Hakim leaves for Norway, Solheim arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 May 2003, 17:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader and a minister in the United National Front (UNF) Government Mr.Rauff Hakim Sunday left for Norway. Meanwhile Norwegian special envoy Mr. Erik Solheim arrived in Colombo the same day, government sources said.


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SLA suspends construction of new camps in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 May 2003, 11:55 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has suspended its construction work on new camps at Jaffna Fort, Mallakam old railway station and court buildings and at Chunnakam junction, civilian sources in Jaffna said. They added that no army personnel were seen at the sites selected for new camps since Saturday evening and that the heavy machinery used for putting up structures for new camps have been moved from the sites.


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Final death toll in flood, landslide stands at 266

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 May 2003, 17:18 GMT]
The Sri Lanka's National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) said Saturday that two hundred and sixty six persons have died in recent flood and landslides in six southern districts of the country. However, more than five hundred persons have been reported missing but not accounted in the official list, sources said.
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Judge orders remand extension for two LTTE cadres

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 May 2003, 13:08 GMT]
The Trincomalee Magistrate Mr.S.Thiagendran Friday ordered further remand till June 5 for the two members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) arrested on a charge of possessing explosives under the Offensive Weapons Act, legal sources said. The Sri Lanka Navy apprehended the two along with a third LTTE cadre on May 8 in the Trincomalee Sea.
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Normalcy returns to displaced Tamils, Muslims in Muttur

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 May 2003, 12:54 GMT]
Tamil and Muslim residents of Muttur division, south of Trincomalee town who sought refuge in schools, churches and mosques where their security was ensured following the outbreak of violence between the two communities last month, started to return to their own homes this Saturday after one and a half months in the temporary shelters, sources said.
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Economic progress in Northeast lacking - EU's Wilton

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 May 2003, 12:38 GMT]
European Union (EU) resident representative in Sri Lanka Mr.Wouter Wilton concluding his two-day fact finding tour in the Jaffna district announced at a press conference held Saturday that "although in overall the security situation of the country is improved considerably no visible progress is seen in the economic situation of the northeast as in the south."


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Resolving CFA issues focus of SLA, LTTE meet

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2003, 19:48 GMT]
A high level meeting between the commanders of the Sri Lankan Government armed forces and the LTTE in the Trincomalee district has been fixed for May 28 at no man’s zone at Kattaiparichchan in the Mutur division, south of the eastern port town, to resolve existing logistical problems in the implementation of the Cease-Fire Agreement, sources said.
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PA rejects interim administration for Northeast

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2003, 19:30 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition People's Alliance (PA) Friday rejected the proposal for an interim council in the Northeast made by the LTTE, and warned that it would be forced to take constitutional remedies if Prime Minister Ranil Wikcremasinghe agreed to the council “contrary to” the constitution.
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TRO office opened at Thampalakamam

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2003, 18:59 GMT]
The Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) Trincomalee district secretariat Friday opened its second divisional branch at Thampalakamam, 16 km. west of Trincomalee town. The first branch of the TRO was opened at Chenaiyoor in the LTTE held Mutur east. A pre-school also was opened on the same day at Thampalakamam.
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LTTE, Muslim leaders appoint Mutur peace committee

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2003, 18:55 GMT]
The first meeting of the eight-member committee appointed under a four point agreement signed by the Liberation Tigers and Mutur Majlis Al Shura Council last Wednesday to resolve differences between Tamils and Muslims in Mutur area is to be held on May 29 morning at the office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in Trincomalee district.
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Canadian Envoy meets LTTE’s Eastern leaders

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2003, 16:43 GMT]
The Canadian High-commissioner in Sri Lanka, Ms. Valerie Raymond, met with a group of LTTE leaders in the Eastern province led by Senior Commander Col. Karuna at the Karadiyanaru guest house on Friday afternoon for more than an hour.
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EU urges LTTE participation in Tokyo aid talks

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2003, 16:19 GMT]
European Union (EU) resident representative in Sri Lanka Mr.Wouter Wilton Friday arrived in Jaffna on a two-day fact-finding visit. Addressing a meeting held at the office of the Consortium of the Jaffna District Humanitarian Agencies (CJDHA) Friday afternoon Mr. Wilton said that the EU is of the view that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) should participate in the Tokyo aid summit to be held next month, sources said.


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SLN soldier in LTTE custody

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2003, 15:38 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldier who entered the LTTE controlled Kadawanaikulam area in Trincomalee district with arms is now in the custody of Thamileelam Police, LTTE Trincomalee district political head Mr.S.Thilak told media persons in the east port town Friday. Kadawanaikulam is 16 km off west of east port town along the Trincomalee-Kandy highway, sources said


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SLN soldier escapes from Karainagar detachment

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2003, 13:02 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldier Friday morning escaped from the Sri Lanka Navy detachment at Karainagar in Jaffna district and surrendered to the residents of the area. Later he was handed over to Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam officials in Karainagar, military sources said
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Search for Solution Must Include LTTE and Bipartisanship- NPC

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2003, 10:45 GMT]
Noting that, "the history of governmental efforts to resolve the ethnic conflict in the past have foundered on unfulfilled promises and agreements that were not underpinned by an appropriate legal foundation," the National Peace Council in a media release issued in Colombo today said that, "it is important that the government should find a way to establish a legally-based administrative system for the North East that would recognise the equal participation of the LTTE."
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Former PS chairman wounded

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 May 2003, 18:36 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and wounded a former chairman of the Vaakarai Pradeshiya Sabha (local government institution), Mr.Samuel Pushparajah (40), around 8.30 p.m., Thursday, at Valaichenai, 32 km. north of Batticaloa.
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LTTE’s political division cadre shot dead

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 May 2003, 16:18 GMT]
The body of a member of the Liberation Tigers’ political division in the Amparai district was found in a paddy field with gun shot wounds Thursday afternoon. LTTE officials said that Mr. Poovannan was abducted by unidentified gunmen Wednesday night from Karaithivu, 48 kilometres south of Batticaloa.
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TNA briefs foreign envoys on NE interim administration

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 May 2003, 15:57 GMT]
A delegation of the Tamil National Alliance Thursday told the American Ambassador for Sri Lanka Mr.Ashely Wills the urgency in setting up of an interim administration to rebuild the war ravaged northeast province and to rehabilitate the displaced families in their villages, TNA sources said.
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Flood relief convoy from North arrives Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 May 2003, 14:55 GMT]
A convoy of six lorries loaded with flood relief supplies valued at more than three million rupees sent by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from north arrived Colombo Thursday, government sources said.
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Tigers seek tangible response from Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 May 2003, 07:40 GMT]
“The Liberation Tigers will participate in the Tokyo aid summit scheduled for next month only if the Sri Lankan government response to our suggestions is concrete, trustworthy, honest and not based on verbal pledges regarding our proposal for the establishment of an interim administration in the northeast province” said Mr. S.P. Thamilselvan, head of the LTTE’s political division, addressing a press conference Thursday in Kilinochchi.


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