LTTE opens Planning and Development Secretariat

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 January 2004, 12:03 GMT]
The Planning and Development Secretariat of the Liberation Tigers began its operation today, 1st January 2004, the peace secretariat website said. Mr.Thuyavan, Director of Planning and Development, will head the team that will be responsible for setting policy guidelines and strategies for the development needs of NorthEast Sri Lanka, sources in Vanni said.
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Tigers say lifting tariffs to improve Vanni economy

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 January 2004, 09:24 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers said they are lifting all tariffs on equipment, machinery and other inputs for agriculture, fisheries and livestock from 1 January with the aim of promoting the growth of these sectors and achieving self-sufficiency in the regions they control. They said tariffs on books, newspapers, cooking gas, infant food, computers, educational accessories, and livestock feed have been completely removed with effect from Thursday.
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TNA MP says Muttur bridge on the verge of collapse

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 January 2004, 06:16 GMT]
The Kattaiparichchan bridge, which divides the Liberation Tigers-held villages in Muttur east from the rest of Muttur town controlled by the Sri Lanka Army, is on the verge of collapse, said Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian from Trincomalee, Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham, and brought the matter to the notice of the Trincomalee District Co-ordinating Committee Monday, sources said.
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Talks with a govt. sans defence impractical - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 January 2004, 04:45 GMT]
“It is impractical to hold peace negotiations when one party talks to the Tigers while another keeps the defence ministry in Sri Lanka. The international community, including Norway, has accepted this," Mr. Anton Balasingham, the political advisor of the Liberation Tigers told a Sri Lankan Minister and an MP who met him in London this week, according to the Thursday edition of Eelanaatham, a Tamil daily published from Kilinochchi, the main town in the LTTE controlled Vanni region.
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2003: The year in review

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 December 2003, 18:58 GMT]
The widespread optimism on peace that greeted the dawn of 2003 has evaporated and the power struggle between Sri Lanka's Prime Minister and President that threatens the peace process now occupies the center stage of politics in Colombo. High Security Zones (HSZ) in Jaffna continue to deny displaced Tamils their fundamental rights. Colombo's unwillingness and inability to disburse funds stalls development and rehabilitation in NorthEast, as international aid remains blocked, awaiting concrete signs of progress in peace.
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Jaffna GA denies TamilNet report

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 December 2003, 11:01 GMT]
In a letter sent to Sri Lanka’s Minister of Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugees Jaffna Government Agent (GA) and forwarded to TamilNet "on advise of the Hon. Minister Prof. Jayalath Jeyawardena, MP," the GA, Mr. S. Pathmanathan categorically denied stating that the government of Sri Lanka “had not spent a red cent for rehabilitation and development in Jaffna for the last two years” at a meeting in Chavakachcheri on 27 December. The TamilNet correspondent who covered the meeting and took photographs of the event said he stands by his story.
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“Political impasse cannot be allowed to continue” - Armitage

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 December 2003, 05:10 GMT]
The U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Mr. Richard Armitage, who met with Sri Lanka’s Minister for Economic Reform, Science and Technology, Mr. Milinda Moragoda, in Washington, DC, on Monday, said that “the current political impasse cannot be allowed to continue,” and that the U.S. “looks forward to an early resumption” of the peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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LTTE to close commercial vehicles section on 30, 31 December

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 December 2003, 18:23 GMT]
The heavy commercial vehicles section of the Liberation Tigers’ customs at the Puliyankulam entry point, 20 kilometres north of Vavuniya, would be closed on the 30 and 31 December, Mr. Daya Master, the LTTE’s media co-ordinator, told TamilNet Monday. He said that the Finance Division of the Liberation Tigers had decided to close the heavy commercial vehicles section of its customs department due to year-end work.


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Sri Lanka police constable commits suicide in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 December 2003, 19:57 GMT]
Mr.S.M.Premaretna, a constable of the Sri Lanka Police Saturday night committed suicide by shooting himself while staying in barracks located at Nedunthivu in Jaffna district. His body was handed at the Jaffna teaching hospital Sunday morning, police said.


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Eastern University students to organize Pongu Thamil

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 December 2003, 22:31 GMT]
Eastern University students are preparing to organize 'Pongu Thamil' celebrations in Batticaloa district after the New Year, medial reports in Jaffna said.
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‘Colombo hasn’t spent a cent on Jaffna’s development’- GA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 December 2003, 16:34 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government did not allocate a red cent for rehabilitation and development in Jaffna for the last two years said the Government Agent for Jaffna, Mr. S Pathmanathan, addressing a consultation meeting Saturday on rehabilitation and development work planned for 2004 in the Thenmaradchi Division of the northern peninsula. The GA said that all rehabilitation and development work in the peninsula in the last two years was carried out with international aid.
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Rejection of ISGA reflects sad pattern of Sri Lankan conflict - Prof.Oberst

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 December 2003, 15:07 GMT]
In a 'written extended version' of a talk presented at the International Center for Ethnic Studies (ICES), Colombo, a full text of which was sent to TamilNet, Prof.Oberst of Nebraska Wesleyan University says that rejection of LTTE's Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) proposal by a number of political parties reflects "a sad pattern of Sri Lankan conflict." He adds that several issues raised in ISGA are "relatively easy to resolve," and other serious issues need to be resolved during negotiations between the two sides.
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LTTE’s starts intensive AIDS awareness drive in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 December 2003, 08:06 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers began an intensive AIDS awareness campaign in Jaffna this week. Hundreds of local volunteers and members of the political division of the Liberation Tigers are going to every village and town in Jaffna daily to create awareness among the people about the dangers of AIDS. “We cannot let AIDS spread in Jaffna. It is a threat to our society. So we decided to nip it in the bud. We urge everyone’s cooperation to make people aware of the real nature of problem”, Mr. Daya Master, the LTTE media co-ordinator told TamilNet Saturday.
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Committee formed to promote Tamil-Muslim amity in Trinco

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 December 2003, 16:20 GMT]
A twelve member committee comprising six Muslims and six Tamils was formed at a meeting held Wednesday evening at the conference hall of the Jumma Mosque located on the Ehambaram Road in Trincomalee town to strengthen relationship between the Muslims and Tamils in the Trincomalee bazaar area and to resolve differences that may arise in future, sources said.


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LTTE, CEB jointly act against illegal electricity usage

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 December 2003, 20:21 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are jointly working with the Ceylon Electricity Board to detect illegal electricity usage in LTTE-controlled areas of Batticaloa district. In recent months, the LTTE has caught and issued warnings to those who use wires to tap electric power lines illegally in Karadiyanaru and confiscated the wires, sources said.
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MGR remembered in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 December 2003, 04:57 GMT]
The 16th death anniversary of the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Mr.M.G.Ramachandran, was commemorated in Vavuniya Wednesday at the Veerasingham Hall at the Multi-Purpose Cooperative Union (MPCU) building. The LTTE’s political head in Vavuniya, Mr. S. Ezhilan, and the Vanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, Mr. N. Sivasakthi Anandan and several other prominent personalities in Vavuniya participated, sources said.
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SLA closes Muhamalai point at usual time

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 December 2003, 14:12 GMT]
Sri Lanka army closed the only entry point to Jaffna on the A9 highway at the usual hour on Wednesday evening despite the announcement by the Liberation Tigers that they would have their side of the border open until 9.30 p.m. for the convenience of people travelling to the peninsula on Christmas Eve and Christmas. A Sri Lanka army officer at the SLA’s Muhamalai entry point told TamilNet’s Jaffna correspondent Wednesday evening that there were no orders from his high command to reciprocate the LTTE’s gesture for Christmas and New Year.
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Education Conference urges speedy resolution of political crisis

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 December 2003, 13:20 GMT]
9 million member Asia Pacific Region branch of Education International (EI), in a resolution adopted at the Fourth Asia Pacific Regional Conference held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan from 10th to 12 th December, urged the Sri Lankan President and Prime Minister to bring the current political impasse to an end without further delay and to invite the Norwegian facilitators to carry forward the peace process and to restore normalcy in the northeast province by handing over schools located in the high security zones in the Jaffna district, attendees to the conference said.
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Deprived area Pre-school teachers to get free training

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 December 2003, 12:42 GMT]
Education Wing of the Liberation Tigers are organizing a free practical training and lecture classes for pre-school teachers at ten locations in the economically deprived Paduvankarai and other areas in Batticaloa district in January, education officials said.
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Commemoration of Major Murali held in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 December 2003, 12:14 GMT]
"The Indian government should recognize the self determination right of Tamils and come forward to assist them to reach a fair and just political solution to meet their legitimate aspirations," said the President of the Jaffna District National Resurgence Forum Mr. P.Kanagalingam Tuesday addressing the sixteenth death anniversary commemoration event of Major Murali and nine other LTTE cadres who died in a battle with the Indian Peace Keeping Force on December 23, 1987 at Urumpirai in Jaffna district.
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