SLA, paramilitaries for threats to media

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 July 2004, 14:14 GMT]
“Journalist Nadesan was murdered because the Sri Lankan government did not disarm paramilitary groups working with the military as it agreed to do under the cease-fire agreement. A paramilitary group in Batticaloa killed Nadesan and is threatening other independent journalists with death. This group cannot roam Batticaloa with weapons and intimidate and murder journalists without the military’s permission”, said Mr. Senathirajah Jeyanandamoorthy, Tamil National Alliance MP for Batticaloa speaking Tuesday during a debate in the Sri Lankan Parliament on the state of the media in the island.
Full story >>

Fall of SLA’s Mullaithivu base remembered

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 July 2004, 03:36 GMT]
The public in Mullaithivu conducted a special rally Sunday to mark the capture eight years ago of the Sri Lanka Army’s Mullaithivu base by the Liberation Tigers, press reports from the North said.
Full story >>

No date fixed for parliamentary debate on ISGA

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 July 2004, 17:12 GMT]
No date has been fixed for the proposed three day debate on the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposal of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during the fourth session of the parliament which is scheduled to begin Tuesday amid confusion and controversy as the minority United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government is still struggling to secure parliamentary majority, political sources said.
Full story >>

PTA was big blunder by Tamil politicians - TNA MP

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 July 2004, 16:46 GMT]
“Tamil Parliamentarians committed a great blunder by not opposing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). It was wrong on our part for not objecting or raising our voices against the draconian bill”, said Mr. Nadarajah Raviraj, Tamil National Alliance MP for Jaffna, speaking Monday at a public meeting in Colombo to mark the 25th anniversary of the PTA and to launch a campaign for its repeal. The meeting was organised at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in Colombo jointly by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and the Centre for Human Rights and Development (CHRD).
Full story >>

World Bank team holds workshop in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 July 2004, 10:50 GMT]
World Bank Country Director for Sri Lanka, Mr. Peter Harrold, and a team of World Bank officials held a workshop on humanitarian delivery at the Planning and Development Secretariat in Kilinochchi Monday, LTTE's peace secretariat website said. Head of LTTE Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan also separately met with Mr.Harrold, the report added.
Full story >>

Batticaloa jail murder accused transferred to Moneragala

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 July 2004, 02:10 GMT]
Mahendran Puvitharan, the Batticaloa jail inmate accused of killing 'Satchi Master,' and another a key associate of renegade commander Karuna was transferred to a prison in Moneragala, Uva province, local media reported.
Full story >>

Dates for parliamentary debate on ISGA to be decided Monday

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 July 2004, 11:32 GMT]
The dates for the three-day debate on the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposal submitted by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) last year, will be decided at the Monay meeting of the leaders of political parties represented in the current Sri Lanka parliament, parliamentary sources said.


Full story >>

Batti-Amparai TNA MPs meet Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 July 2004, 11:22 GMT]
Batticaloa-Amparai Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians met with LTTE Head of Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan in the LTTE Peace Secretariat premises Saturday morning, source in Vanni said. Matters related to currently prevailing situation in Batticaloa district were the focus of the discussions according sources.
Full story >>

US military assistance weakening peace process -TNA

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 July 2004, 15:52 GMT]
Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians told Ms Cody Taylor, political officer of the United States (US) embassy, that the progress made during the peace talks in affording equal status to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) with the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) has been weakened by the military training and assistance given by the U.S. Government to the Sri Lanka armed forces. Ms Taylor arrived in Jaffna Friday afternoon and met with the TNA parliamentarians at the office of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) in Jaffna town, sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>

SL President committed to peace despite Batticaloa fears - Dhanapala

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 July 2004, 12:54 GMT]
The delay in restarting peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers is due the preparation of the agenda, said Dr. Jayantha Dhanapala, chairman of the GOSL peace secretariat, speaking to journalists at the conclusion of his visit to Batticaloa Friday. Speaking in Sinhala, he said the situation in the east is bad after Karuna split from the LTTE and that there is a concern that this could adversely affect the peace. President Kumaratunga, however, remains committed to taking forward the peace process, Dr. Dhanapala said.
Full story >>

Lt.Col.Senathi's body buried

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 July 2004, 03:31 GMT]
Body of Lt.Col.Senathi, LTTE political head of Batticaloa town, who succumbed to gun shot injuries received on 5 July at Arasady junction in Batticaloa, was buried in Thandiyadi Heroes Cemetary Wednesday afternoon, reports from Batticaloa said.
Full story >>

Key Karuna associate shot dead in Batticaloa jail

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 July 2004, 03:13 GMT]
A key associate of the renegade commander was assassinated inside the Batticaloa prison in the early hours of the morning Thursday. Police and army surrounded the prison as the gunman who shot dead 'Satchi Master' and another associate of Karuna climbed the jail roof with his handgun and a grenade. He surrendered to Police in the presence of the ICRC and truce monitors later around 10.45 p.m.
Full story >>

Soccer tournament in Trinco in memory of Lt Seelan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 July 2004, 18:33 GMT]
Trincomalee district sports section of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) sponsored Foot Ball tournament under the auspices of Trincomalee Foot Ball League to mark the twenty first death anniversary of senior military leader Lt.Seelan (Charles Antony) was inaugurated Wednesday in Trincomalee Mc Heyzer Stadium.
Full story >>

Government bent on creating war-phobia - Elilan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 July 2004, 17:53 GMT]
''Statements made by the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and chauvinist political parties on the question of finding a political solution to the Tamil national question are aimed to create disharmony among communities and to unleash violence in Sri Lanka,'' said Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) addressing a meeting held at Eachchilampathu Sri Shenabaga Maha Vidiyalayam in the Muttur east division Tuesday. The meeting was organized by the Thamileelam National Resurgence Forum, sources said.
Full story >>

Karuna cadre killed, two injured

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 July 2004, 12:56 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers in Batticaloa said that a key associate of renegade commander 'Karuna' was killed in an ambush by one of their special jungle warfare units in Batticaloa Wednesday afternoon around 2.45 p.m. "We ambushed a small group of the paramilitary Karuna Group carrying small arms upon information provided by civilians. We recovered the body of a key person of the Karuna Group. A search is on to apprehend the others", an LTTE military officer said.
Full story >>

Colombo promoting Karuna to destroy LTTE – US think tank

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 July 2004, 12:35 GMT]
Former LTTE Commander Karuna's defection was supported at the highest levels of the Sri Lankan government with tacit US approval, press reports quoted US geopolitical analysts as saying this week.
Full story >>

Sri Lanka, LTTE urged to sign anti-landmine treaties

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 July 2004, 11:23 GMT]
Landmine Ban Advocay Forum, a group of Humanitarian Organizations, including the UNDP and UNICEF, called on the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers to sign treaties Banning Anti-Personnel Landmines in Colombo Wednesday.
Full story >>

Terror Stalks journalists in the East - RSF

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 July 2004, 17:48 GMT]
The French media watchdog Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF) said Tuesday in special report on threats faced by journalists in Sri Lanka's eastcoast: "The impunity which prevails in cases involving the murder and assault of journalists is seriously jeopardizing press freedom and the peace process in Sri Lanka."
Full story >>

SLA objects to hoisting Tiger flag

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 July 2004, 12:05 GMT]
Tension prevailed between the soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army and members of the public Monday evening in Vathiri area in Vadamarachchi division in Jaffna district over the question of hoisting Tiger flag in a public function when organizers refused to bring down the flag, residents said.
Full story >>

Wounded LTTE official dies

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 July 2004, 09:52 GMT]
Mr. Senathirajah, the head of the LTTE's political divison for Batticaloa town succumbed to his injuries Tuesday around 1.30 p.m. He was shot and wounded by gunmen suspected to be associates of renegade LTTE commaner 'Karuna' on 5 July.
Full story >>