UNP politician opens LTTE office

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 September 2002, 23:33 GMT]
The ruling United National Party organiser in Trincomalee and a former parliamentarian of the district, Mr. Sunil Shantha Ranaweera, unveiled the name board of the Tampalakamam political office of the Liberation Tigers during the opening ceremony this Wednesday. Tampalakamam is a traditional Tamil agricultural village in the district twenty-seven km northwest of Trincomalee town.
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'We are optimistic' - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 September 2002, 06:17 GMT]
Addressing the opening ceremony of the first round of formal talks between the Liberation Tigers and the Government of Sri Lanka in Thailand Monday, Mr. Anton Balasingham, the political advisor of the LTTE said "We are optimistic that the peace talks will succeed because Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of the LTTE and Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, have genuine will and firm determination to resolve the conflict through the process of dialogue."
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Tigers mourn death of senior commander

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 September 2002, 18:36 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers in Jaffna Tuesday mourned the death of one of their most senior commanders. The northern town was lined with red and yellow pennants as the dead LTTE commander’s remains were taken to the Jaffna Hindu College where a meeting in homage was held Tuesday afternoon. Col. Raju (Kuyilan), who had served as the special commander of the LTTE’s elite Leopard Commandos and had played a key role in developing the Tigers’ artillery division, died on 25 August due to a terminal ailment, Tiger officials in Jaffna said.
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Meeting lends ‘fresh cause for optimism’ - paper

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 July 2002, 15:06 GMT]
In the wake of the landmark meeting Saturday between Sri Lankan cabinet Minister Milinda Moragoda and the Liberation Tigers’ chief negotiator, Anton Balasingham, prospects of a meeting later this year between Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and LTTE leader Vellupillai Pirapaharan have been raised, a Tamil expatriate newspaper reported this week.
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MoD says 'no case' amid public protests

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 July 2002, 01:18 GMT]
(News Feature) A Sri Lankan Defence Ministry inquiry into the assault of two senior political cadres of the Liberation Tigers on June 20 ruled that "there was no evidence ... to establish a case against any individual or person," state media reported. The Defence Ministry statement was issued Wednesday, the day after a massive demonstration in Kilinochchi to protest the attack by Sri Lankan naval personnel and members of the paramilitary Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) on the LTTE cadres.
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'Just solution will end armed struggle'

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 June 2002, 14:10 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers are committed to the ceasefire agreement with the Sri Lankan government and will honour its terms and conditions, but must remain strong until the rights of the Tamil people have been secured, a senior LTTE commander said Monday.
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‘LTTE committed to ceasefire’

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 June 2002, 22:20 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers will fully implement the ceasefire agreement between themselves and the Sri Lankan government and are determined to ensure the truce does not fail, a senior member of the LTTE’s political division in Jaffna told a protest rally by students in the northern peninsula Wednesday , according to local press reports.
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Tamil Eelam police celebrate anniversary

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 June 2002, 16:45 GMT]
The Tamil Eelam Police Service (TEPS) held a sports tournament at the Malathi Stadium in Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaitivu as part of the celebrations of the tenth anniversary of its formation. In his address, the head of the TEPS, Mr. P. Nadesan, saluted the service’s exemplary performance during the past decade, which he said had been rendered amidst difficult conditions of embargo and equipment shortage.
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Islamic group threatens journalist

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 June 2002, 22:18 GMT]
Mr. Senathirajah Jeyanandamoorthy, the correspondent for the Tamil dailies Virakesari and Thinakkural, in Valaichenai, 32 kilometres north of Batticaloa, said Monday he was threatened by an armed group backed by local Muslim politicians for his coverage of a simmering dispute in the region over the creation of an administrative division which Tamils oppose on the grounds that it grabs their lands and is meant as another ethnic wedge to disrupt the contiguity of the Batticaloa district. Mr. Jeyanandamoorthy said that the group, comprising mostly Muslims who deserted the Sri Lanka army and ex home guards, vowed to kill him in a warning delivered Monday.
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'Peace saboteurs must be defeated' - SLMC

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 May 2002, 21:53 GMT]
"The Muslims will co-operate with the Liberation Tigers to annihilate the evil forces which are all out to sabotage the peace initiatives mooted by the present government with Norwegian facilitation," declared the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress parliamentarian of the Trincomalee district, Mr.K.M.Thowfeek, addressing the opening event of the Kuchchaveli Political Office of the LTTE at Nilaveli held Thursday evening.
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Support urged for LTTE’s political efforts

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 May 2002, 00:18 GMT]
The leader of Sri Lanka’s largest Muslim party Monday slammed opponents of the Norwegian peace initiative and urged support for the Liberation Tigers’ political efforts, the Thinakkuaral reported Tuesday. Speaking in the parliament, Mr. Rauf Hakeem, leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), urged political parties to support efforts by the LTTE leader, Vellupillai Pirapaharan, to end the island’s ethnic conflict, the Tamil language daily said.
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Soldiers-Tamil youths clash in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 April 2002, 21:22 GMT]
A clash between Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and Tamil youths in Trincomalee town Sunday evening left three soldiers and a police constable in hospital and four youths under arrest. One of the arrested Tamil youths was later admitted to Trincomalee base hospital, with injuries sustained after a severe assault whilst in police custody according to sources.
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'Thanthai Chelva' remembered

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 April 2002, 18:56 GMT]
The twenty fifth-death anniversary of the late Tamil leader 'Thanthai' Chelvanayakam was observed throughout the Northeast province Friday with religious observances and memorial meetings. In Trincomalee, a the statue of 'Thanthai Chelva' at Sivankoviladi veethi was garlanded Friday morning by a leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham. Sivankoviladi Development Association organised the event.
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SLMC leader optimistic over peace prospects

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 April 2002, 18:30 GMT]
The leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Mr.Rauff Hakeem Saturday said that his talks with the leader of the Liberation Tigers, Mr.V.Pirapaharan would certainly facilitate the peace process. "My party would commit itself to help to take the peace process forward," Mr. Hakeem said in an interview to the state run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC).
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Norwegians discuss LTTE ban with Kumaratunga

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 April 2002, 23:43 GMT]
(News Feature) The Norwegian peace delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. Vidar Helgessen, Friday met Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga and discussed at length matters related to Oslo's peace initiative, including the ban on the Liberation Tigers. President Kumaratunga, an opponent of lifting the proscription of the LTTE appeared to soften her stance earlier this week, but insisted on a time frame for talks in exchange, which the Tigers have in the past refused to accept.
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Occupation of schools and temples violates cease-fire agreement -TNA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 April 2002, 22:37 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Thursday brought to the notice of the Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. Vidar Helgessen, that the Sri Lanka Army has not vacated temples and schools they occupy in the eastern province and has not completely removed ban on transport of items allowed to LTTE held areas in the eastern province as stipulated in the cease-fire agreement signed between the United National Front Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on February 23.
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Muslims hail SLMC-LTTE agreement

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 April 2002, 22:31 GMT]
(News Feature) Sri Lanka’s Muslim community this week welcomed the landmark agreement signed between the largest Muslim party, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and the Liberation Tigers. Mr Vellupillai Pirapaharan, leader of the LTTE, met with Mr Rauf Hakeem, leader of the SLMC last weekend and the two leaders agreed to cooperate closely on affairs related to Sri Lanka's Muslim community.
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Massive 'Pongu Thamil' rally in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 April 2002, 14:55 GMT]
Over sixty thousand people attended 'Pongu Thamil' (Upsurge) rally held at Jaffna University medical faculty grounds Wednesday afternoon, journalists in the northern peninsula said. Processions from Nallur Kandasamy Temple premises, Kokuvil Hindu College premises and Saththiram junction commenced around 2 p.m. and reached the venue of the rally around four p.m. Most of the roads in the Jaffna peninsula were gaily decorated with red and yellow flags.
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Thailand talks after truce implemented

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 April 2002, 14:49 GMT]
Direct talks between the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lankan government could take place in Thailand in the middle of June following the implementation of the terms and conditions of indefinite cease-fire agreement signed by the two sides in February, LTTE sources said Wednesday. This was suggested in discussions between an LTTE delegation led by the movement's leader, Vellupillai Pirapaharan and a Norwegian delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister, Vidar Helgesen.
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Kumaratunga softens opposition to lifting ban

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 April 2002, 14:26 GMT]
Bowing to international pressure not to impede the Norwegian peace initiative in Sri Lanka, President Chandrika Kumaratunga Wednesday tempered her long-standing opposition to the de-proscription of the Liberation Tigers, saying careful consideration should be given to it.
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