Families of Vanni disappeared strapped in poverty

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 May 2003, 10:43 GMT]
Families and relatives of 184 Tamils who disappeared after being arrested by Sri Lanka security forces between 1996 and 1998 while the forces occupied Kilinochchi, have not been given assistance by any Government authorities or any Humanitarian organizations and are living in abject poverty, sources in Kilinochchi said.


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Nambiar delivers HSZ report to Lanka's PM

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 May 2003, 02:23 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament Thursday during the special debate in Sri Lanka parliament that the report submitted by a former Indian army official, Satish Nambiar, on high security zones in the northeast has been forwarded to the Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunge, parliamentary sources said.


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Forcible occupation of land no basis for harmony - BBC Sinhala service head

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 May 2003, 00:02 GMT]
Speaking at the South Asia Discussion Group of the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London Wednesday, Mr. Priyath Liyanage, head of Sandesiya, the BBC’s Sinhala service, said the “effort to avoid the involvement of the Tamil Tigers” in rehabilitation and development in the north raises the question of the other ulterior agendas by Colombo.
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PA-JVP in final round of talks on agreement

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 May 2003, 12:19 GMT]
The final round of talks between the People’s Alliance (PA) and the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) are progressing satisfactorily and the parties expect to sign a memorandum of understanding end of the week, Mr. Wimal Weerawanse, the Propaganda Secretary and spokesman of the JVP said Thursday. The JVP says that Cease Fire Agreement and the basis of the peace talks between the Liberation Tigers and Colombo should be radically altered to nullify what it describes as “US new imperialist designs to destabilise India”.
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Rehabilitate Northeast before 'Regaining' Sri Lanka - NGOs

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 May 2003, 00:05 GMT]
The Chairman of the Consortium of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Trincomalee, Mr.T.Thavasilingam, speaking at a discussion held Tuesday in Trincomalee attended by representatives of provincial trade unions, said that there was an urgent need for rehabilitating all infrastructure destroyed in the twenty-year-old war in the northeast province simultaneously with the resettlement of internally displaced persons.
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Akashi visits Muttur, Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 May 2003, 10:48 GMT]
Japan’s special envoy to Sri Lanka, Mr. Yashushi Akashi held discussions with Tamils and Muslims in Muttur and with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and the Peace Committee in Batticaloa Tuesday. The discussions were largely focussed on recent developments in the east affecting the peace process, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) officials in Batticaloa said. SLMC leader, Mr. Rauff Hakeem, accompanied Mr. Akashi.
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Gopalapuram LTTE war memorial opened

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 May 2003, 03:19 GMT]
The war memorial constructed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at Gopalapuram junction in the village of Nilaveli, about sixteen km north of Trincomalee town in memory of LTTE cadres who died in a mid-sea mishap in 1990 was declared open Monday evening, sources said.


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TNA parliamentarians address Muslims in Pulmoddai

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 May 2003, 02:25 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan addressing a meeting at Pulmoddai, a traditional Muslim village about 70km north of Trincomalee district, Saturday said that a lasting political solution could be found for the northeast problem only by ensuring equal rights and privileges to Muslims living in the province.
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Meeting resolves to prevent communal unease in Musali

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 May 2003, 13:07 GMT]
Representatives of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, the Catholic Church, the Liberation Tigers, Sri Lanka Police, several civil society groups and local community leaders met Saturday in Murunkan in the Mannar District to discuss measures to promote and cement Tamil, Muslim amity in the Musali region. Tension prevailed in the area last month following the murder of a Tamil farmer allegedly by a Muslim believed to be an ex home guard. Musali is in the southwestern part of mainland Mannar where Muslim refugees have been resettling and cultivating their lands since last year.
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Large peace demo in Mannar town

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 May 2003, 09:40 GMT]
More than 3000 people demonstrated in support of peace in Mannar Saturday, demanding full implementation of the ceasefire agreement between Colombo and the Liberation Tigers. At the conclusion of the meeting, a memorandum was submitted to the additional government agent of Mannar. The memorandum states, among other things, that the Tamils and the LTTE have bitter experiences of being “deceived and hoodwinked in many previous peace talks” and that “in the circumstances it is not unreasonable on their part to adopt a policy of caution."
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North East celebrates May Day

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 May 2003, 01:05 GMT]
A four page joint statement declaring that a political solution should be found on the basis of a self-rule with self-determination to the Tamil national question was released at the combined May Day rally organized by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union (CTTU), and several civil organizations held in Jaffna Central College grounds Thursday evening, sources in Jaffna said.


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Sri Lanka appeals to LTTE to resume talks

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 April 2003, 10:38 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister this week admitted that efforts to restore normalcy to the Tamil areas had not taken place “at the pace which we might have desired” and vowing matters would improve, appealed to the Liberation Tigers to nevertheless resume peace talks which the LTTE had put on hold two weeks ago.
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Sustaining strategic parity and beyond

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 April 2003, 00:15 GMT]
When the Liberation Tigers routed the Sri Lanka army’s Agni Khiela (Rod of Fire) offensive in April 2001, a year after the fall of the strategic Elephant Pass garrison, the general description of the state of Sri Lanka’s conflict as a military stalemate was no longer tenable. Celebrations by the LTTE on Monday to mark the Elephant Pass victory and the defeat of Agni Khiela underscored Tamils’ perception that their ability to negotiate political rights is essentially predicated on the LTTE’s military power.
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LTTE denies Moragoda gave assurance over Washington conference

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2003, 19:33 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers denied Monday that Sri Lanka’s Economics Reform Minister, Milinda Moragoda, had given them an assurance they would be able to attend the international aid conference in Washington on April 14 as quoted in weekend press reports. The LTTE’s Chief Negotiator Anton Balasingham told TamilNet Monday the organisation was unable to attend the meeting as it is proscribed in the United States and reports suggesting Mr. Moragoda had given assurances otherwise were incorrect.
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TNA leader demands reduced army presence in population centers

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2003, 01:14 GMT]
"It is the birthright of the Internally Displaced People (IDP) to resettle in their own lands. There is no need for the internally displaced Tamil families in Jaffna district to seek permission from the government or the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to return to their own lands," said Tamil National Alliance (TNA)parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan addressing a gathering at the Jaffna office of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Sunday on the current political situation, sources said.


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PM's advisor in Jaffna to see ground situation

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 April 2003, 12:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka Prime Minister's senior advisor Mr.Bradman Weerakone at the end of his two-day visit to Jaffna Sunday said at a conference held at Jaffna District Secretariat that the reply to be sent shortly to the LTTE political advisor Mr Anton Balasingham would contain assurances that will help the resumption of the peace talks. Meanwhile Mr.Weerakone Saturday instructed the Government Agent to hand back the municipal lands to the Jaffna municipal council, sources said
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Take forward Chelva's ideals - Tamilnadu Don

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2003, 16:32 GMT]
"We Tamils in Tamilnadu are openly supporting the Palestine liberation struggle. We are free to oppose the aggression of Iraq by the United States of America. But it is sad to state that we in Tamilnadu are prevented from expressing our moral support to our Tamil brethren in Sri Lanka," said former vice chancellor of Thirunelvaely Manonmaniyam Suntharanar University in South India, Professor Dr. K.P.Aravanan, delivering 'Thanthai' Chelvanayakam commemoration speech at the Jaffna University Kailasapathy auditorium Saturday afternoon.
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Bishop Deogupillai passes away

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2003, 15:59 GMT]
Jaffna's twelfth Bishop Most Reverend Dr Bastiampillai Deogupillai (1917-2003) passed away peacefully in the early hours of Friday at the age of 86. The entire Catholic community and Tamils, irrespective of religion, are mourning the death of a veteran Bishop who stood for justice and peace through dialogue. His funeral is to be held on Monday evening at Jaffna St. Mary's Cathedral church, sources said.


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Thanthai Chelva’s 26th death anniversary observed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2003, 13:59 GMT]
The twenty sixth-death anniversary of late Tamil leader "THANTHAI” Mr.S.J.V.Chelvanayakam (1898-1977) was observed through the northeast province Saturday. He was the acknowledged leader of Tamil people for the last 20 years of his life and presided over the 1976 TULF national convention that ratified the goals for a separate state for Tamils in the landmark 'Vaddukoddai resolution.'


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LTTE responds to US Ambassador

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 April 2003, 16:25 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Friday denied they had walked away from negotiations with the Sri Lankan government and said they were temporarily suspending talks “to provide time and space for the government to implement crucial decisions.” Responding to comments by the United States Ambassador, Mr. Ashley Wills, the LTTE’s Chief Negotiator and Political Advisor, Mr. Anton Balasingham told TamilNet Friday “As the representatives of our people we reserve the right to express our displeasure if decisions at the talks are not implemented and bi-lateral agreements are not fulfilled.”


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