SLMM hands over SLA proposals on HSZ to LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 December 2002, 19:15 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Monday handed over a document containing proposals by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) regarding the normalization of High Security Zones (HSZs) in Jaffna peninsula to the representatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), sources in Jaffna said


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Report soon on LTTE's broadcast equipment - G.L. Pieris

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 December 2002, 17:03 GMT]
The United National Front Government will soon release a report giving details of the broadcasting equipment given to the LTTE and this will clarify the misleading information spread to the public by some interested parties, said G. L. Pieris, minister of Constitutional Affairs and the leader of Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) negotiating team, speaking to journalists at a press conference in Colombo today.
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Agreement to rebuild A9 signed

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 December 2002, 15:06 GMT]
Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed an agreement Monday morning at the Kilinochchi political head quarters to provide a Rs.600m loan to rebuild 103km segment of Jaffna-Kandy road (A9) beginning from Vilakuvaithakulam in Omanthai to Jaffna Town, sources in Kilinochchi said.


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Minister says majority support federal concept

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 December 2002, 18:27 GMT]
Health Minister in the United National Front government (UNF), Mr.P.Dayaratne, addressing a public meeting at Kurunagala Sunday said, "Majority of the people in south are supporting the federal concept. Only few communal elements are against a political solution to the ethnic problem based on federal constitution," sources in Kurunagala said.


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Body of EPRLF member recovered from Mandoor Lake

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 December 2002, 18:25 GMT]
Body of Poopalapillai Alaguthurai, Porathivu Predheshya Sabha member from the Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) who disappeared on 16 December was recovered from Mandoor lake close to the Batticaloa-Ampara border Saturday, sources in Batticaloa said.


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Minister urges UNP-PA to work together for peace

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 December 2002, 17:36 GMT]
Minister of Fisheries, Mr.Mahinda Wijesekara, addressing a seminar Sunday at Devinuwara, a town in deep South, appealed to the United National Front (UNF) government and the main opposition People's Alliance ( PA ) to bury their differences and work together to find a lasting political solution to the ethnic conflict.
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Rehabilitation, Development discussed in Trinco conference

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 December 2002, 05:27 GMT]
The political section of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) organized a conference Sunday to discuss proposed development and rehabilitation work in Trincomalee district and to establish a framework for the Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that promotes close coordination to avoid duplication of effort while facilitating the NGOs to function without any obstacles, sources in Trincomalee said.
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LTTE returns children to their parents in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 December 2002, 17:54 GMT]
Political leader for Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for Vavuniya, Mr. Ezhilan, returned six children under the age of 18 who wanted to join the LTTE, to their parents, in the presence of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) officials and journalists in Vavuniya today.


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Military enclaves in civilian areas, a Rights violation - Judge

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 December 2002, 12:51 GMT]
Military camps in heavily civilian populated areas is a form of human rights violation, said M. Sittampalam, President of Vavuniya Attorneys Union and District Court Judge, in a meeting at Vavuniya Suthananda Hindu Youth Association building, celebrating the Human Rights Day.
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Thousands displaced, stranded by floods in Batticaloa-Amparai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 December 2002, 23:23 GMT]
Continuing torrential rain in Batticaloa-Amparai has affected 94549 families, 8577 families have abandoned their homes and sought refuge in schools, temples and public buildings, 1406 homes have been damaged and thousands of acres of paddy fields have been destroyed by flood water, officials in Batticaloa said.


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Norwegian envoy encouraged by discussions in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 December 2002, 20:53 GMT]
The Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Jon Westborg, told journalists today that he is encouraged by discussions held in Kilinochchi on matters related to the resettlement of people affected by the war in the North-East.
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Hakim removes rival from ERA chairmanship

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 December 2002, 16:47 GMT]
Mr.Rauff Hakim, leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) removed his rival group leader Mr.S.Subairdeen from the post of chairman of the Eastern Rehabilitation Authority (ERA) Monday. The new Chairman is to be appointed Tuesday by Minister Rauff Hakim, according to the media unit of the Ministry of Port, Shipping, Eastern Regional Development and Muslim religious cultural affairs, sources said.
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Maldives keen to host Lanka-LTTE talks

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 December 2002, 12:27 GMT]
The government of Maldives Monday said it was keen to host the peace talks between the Liberation Tigers and the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) during a two-day visit to the atoll nation by Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe. The Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom wished success for the peace talks to end Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict during official talks with Mr. Wickremesinghe in Male, the main atoll that is the country’s capital.
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Japanese envoy unveils key Secretariat in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 December 2002, 17:58 GMT]
The secretariat of the Sub-Committee for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of the Northeast was opened in Kilinochchi Sunday morning, according to the Voice of Tigers radio. Japan’s ambassador for Sri Lanka unveiled the secretariat’s name board while Norway’s ambassador cut the ribbon to ceremonially open the building, according to the VOT.
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Muslims rights will be safeguarded - Prime Minister

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 December 2002, 17:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe Sunday assured the Muslim community that his government would do everything in its power to safeguard the rights of Muslims in the eastern province when finding a negotiated political solution to the ethnic conflict in the peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and would never let down Muslims at any stage of the peace talks, when he addressed the gathering in Madwela, Kandy, sources said.
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'Our choice is between Prosperity and War'- Ranil

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 December 2002, 00:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said that the country has entered a critical stage and people of Sri Lanka have to choose between prosperity and war while addressing the forty eighth annual general meeting of the United National Party (UNP), the main constituent of the United National Front (UNF) government Saturday at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo.
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'EPDP is being used to derail peace process'- Karuna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 December 2002, 16:51 GMT]
"Some elements are using the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) to derail the peace process. The return of EPDP members to Nedunthivu and recent incidents in Nelliady have clearly demonstrated the motives of such elements," Colonel Karuna, Special Commander of the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) in Batticaloa-Ampara district said Saturday.
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Bomb blast damages Batticaloa TRO Office

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 December 2002, 14:18 GMT]
Investigations are in progress on the bomb blast that damaged the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) building in Batticaloa town Thursday alleged to have been carried out by groups opposed to Liberation Tigers (LTTE) operating in Batticaloa area, sources from the Eastern town said.
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Phased approach agreed to address Jaffna HSZ resettlement

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 December 2002, 13:54 GMT]
At the second meeting of the Sub Committee on De-escalation and Normalization (SDN) held Saturday at Muhamalai it was agreed that a solution to the resettlement of internally displaced people in High Security Zones (HSZ) and other areas presently perceived as inaccessible to the public could be only solved through integrated plans of action agreed upon by the two parties, said a press release issued by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Sri Lanka.
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AG urged to file appeal against Mylanthanai acquittal

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 December 2002, 13:05 GMT]
A delegation of leading human rights lawyers led by President Counsel Mr.Desmond Fernando requested the Attorney General (AG) to consider filing appeal against the acquittal order by the Colombo High Court in the Mylanthanai massacre case in which eighteen soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army were charged with murder, attempted murder of thirty five Tamils including men, women and fourteen children under twelve years, legal sources in Colombo said.
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