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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JVP demonstrators condemn Muttur violence

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 April 2003, 15:02 GMT]
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a Sinhala nationalist opposition party in Sri Lanka that espouses radical Marxism, held a demonstration Friday afternoon at Lipton Square, in downtown Colombo, condemning the violence in Muttur in the East against Muslims and demanding that Norwegian monitors should be ‘thrown out’ of the country to safeguard the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the island, sources said.
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No threat of resumption of war - Minister Peiris

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2003, 18:58 GMT]
The ceasefire agreement signed last year by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is still in force and there is no threat of resumption of war following the pull out by the LTTE from peace talks, said Minister G.L. Peiris, addressing the weekly cabinet press briefing Thursday.
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"LTTE won't derail peace process"- Pappa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2003, 12:12 GMT]
"We will not take any step that could derail the present peace process. We have not completely abandoned the peace talks. We have only suspended our participation in the peace talks for the time being," said Mr.Pappa, head of the Sports Department of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Thursday addressing workers of the non-governmental organizations in the Jaffna district on the current political situation and present peace process, sources said.


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Speedy relief essential for success of talks - TNA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2003, 11:26 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Wednesday requested the United National Front (UNF) government to formulate and implement a new approach that could provide speedy relief to the grievances of several thousands displaced Tamils without further delay fulfilling the justifiable expectations of Tamils since the signing of the ceasefire agreement, sources said.


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Tigers call off rehabilitation talks pending ‘tangible action on the ground’

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2003, 00:00 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Wednesday postponed the meeting of the Sub-committee on Immediate Humanitarian Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN) scheduled for this week, to “await action and implementation on urgent matters … of resettlement and rehabilitation of Internally Displaced People and of refugees.” In a letter to Mr. Bernard Goonetilleke, the head of the Government of Sri Lanka delegation on the SIHRN, Mr. S. P. Tamilselvan, head of the LTTE’s Political Wing and head of the LTTE delegation on the SIHRN, called for ‘tangible action on the ground’ before the Sub-committee meetings resumed.
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EPS fall: reassessing LTTE's manoeuvre warfare prowess

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 21:26 GMT]
Three years ago, on April 22nd, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) hoisted their flag in the heart of what was once one of the most fortified military garrisons in South Asia. The fall of Elephant Pass, described as "impregnable" by a US army officer who visited the garrison months earlier, established the Tigers as the only non-state military force in the world today capable of complex manoeuvre war fighting.
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SLA tightening its grip on Northeast - Para

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 19:57 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army is strengthening its foothold where civilians live in the North-East even after the signing of the ceasefire agreement between the United National Front government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, said Mr. Pararajasingham (Para), Head of the Judicial Division of the LTTE, addressing a meeting in Jaffna town Wednesday.
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Trade Unions to hold joint May Day with LTTE, TNA in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 18:27 GMT]
Trade Unions in Vavuniya have agreed to hold a joint May Day with the TNA and the LTTE this year, and arrangements are being made for the May day event with the cooperation of the LTTE, sources said.
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Buddhist prelate appeals to LTTE to re-enter peace talks

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 18:01 GMT]
The Mahanayake Thera of Asgiriya Chapter, Most Venerable Udugama Buddharakita Thera, Wednesday appealed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam not to pull out from the ongoing peace talks with the United National Front government, political sources in Colombo said.
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LTTE to commemorate capture of Elephant Pass

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 14:28 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam will commemorate the capture three years ago of the Elephant Pass garrison from the Sri Lankan military on April 28, sources in Vanni said.
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Netherlands aids NE resettlement, educational development

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 00:05 GMT]
The Ambassador for Netherlands in Sri Lanka, Ms. Susan Blankhart, Tuesday inaugurated the scheme for granting livelihood assistance for resettled families in the eight districts of the North-East province and the donation of school furniture to improve education in the province at a function held at the Trincomalee Town Hall, sources said.
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JVP demands debate on SLMM, Muttur violence

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2003, 19:04 GMT]
The Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) demanded in a letter to the Speaker of the Sri Lankan parliament that a special meeting of the parliament to discuss the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission’s 'Initial discussion paper' of April 03 to the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) on recognizing Sea Tigers as a de facto naval unit, and the recent incidents of violence in Muttur, Mr. Wimal Weerawansa, the parliamentary group leader of the JVP and its propaganda secretary, said at a press conference held Tuesday at the Nippon hotel in downtown Colombo.
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LTTE condemns attack on Muslims in Allai Nagar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2003, 16:54 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Tuesday said it strongly condemns the attack on a group of Muslim people at Allai Nagar in Thoppur in the Muttur division Tuesday morning. "We believe that it is the work of forces working against peace," said the LTTE’s Trincomalee district military commander, Colonel Pathuman, in a press release Tuesday, sources said.
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People should fight for peace -Balakumaran

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2003, 15:59 GMT]
A senior leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Mr.V.Balakumaran addressing a press conference Tuesday at the LTTE Jaffna district political office said the time has come for the people to get out on the road to fight for peace.
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LTTE and Muslim leaders reach peace agreement

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2003, 20:04 GMT]
Representatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Majlis Al Shura of Muttur division Monday agreed to prevail upon the Tamil and Muslim peoples to end all acts of violence against each other and to work towards ensuring peace, said a press release issued by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in Trincomalee.
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LTTE suspends negotiations with Sri Lanka pending implementation of agreements reached

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2003, 12:51 GMT]
Expressing deep displeasure over certain critical issues relating to the ongoing peace process, the LTTE leadership Monday informed the Sri Lankan government that it has decided to suspend its participation in the negotiations for the time being.
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East MPs, LTTE and SLMM to meet in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 April 2003, 11:15 GMT]
Parliamentarians from the east including Minister Rauf Hakim of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and representatives from the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) are to meet in Trincomalee today to discuss matters related to actions necessary to diffuse tension in the east and to increase understanding between Tamils and Muslims, local news reports said.
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Medical practitioner felicitated by Pirapaharan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2003, 21:24 GMT]
V. Pirapaharan, Leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), applauded the services of Dr. Gengadharan on the golden anniversary (50 years) of his medical services to the Tamil community and presented him with a service award, sources in Vanni said.
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Entire Trincomalee district under curfew

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 April 2003, 16:21 GMT]
The entire Trincomalee district has been brought under twelve-hour police curfew with effect from Sunday at 7 p.m. The curfew will be lifted Monday at 7 a.m. police announced through public address system in the Trincomalee town, sources in Trincomalee said.
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