TRO caring 10 000 IDPs, seeks assistance from ICRC, GoSL, SLMM

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 August 2006, 12:35 GMT]
Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) on Thursday said the organisation was taking care of ten thousand IDPs in Trincomalee district. Food and water has been provided by the TRO to the IDPs since 01 August 2006. "Stockpiles of food are running low and TRO is appealing to the ICRC, Government of Sri Lanka, and the SLMM to facilitate the transportation of humanitarian relief to the displaced persons," the organisation said. TRO has also received requests for assistance from the Muslim Council in Kinniya, a community TRO has assisted post-tsunami.
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Tamil Americans protest in front of US Capitol

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 August 2006, 09:37 GMT]
More than two hundred American Tamils from Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka held a protest in the West Front park of US Capitol building Monday between 12:00 noon and 4:00 p.m. urging the US Government to take action against Colombo for its war crimes against the Northeast Tamils. The rally also remembered the civilians killed in the Black July 1983 pogrom against Eelam Tamils.
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Tamil exclusion from ADB project triggered dispute - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 31 July 2006, 12:56 GMT]
The ‘water’ dispute cited by the government of Sri Lanka as justification for its military offensive this week began two weeks ago due to a refusal by Colombo to implement that part of an ADB-funded project which would supply drinking water to Tamils in LTTE-controlled areas and to go ahead with supply to Sinhala colonies in government-controlled areas, the LTTE said in a statement. The intention of the Sri Lankan airstrikes last week was to prevent international ceasefire monitors from meeting local Tamils protesting their exclusion from the ADB project, the LTTE Peace Secretariat said.
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SLAF, SLA attacks tantamount to declaration of war by Colombo, Elilan tells SLMM

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 July 2006, 16:49 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Trincomalee District Political Head S. Elilan, in an urgent letter to the Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Major General Ulf Henricsson Saturday evening said that artillery attacks by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and air strikes by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) in the Liberation Tigers controlled territories in the Northeast, tantamounted to Declaration of War by the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) against the LTTE. "It is now appropriate for the SLMM to declare publicly that the ceasefire agreement is not holding anymore on the ground," Mr. Elilan told media.
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SLMM Head, villagers discussion abruptly ends following aerial strike

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 July 2006, 06:53 GMT]
A crucial discussion over the Mavilaru water crisis held Friday afternoon between Maj. Gen. Ulf Henricsson, Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and villagers of LTTE held Eachchilampathu Vaharai division at Kallady LTTE political office ended abruptly following aerial strike on civilian targets in the area by Sri Lanka Air Force. Buildings of the Verugal Muhathuwaram Government Tamil School were damaged and two Tamil civilians were injured when Kifir jets dropped bombs on the area located about 750 meters away from the Kallady LTTE political office where the SLMM head had discussion with representatives of the villagers.
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Attend to IDPs' woes to resolve water crisis, TNA tells GoSL

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 July 2006, 15:14 GMT]
The water crisis erupted over the closure of the Mavilaru sluice gate could be solved only by attending the urgent basic needs of several thousand internally displaced Tamil villagers from LTTE held Muttur east and now sheltered in LTTE held Eachchilampathu and Verugal division and not by aerial bombing and by artillery fire, said Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham, Trincomalee district parliamentarian in a statement released Friday evening.


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Finland to withdraw truce monitors from Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 July 2006, 09:27 GMT]
Finland has decided to withdraw it's members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) from Sri Lanka. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), recently reiterated their stand that the formal process of ceasefire monitoring required a scrupulous commitment to neutrality in Sri Lanka's conflict, which was compromised by the EU ban and responded to Norway's initial request of 6 months to replace monitors within a shorter time frame, and later extended the time frame for two months, till September 01. The Norwegian Special Envoy Jon-Hanssen Bauer is sheduled to visit Sri Lanka to discuss the process forward.
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Colombo caused Mavilaru crisis - Elilan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 July 2006, 15:48 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir jets, on Wednesday evening, bombed Mavilaru site in Vakarai, where protesting Tamil civilians had closed water supply running through LTTE controlled area towards the GoSL controlled area. The protesters were demanding Colombo not to abandon the project to supply drinking water to Tamil areas, according to S. Elilan, LTTE Trincomalee District political head. Truce monitors intervened and mediated between the Tigers and Colombo to a solution. In the meantime, the SLAF has bombed the area, making the crisis worse, charged Elilan Wednesday night. He said that LTTE has decided to reconsider the decision of lifting the water blockade.
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Rajapakse will disarm Karuna if LTTE accepts direct peace deal- paper

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 June 2006, 12:50 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse has intimated to the editor of Jaffna daily Uthayan, N. Vithyatharan, to exchange messages with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to strike a deal for starting direct talks with the LTTE, with the intention of bypassing the facilitation of Royal Government of Norway, a leading broadsheet in Colombo, Sunday Leader said in its latest edition. Mr Rajapakse had said that he will disarm Karuna Group if his proposed two week peace-deal is accepted by the LTTE, the paper said.
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War unavoidable if Norway suspends monitoring function - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 June 2006, 10:52 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Political Head S.P.Thamilchelvan, when asked what LTTE's reaction would be, if Norway, on 29 June, chose to suspend the monitoring role, responded that a such decision would signal an end to the already fragile ceasefire and plunge the island into war. Mr. Thamilchelvan further said that the Tigers responding to the questions posed by the facilitator Norway, had replied that they were fully prepared to continue providing diplomatic immunity to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) as a mission coordinated, facilitated and led by the Royal Norwegian Government.
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Aerial bombardment tantamounts to undeclared war, says Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 June 2006, 10:17 GMT]
S. P. Thamilchelvan, the political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Wednesday said the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) was yet to respond to LTTE's warning that the provocative air attacks, if continued, would be retaliated. "Aerial bombardment is interpreted as undeclared war on the Tamil nation," he told media after concluding a meeting with the Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar, clarifying the LTTE's response to Norway's five questions. "Colombo, obsessed with going to war with the Tamil Nation, has already begun to impose economic blockade on the Tamil homeland," LTTE's Political Head told media.
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Norway, Nordic countries to respond on 29 June - Brattskar in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 June 2006, 07:00 GMT]
The Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar, on Wednesday, discussed with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan on LTTE's response to Norway's request of clarifications, issued on 08 June, from the parties to the Ceasefire Agreement. Confirming that the parties to the CFA, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the LTTE, have submitted their responses to the five questions posed by Norway, Mr. Hans Brattskar told media that Norway, as facilitator, has to take note of LTTE's point of view, although Norway regretted the LTTE's stand to the continued engagement of EU Member States from Nordic countries in the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM).
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SLMM guarantee needed to re-open Muttur east schools-Principals

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 June 2006, 12:24 GMT]
Around eight thousand students are not attending classes since the closure of eighteen government schools in the Liberation Tigers held Muttur east in the Trincomalee district since the three pronged attack launched by the Sri Lankan government forces in the last week of April following the suicide bomb attack on the army commander in Colombo. The artillery fire continued during the second week of June following Kebbitigollawa blast has forced them to continue the closure of schools, said Principals of Muttur east schools in a memorandum sent to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Tuesday.
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Gunmen attack sentry at Polannaruwa Buddhist temple

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 June 2006, 09:51 GMT]
Two unidentified gunmen fired at the joint Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Sri Lanka Police sentry located near the Somawathiya, a historic Buddhist temple in Polonnnaruwa Monday evening at 6:00 p.m., police said. The troops returned fire but gunmen escaped. No one was injured in the incident.
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Mannar Bishop calls for end to violence

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 June 2006, 18:21 GMT]
Rt.Rev.Rayappu Joseph, Bishop of Mannar Diocese Friday said killings of civilians have increased several folds after the first round of Geneva peace talks and appealed to the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to resume the stalled peace talks immediately, with the facilitation of the international community and to put an end to these killings. The Bishop was addressing a meeting held in the premises of Mannar St.Mary's Cathedral, Friday morning.
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Kebitigollawe attack, senseless violence used for political ends - LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 June 2006, 06:34 GMT]
The Claymore attack on Sinhala civilians in Kebitigollawe Thursday morning was "senseless violence used for political ends," the Liberation Tigers condemning the attack said in press release issued from Kilinochchi. Armed acts targeting civilians "cannot be justified under any circumstances," the press release said and charged Sri Lankan armed elements who have intensified their attacks on Tamil civilians for political ends, have also begun targeting Sinhala civilians with the aim of blaming the Tigers. The LTTE has urged the International media "not to fall prey for the reprehensible propaganda tactic."
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Norway's peace role useful- Samaraweera

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 June 2006, 13:55 GMT]
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera who is leading a high-level delegation of the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) officials to Norway said Norway's role in Sri Lanka was "useful," when he addressed the media in Oslo at the Norwegian Foreign Ministry Monday.
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LTTE issues Communiqué in Oslo

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 June 2006, 15:24 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam issued a Communiqué on Friday after concluding meetings begun two days ago with Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and the Norwegian facilitators in Oslo.
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Undue emphasis on direct talks sidelined key issues - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 June 2006, 23:46 GMT]
Preoccupied with bringing Sri Lankan government and the LTTE delegations to face-face talks, Norwegian facilitators had placed less emphasis on engaging with key issues at stake, and more on convincing the two sides to sit opposite to each other, the head of the LTTE’s Political Wing, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, told reporters Thursday evening.
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Norway writes to Rajapakse, Pirapaharan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 June 2006, 19:49 GMT]
Expressing concern over the grave situation in Sri Lanka, the Royal Norwegian Government said in a statement, Thursday, that it has taken "the unprecedented step of requesting both parties, through letters to President Mahinda Rajapakse and the LTTE leader Mr Vellupilai Prabhakaran, to provide responses in writing to five critical questions". "The responses by the parties to these questions will determine which steps will next have to be taken by the Royal Norwegian Government and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, in close partnership with other actors in the international community," the statement further said.
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