Convincing donors, Kumaratunge's goal- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 May 2005, 00:45 GMT]
Accusing Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunge for not taking constructive steps to establish the Joint Mechanism for post-tsunami reconstruction of NorthEast, Head of the Political Wing of Liberation Tigers (LTTE), S.P Thamilchelvan, in a recent interview with TamilNet, dismissed Ms Kumaratunge's positive statements on the Joint Mechanism as a mere tactic to influence the donors in the forthcoming aid conference to take decisions in her favor, and to attract international assistance.
Full story >>

Tamil scepticism mounts as aid deal drifts

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 May 2005, 18:20 GMT]
As the proposed joint mechanism for aid distribution urged by international donors between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers remains mired in Sinhala political manoeuvring, deep scepticism has replaced early optimism amongst the Tamils. More ominously, a belief is rapidly taking root that Colombo is playing for time and keeping the Northeast in the economic and social doldrums whilst developing the Sri Lankan military for a new war.
Full story >>

Joint mechanism mired in Sinhala politics

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 May 2005, 15:51 GMT]
The joint mechanism between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers called for by international aid donors has become the centre of political manoeuvres by the main Sinhala parties, in whose zero-sum calculations, international aid has a critical role to play.
Full story >>

Journalists dismayed over Sivaram debate

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 May 2005, 18:24 GMT]
The lack of a quorum in Sri Lanka’s Parliament and the subsequent lacklustre debate when the abduction and brutal murder of Tamil political columnist and military analyst, Dharmeratnam Sivaram, was taken up Friday dismayed journalists who three days earlier had taken to the streets in a major protest over the brazen killing in Colombo.
Full story >>

‘Sivaram killing a blow against peace’ – US don

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 May 2005, 17:46 GMT]
The abduction and murder last Thursday of political columnist and military analyst, Dharmeratnam Sivaram by suspected Sri Lankan state agents “will hinder peace and promote war” in Sri Lanka, writes Prof. Tom Plate, Director of Asia Pacific Media Network, in a op-ed published Thursday in the Korean Times. “The anguish felt worldwide perhaps surprised the morally suspect government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga,” Prof. Plate, who is with the University of California, Los Angeles, wrote.
Full story >>

Australian Tamils condemn journalist's murder

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 May 2005, 10:52 GMT]
The Australian Federation of Tamil Associations, in a press release issued Tuesday condemned the murder of Dharmeratnam Sivaram and said, "This murder is the latest in a series of brutal slayings of Tamil journalists which includeBBC journalist, Mr Mylvaganam Nimalarajan and Mr Nadesan...We call upon the Australian Government and the Australian Media in particular to condemn this brutal and premeditated murder. AFTA is outraged that the Sri Lankan politicalestablishment should continue silencing the voice of Tamils despite the cease-fire."
Full story >>

Sivaram an inspiration to Tamil journalists - Uthayan

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 May 2005, 20:33 GMT]
Saluting the work of Dharmaretnam Sivaram, the Tamil columnist abducted and murdered in Sri Lanka’s capital on Friday, the popular Jaffna Tamil daily, Uthayan, said in its editorial Monday that he would remain an “inspiration to Tamil journalists with love for the nation and their people.”
Full story >>

Norway Tamils celebrate May Day

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 May 2005, 16:07 GMT]
Several hundred Tamils in Norway, carrying Tamil Eelam national flags and banners urging the international community to recognize the Tamil people's right to self-determination, participated in May Day rallies held in capital Oslo and other major cities, organised by Confederation of Trade Unions, sources in Norway said. The participants also carried large photographs of murdered journalist Mr.D.Sivaram and banners condemning the killing.
Full story >>

Govt. of Sri Lanka is accountable for journalist's murder- US Tamils

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 May 2005, 00:48 GMT]
"Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is accountable for the murder of journalist Mr D Sivaram," said a press release issued by a group of US Tamil Organizations, Sunday. "Sadly, the murder of Mr. Sivaram is not an aberration; it is consistent with a long history of state-sponsored murders of journalists and political opponents, and general contempt for freedom, democracy and the rule of law which have become the norm for Sri-Lanka," the release further said.
Full story >>

Sri Lanka President must be answerable for the murder - IFT

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 April 2005, 07:14 GMT]
International Federation of Tamils (IFT) The purported murder was committed in a High Security Zone which is under the constant and vigilant protection of the Security Forces of the Sri Lankan government. As supreme commander of the armed forces, the Executive President of Sri Lanka, Chandrika Bandaranaiake Kumaratunge should be held responsible and made answerable for the murder. Several Tamil journalists and human rights activists, including Nimal Rajan in Jaffna, G.Nadesan in Batticaloa, Kumar Ponnambalam in Colombo and Chandra Nehru in Batticaloa, have been murdered, all in High Security Zones, during the present President’s tenure.
Full story >>

‘SLFP campaign a time buying tactic’ – Gajendrakumar

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 April 2005, 13:09 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Monday dismissed the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) campaign to explain the Joint Mechanism for distributing Tsunami aid in the northeast as “a time buying tactic to gloss over the fact that it cannot overcome JVP’s strident opposition”. SLFP General Secretary Mr. Maithripala Sirisena said this weekend his party will hold a series of seminars to educate its membership about the proposed joint mechanism. “These seminars are the way out for the SLFP leadership which wants to show donor countries that it is committed to a joint mechanism with the Tamils while saving its alliance with the JVP”, Mr. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam TNA MP for Jaffna told TamilNet.
Full story >>

NGOs fund new boat yard and pre-school in Muttur East

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 April 2005, 03:06 GMT]
Cooperazione Internazionale Sud-Sud (CISS), an Italian Non-Governmental Organization, is providing financial support for the construction of a new boat building yard in Eachchilampathu division to supply fibre glass boats to tsunami affected fishermen. The project was initiated by the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) Saturday with Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham, Trincomalee district parliamentarian, laying the foundation stone, sources said.
Full story >>

Book on ethnic conflict released in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 April 2005, 11:53 GMT]
A Tamil book written by well-known political analyst, Mr. C.A.Jothilingam, titled "Ethnic Conflict and Proposals for Political Solution" was released and introduced to the Trincomalee audience at an event held Friday evening in Trincomalee Town Hall. Mr.K.Sivapalan, Human Rights activist, presided the event.


Full story >>

Workshop on tsunami reconstruction begins in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 April 2005, 10:34 GMT]
Three-day workshop for workers of Social Mobilization Unit (SMU) of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) began in Trincomalee Friday morning on the topic "Implementation of 3rd Phase of Tsunami Relief Programme." Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese from districts of Amparai, Batticaloa and Trincomalee are participating in the workshop. Similar workshops were held earlier in Jaffna, Killinochchi and Vavuniya for SMU staff working in those districts, sources said.
Full story >>

Nilaveli families receive relief from Michigan, ARC

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 April 2005, 01:45 GMT]
About five hundred tsunami hit families residing in temporary shelters and welfare centres in coastal areas of Nilaveli division in the Trincomalee district last weekend received six hundred thousand rupees worth milk food, medicine, household materials purchased from the funds collected by Sri Lankan Tamils residing in the state of Michigan, U.S, by holding variety entertainment events. The distribution took place under the direction of Dr.S.Arulkumaran, Medical Officer of Health of Kuchchaveli Division.
Full story >>

Short stories on war suffering released in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 April 2005, 00:18 GMT]
"Thoorathu Kodaikala Iravukal" (Distant Summer Nights), a collection of short stories by a young writer Miss Maathumai Sivasubramaniam, a law student from Trincomalee, was released during a weekend event held at Trincomalee St.Mary's Girls College with Rev.Sister Theresa Ranee, former Principal of the institution as the chief guest.
Full story >>

"Can trust only when Joint Mechanism comes" - Col. Bhanu

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 April 2005, 08:39 GMT]
“We can talk about having faith in this process only when the Joint Mechanism for Tsunami Reconstruction is implemented. The suffering of Tamils and Muslims who were affected by the Tsunami in Batticaloa/Amparai is immense. Some of them say they should have died in the Tsunami than face the privations to which they are subjected today as refugees. We explained to the Norwegians the urgent need for a joint mechanism to help these people”, said Col. Bhanu, special commander of LTTE’s armed forces in Batticaloa/Amparai, speaking to journalists after meeting Mr. Eric Solheim, special Norwegian peace envoy who visited Batticaloa Tuesday.
Full story >>

Kumaratunga off to London for New Year holidays

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 April 2005, 10:03 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga left for London on Saturday night to spend the forthcoming New Year holidays with her children, Yashoda and Vimukthi. According to reports, Ms Kumaratunge before undertaking her private trip to UK has appointed her close confidante, Ratnasiri Wickremenayake, as the Minister of Defence and Dinesh Gunawardene as the Minister of Education until she returns back to Sri Lanka.
Full story >>

Thanthai Chelva remembered on his 107th birthday

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 April 2005, 10:43 GMT]
Mr. S.J.V.Chelva-nayakam, founder of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) and fondly called by Tamils as "Thanthai" (father) was remembered on his 107th birthday in Jaffna and Vavuniya Thursday. Jaffna Bishop of South Indian Diocese Rt Rev.Jebanesan in the capacity of Thanthai Chelva Trustee garlanded the statue of late leader Mr.Chelvanayakam which is located in the Chelva mausoleum in Jaffna town. Parliamentarian and the current President of ITAK Mr.Mavai Senathirajah and parliamentarian Mr.M.K.Sivajilingam also garlanded the statue, sources said.
Full story >>

NESOHR delegation meets UN Rapporteur on education

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 April 2005, 10:25 GMT]
A delegation of the North East Secretariat On Human Rights (NESOHR) led by its Vice President Mr. K. Sivapalan (Attorney-at-Law), met with Mr. Vermor Munoz Villalobos, the Special Rapporteur on Rights to Education of the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) on Wednesday in Geneva. Mr. T. Mahasivam, member of the NESOHR also participated. The NESOHR delegation submitted a detailed report about the discrimination shown to Tamils and Muslims students in Sri Lanka in the sphere of education.
Full story >>