LTTE activist released on surety bail

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 October 2003, 15:14 GMT]
The Point Pedro Magistrate Wednesday released an activist of the Sea Tigers (of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) in the Vadamaradchi division, Mr. Gamini, on surety bail when a woman witness failed to identify him as the person who attempted to abduct a private vehicle on the day of the incident, legal sources said.
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Mullipottanai Muslims protest against attack

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 October 2003, 14:41 GMT]
A group of Muslim villagers of Mullipottanai in the Trincomalee district Wednesday held a hartal (general shutdown) and a picketing campaign on the Trincomalee-Kandy highway, blocking all traffic to and from Colombo and Trincomalee, protesting an attack by unknown persons that injured at least three Muslim civilians Tuesday night at 4th milepost on the Mullipottanai-Kinniya road, police said.
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Confronting collisions in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 October 2003, 00:11 GMT]
In the wake of several recent accidents in the Jaffna peninsula in which the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) was involved, resulting in death or injury to Tamil civilians, the question being raised by the people of Jaffna is whether these accidents are caused merely by the suddenly ‘aggressive' driving of the SLA soldiers, or if this is a continuing pattern of behavior that started when the SLA brought the Jaffna peninsula under its control in 1995.
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Must for us to talk to Muslims - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 October 2003, 12:22 GMT]
“It is a must that we talk to the Muslim ‘side’ after we give the Sri Lankan government our proposal on the Interim Administration (IA) for the Northeast. I can say that Muslims will have their rightful place in it. The aspirations of all the communities in the northeast find expression in our proposals”, said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, the head of the LTTE’s political division, emerging from a meeting Tuesday with a delegation of the Ceylon Workers’ Congress in Kilinochchi.
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Landmine injures two Vellaveli children

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 October 2003, 03:00 GMT]
Arulanantham Diloshan (8) and Arulanantham Nilojini (6) were seriously injured when a landmine exploded while they were playing near their home in Liberation Tigers controlled Vellaveli in Batticaloa district Monday, sources said.
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Clashes in Vattamadu discussed at LTTE-Muslim meeting

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 October 2003, 18:56 GMT]
A meeting was held Monday at the Thirukkovil divisional secretariat between the Tamil and Muslim representatives, attended by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Sri Lanka Army, to discuss the clashes that occurred in Vattamadu in the Amparai district between Muslim farmers and cattle ranchers, sources said.
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Sinhala,Tamil scholars explain joint festival

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 October 2003, 18:29 GMT]
“There is an unfortunate stereotyping of Tamils in the minds of the Singhalese and vice versa. This literary/cultural festival will enable artistes from both sides to discover developments over the last twenty years. This would foster an understanding where it matters”, said Prof. Sucharitha Gamlath, a distinguished and leading Sinhala scholar, addressing a press conference in downtown Colombo Monday on the Tamil/Sinhala cultural festival to be held in Sri Lanka’s capital this week.
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Fishermen's problems discussed at Batticaloa meet

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 October 2003, 16:37 GMT]
A meeting to discuss issues affecting the fishermen in the Batticaloa district was held at the Mahajana College in Batticaloa Saturday, sources said.
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Subsidy to Thenmaradchi farmers refused

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 October 2003, 04:41 GMT]
The Sri Lanka's Department of Agrarian Services has refused to provide subsidies for seed paddy and fertilizer to farmers to cultivate paddy lands adjoining the high security zones in the Thenmaradchi division in the Jaffna district, as the Sri Lanka Army has not officially informed the department of its decision to release one fifth of the roughly five thousand acres of land in the HSZ, representatives of several farmers organizations said Monday.
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Muslim, Tamil farmers attacked in Vattamadu

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 October 2003, 02:59 GMT]
Three muslim farmers and two Tamil tractor drivers were attacked Sunday morning by a group of men tending cattle in Vattamadu, Thirukkovil Pradeshya Sabha, in Ampara district, security sources said. The identity of the attackers has not yet been released, according to sources.
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LTTE, Muslim representatives discuss Kinniya crisis

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 October 2003, 15:02 GMT]
Representatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and Jemiyathummal Ulama Council (JUC) in Kinniya Sunday at a discussion held at the office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee agreed to identify elements who are working to derail the peace process and not to relentlessly work together to identify such elements. Both parties further agreed to have continuous dialogue to resolve differences that may arise in future, sources said.


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LTTE urged to bring upcountry parties together

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 October 2003, 12:26 GMT]
“The Liberation Tigers should help bring together the Up Country People’s front (UPF) and the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC). All the Tamil speaking people of Sri Lanka should be united”, said Mr. P. Chandrasekeran MP, Minister for Social Development, speaking to the press after meeting Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, the head of the Tigers’ political division, for a briefing and discussion on the LTTE’s Interim Administration proposal Sunday.
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LTTE to meet hill country leaders on IA proposals

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 October 2003, 18:15 GMT]
The Political Head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan, is to continue his dialogue on the northeast interim administration proposals with the hill country Tamil leaders this Sunday. Last week he held discussions with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leaders, sources said.


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Normalcy returns to Kinniya after two days' unrest

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 October 2003, 18:06 GMT]
Night curfew which was in force on Thursday and Friday was lifted from Saturday and normalcy returned to Kinniya town in Trincomalee district after two days' unrest, sources said.


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Norwegian Advisor on Gender Issues visits Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 October 2003, 15:34 GMT]
Dr. Astrid N. Heiberg, the Advisor to the Subcommittee on Gender Issues (SGI) and Ms. Kjersti of the Norwegian High Commission in Colombo, visited the women’s secretariat in Kilinochchi Thursday morning and held discussions about women’s issues throughout the day, sources in the Vanni said.
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SLFP demonstrates against "betrayal of Sinhala nation"

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 October 2003, 14:17 GMT]
Thousands of people participated in the demonstration organized by the main constituent of the opposition People’s Alliance, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), against the United National Front (UNF) government of Sri Lanka Friday in Colombo, saying the UNF has 'betrayed' the 'Sinhala nation,' sources said.
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Book on Charles Anthony Brigade released

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 October 2003, 10:59 GMT]
A Book on the ten-year history and achievements of Charles Antony Special Brigade of the LTTE "Nerupatru Neechalil Paththandukal" was released in an event held at Trincomalee Sri Koneswara Hindu College hall Thursday evening. The inaugural release of the book was earlier held in Vanni and the first introductory event was held later in Jaffna, sources said.


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Curfew lifted in Kinniya

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 October 2003, 06:47 GMT]
Sixteen-hour curfew imposed in Kinniya, 16 k.m. south of Trincomalee was lifted at 6 a.m. Friday morning. However, the re-imposition of curfew depends on developments during the day, police sources said.
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Sri Lanka's President wants SLMM head sacked

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 October 2003, 17:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, has requested the Norwegian Prime Minister to remove the head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, Major General (retd.) Triggve Teleffsen, immediately from his post, saying his actions have caused serious doubts in the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, the Presidential Secretariat said Thursday.
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LTTE leader honors Karate Grand Master

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 October 2003, 14:46 GMT]
The leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Mr. V. Pirapaharan, Thursday conferred national honor on the father of Karate in Tamil Eelam, Grand Master Shihan Bonnie Roberts,74, who holds eight black belts and contributed yeoman service to the growth of the art of Karate, sources in the Vanni said.
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