Finnish Ambassador meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 October 2003, 10:20 GMT]
Mr. Mikko Pyhala, Ambassador, Asia and Oceania, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland expressed his country's support to the peace process in a meeting he had with the Head of Political Wing of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), S.P. Thamilchelvan at the Kilinochchi Peace Secretariat Building today, sources said.
Full story >>

LTTE delegation returns from Dublin, European meetings

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 October 2003, 12:04 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) delegation, led by its Head of Political Wing S.P.Thamilchelvan, which had been to Dublin Ireland to finalize LTTE's proposals on Interim Administration to Northeast returned to Sri Lanka Saturday. Senior Commander Karuna arrived at the Illupadichenai Sports Grounds at 10.30 am in a special military helicopter, sources in Batticaloa said.
Full story >>

Jaffna journalists fast to mark colleague’s murder

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 October 2003, 11:30 GMT]
“Today we see those who murdered Nimalarajan walking about freely. Investigations into his foul murder have been going on for long without any progress. But none of his murderers have been brought to book. We have no faith in Sri Lanka’s system of justice”, said Mr. Velupillai Thavachelvam, President of the Jaffna Journalists’ Association, addressing a protest fast Friday in the northern town to mark the third death anniversary of Mr. Mylvaganam Nimalarajan, the well-known Jaffna journalist.
Full story >>

Security and land Tamils' chief concern – Minister

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 October 2003, 17:13 GMT]
“The Singhalese should decide whether we are going to have a united Sri Lanka or Eelam and Sri Lanka. The peace process may take years. But the conflict should be resolved before the next elections”, said Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Minister of Lands, speaking at a workshop on ‘Devolution of Power: To what extent in Sri Lanka – Lessons Learnt in Europe’, in Colombo Thursday.
Full story >>

LTTE delegation meets Norwegian Foreign Minister

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 October 2003, 15:26 GMT]
The LTTE's peace delegation led by the head of the organization's political wing, Mr.S.P.Mr.Thamilchelvan, met with the Foreign Minister of Norway, Mr. Jan Petersen, Thursday at 5 p.m. at the Royal Norwegian Foreign Ministry, sources said.
Full story >>

Jaffna journalists protest against attack

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 October 2003, 19:54 GMT]
Journalists in Jaffna protested Sunday against the Sri Lankan armed forces for attacking four reporters in the northern peninsula Saturday night. "This attack calls the bluff that Tamil journalists face no problems now in the Sri Lankan government controlled areas of the northeast", said Mr. Velupillai Thavachelvam, the President of the Jaffna Journalistsí Association, addressing the protesting journalists.
Full story >>

LTTE delegation to visit Norway

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 October 2003, 14:27 GMT]
A delegation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, led by Mr.S.P. Thamilchelvan, head of the political division of the LTTE, will visit Norway during October 14-17, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Friday.
Full story >>

Stateless Tamils’ long struggle bears fruit

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 October 2003, 16:59 GMT]
A bill to grant citizenship to 168,141 stateless Tamils in Sri Lanka descended from people who settled in the hill districts of the island in the 19th century was passed Tuesday without opposition in Sri Lanka’s Parliament. Speaking on the bill, Mr. Arumugan Thondman MP, leader of the Ceylon Workers’ Congress, the largest Tamil political party in the hill districts, said: “These people have contributed so much to this country but were denied all their rights and had to struggle for 55 years to achieve the rights they had prior to 1948. This is symbolic of the ethnic divide in this country.”
Full story >>

LTTE Constitutional Affairs Committee meet in Dublin

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 October 2003, 13:09 GMT]
A delegation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), led by the head of its Political Wing, Mr. S.P. Thamilchelvan, is meeting in Dublin, Ireland, with legal experts from the Tamil diaspora who took part in the Paris discussions in early September to finalize the LTTE's proposals for an Interim Administration for the Northeast, sources in the Vanni said.


Full story >>

US says LTTE continues to engage in terrorist activities

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 October 2003, 11:06 GMT]
The United States yesterday re-designated the Liberation Tigers as a foreign terrorist organization, saying that the LTTE continues to engage in terrorist activities, and noted that the designation can be revoked at any time the U.S. is satisfied that the organization no longer meets the statutory criteria for designation, the US embassy in Sri Lanka said in a press release Thursday.
Full story >>

“We will benefit from Ireland's experience” - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 October 2003, 08:56 GMT]
“We would be having discussions with Irish experts who were associated with the peace process in Ireland. The Irish have also struggled for their rights like us. Their experience and knowledge will help us better understand the intricacies of negotiating peace”, Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, the head of the Liberation Tigers’ political division told TamilNet while waiting at the Kilinochchi town grounds to board the Sri Lankan Air Force helicopter to Colombo Thursday morning.
Full story >>

SLMM, LTTE meet focuses on strengthening CFA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 September 2003, 21:26 GMT]
Members of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) lead by Maj. General Tryggve Tellefsen met with Head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Political Wing S.P.Thamilchelvan and LTTE regional political leaders at the LTTE political head quarters in Kilinochchi Sunday between 11am and 2pm to discuss issues related to strengthening the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) between the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL), sources in Vanni said.
Full story >>

SLMM, LTTE district political heads to meet in Killinochchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 September 2003, 19:10 GMT]
Members of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and political heads of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from different districts of northeast province are scheduled to holdl talks at 10 a.m. Sunday at the peace secretariat in Killinochchi, SLMM sources said.


Full story >>

International Aid groups meet LTTE in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 September 2003, 16:09 GMT]
A team of representatives of the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations Development Plan met with Mr. S.P Thamilchelvan, head of the Political division of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, at the LTTE’s Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi Monday, sources in the Vanni said.


Full story >>

Canadian High Commissioner meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 September 2003, 17:58 GMT]
The Canadian Highcommissioner in Sri Lanka, Ms. Valerie Raymond, met with the Political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, at the LTTE’s Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi Friday, and encouraged the LTTE “to move forward steadfastly [in finding a negotiated political settlement to the ethnic conflict] in spite of any obstacles that are usually expected in such protracted conflict resolutions,” sources said.
Full story >>

‘No time frame for restarting talks’ – Helgesen

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 September 2003, 08:46 GMT]
“We will not give any time frame for the possibility of restarting the talks. But as of mid October we expect to start planning resumption of talks”, said Mr. Vidar Helgesen, Norway’s Deputy Foreign Minister after discussions with the head of the Liberation Tigers’ political division, Mr. S.P Thamilchelvan, Thursday in Kilinochchi on the LTTE’s counter proposals for an Interim Administration for the northeast and the status of Sri Lanka’s eighteen month long ceasefire agreement.
Full story >>

Thileepan’s 16th year commemoration begins in NE

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 September 2003, 17:10 GMT]
The Tamil people in the Northeast Monday began observing the sixteenth death anniversary of Lt. Col. Thileepan, a senior leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam who died after twelve days’ fasting unto death due to the failure of the Indian government in fulfilling five demands put forward by him to meet the aspirations of the Tamil people soon after the signing of the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement, sources said.
Full story >>

'Funds to NE only after resumption of peace talks'-Akashi

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 September 2003, 18:05 GMT]
The Japanese special peace envoy, Mr.Yasushi Akashi, said Friday that the funds pledged at the Tokyo donor conference will be channeled for the reconstruction of the northeast only after the resumption of stalled peace talks. The international aid community and the World Bank are also of the same view, he said at the end of the discussion held at Colombo Hilton Hotel Friday to find ways and means to release the funds pledged to the national development of Sri Lanka, sources said.
Full story >>

Danish Ambassador meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 September 2003, 10:45 GMT]
Ambassador for Denmark in Colombo, Mr. Michael Sternberg, met with the Political Wing Leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Mr. S.P. Tamilchelvan, at the Peace Secretariat Building of the LTTE in Kilinochchi Wednesday, sources in the Vanni said.
Full story >>

LTTE delegation meets British Tory leaders

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 September 2003, 17:22 GMT]
The political leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Mr. S.P.Thamilchelvan, met with the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the British Parliament and Shadow Foreign Secretary, Mr. Michael Ancram,M.P., and Lord Ashcroft, the former treasurer of the British Conservative party, in Colombo Thursday shortly after his return from abroad, LTTE peace secretariat sources said.
Full story >>