Vakaneri fields cleared for paddy cultivation

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 March 2003, 13:21 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Saturday 29 March, permitted paddy cultivation in more than 90% of arable land owned by Muslim farmers in the Vakaneri irrigation scheme located in Kalkuda, 34 km northwest of Batticaloa district, LTTE sources in Batticaloa said.


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LTTE, Muslim parley on key issue

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 March 2003, 17:42 GMT]
“Muslims enjoy the same rights as Tamils in areas under our control. There is no need for them to ask us for their fields because we did not take any. They could not cultivate their lands because of the war. Now they are free to come here and engage in agriculture”, said Mr. T. Ramesh, the LTTE’s special commander for the Batticaloa-Amparai District, speaking to the press Thursday afternoon at the conclusion of a meeting with a delegation of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress.


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Economic development, TEEDOR's main focus - Ramesh

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 March 2003, 11:28 GMT]
Farmers and officials associated with agriculture should co-operate with the Tamil Eelam Economic Development Organization (TEEDOR) to build the economic sector of the Northeast which has been badly affected by war, said Ramesh, Batticaloa-Amparai Special commander of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), speaking as the chief guest in the Farmer' day event held at the Ampalanthurai Sports ground, Batticaloa, Sunday, sources said.


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Batticaloa, Jaffna residents pay respect to Sea Tigers killed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 March 2003, 13:22 GMT]
Several memorial events were conducted Friday in Batticaloa district and Jaffna peninsula to pay respect to the eleven Sea Tigers of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) killed on 10 March when their merchant vessel in international waters off the coast of Trincomalee was sunk by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) craft, sources said.


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Akashi hosts Tiger delegation to traditional meal

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 March 2003, 10:57 GMT]
Japan’s Special Peace Envoy to Sri Lanka, Mr. Yasushi Akashi, Thursday hosted a lunch for the Liberation Tigers’ delegation at the sixth round of direct talks between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government, officials said. Japanese diplomats and LTTE officials sat down to a traditional Japanese meal at a top restaurant in the hot spring resort of Hakone where the talks are being held.
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Annai Poopathi anniversary celebrated in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 March 2003, 04:03 GMT]
"Today represents a historic day in our freedom struggle. The fifteenth year anniversay of the day Annai (mother) Poopathi sacrificed her life waging non-violent struggle against the might of the Indian Army. She demonstrated that no force can suppress the determination of the Tamils to fight for their rights," said Batticaloa-Amparai special commander of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), T. Ramesh, addressing the anniversary celebrations held in Navalady, Batticaloa, sources said.


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Film on Women's struggle released in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 March 2003, 21:47 GMT]
Commemorating International Women Day, the Nitharsanam women film unit of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) released a full feature film, “Uppil Uraintha Uthirangal” (Blood stained sea), in Kaluthavalai Maha Vidyalayam, Batticaloa, Sunday sources said.


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Teachers protest against army occupation in Northeast

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 March 2003, 11:50 GMT]
Tamil and Muslim Teachers in Northeast organized a symbolic strike by calling in sick demanding the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) vacate the schools, places of worship, private residences and public buildings which have been converted to SLA camps, sources in Batticaloa said.


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Batticaloa-Amparai women stage protest meetings on Women’s day

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 March 2003, 00:05 GMT]
Thousands of young women, widows and elderly mothers participated in a large protest march followed by a general meeting organized by Batticaloa-Amparai Women’s Social Foundation on Women’s day March 8 in Batticaloa town, sources said.
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NE Education officials meet LTTE in Vakarai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 March 2003, 01:10 GMT]
Officials from the NorthEast Provincial Education Department met with members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam political division, Friday morning, in Pannichangkerni School, Vakarai, Batticaloa district for detailed discussions related to educational development in the Vakarai region, sources said.
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NE volunteer teachers to continue sit-in protest

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 March 2003, 18:49 GMT]
The sit-in-protest by several hundred Tamil medium volunteer teachers from the districts of Batticaloa and Amparai in front of the provincial education ministry in Trincomalee continued for the third day on Wednesday.
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Volunteer teachers picket demanding permanent appointment

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 March 2003, 19:02 GMT]
More than two hundred volunteer teachers from Batticaloa and Amparai districts Monday launched a picketing campaign in front of the office of the North East Provincial Ministry of Education in Trincomalee demanding that they should be made permanent immediately as given assurance earlier, sources said.


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Army occupation still prevails after a year of peace - Ramesh

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2003, 14:02 GMT]
"Twelve months have passed after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), but vast numbers of Tamil people are still living under Sri Lanka Army (SLA) occupation. Army camps are still being maintained in Tamils' homes and public buildings creating a sense of mistrust and skepticism on the strength of the MoU in Tamil peoples' mind. Only by the SLA fully complying with the provisions of the MoU can the faith on MoU be restored," said Ramesh, Batticaloa-Ampara special commander of the LTTE, addressing a meeting in Batticaloa Sunday, sources said.
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Fourth SIHRN meeting in Kilinochichi

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 February 2003, 17:41 GMT]
Fourth meeting of the SIHRN took place in Kilinochchi at the premises of SIHRN secretariat. Mr. Bernard Gunatillake headed the Government delegation and S.P Thamilchelvan lead the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) delegation. Ambassador Jon Westborg facilitated the meeting on behalf of the Norwegian Government. Ambassador Seichro Otsuka of Japan participated on behalf of Mr. Yasushi Akashi, principal advisor to the Sub-Committee.
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Peace dividend delay eroding Tamils' faith in talks – Col. Karuna

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 February 2003, 16:10 GMT]
“There has been no development work in the northeast so far despite one year of peace. Our people find this disappointing; and it has eroded their confidence in the peace process,” said Col. Karuna, senior commander of the Liberation Tigers, speaking to presspersons Friday at the conclusion of the second round of discussions on ceasefire violations, human rights and Muslim affairs between the Government of Sri Lanka and LTTE in Vavunathivu, five kilometres northwest of Batticaloa town.
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Protest shutdown in Batticaloa, Amparai on CFA anniversary

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 February 2003, 08:53 GMT]
Shops and businesses were closed and roads were deserted in the Batticaloa district Saturday in protest against Colombo's failure to -'satisfactorily honour' the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) with the Liberation Tigers. The LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) signed the CFA on one year ago, on 22 Feb. 2002.
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'Letter from the east gave Pirapaharan confidence' – author

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 February 2003, 00:03 GMT]
"On August 4, 1987 our leader asked the large gathering on the Suthumalai grounds in Jaffna whether the Liberation Tigers should hand over their weapons to the Indian army. He was deeply distressed when many cheered him to do so. But it was a letter from this soil that convinced him not to surrender the arms," said Manalaaru Vijayan, the author of a book on massacres of Tamils in the Batticaloa-Amparai Districts by the Sri Lankan armed forces, released Friday.
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Eastern Media Associations condemn SLA attack on Northern journalists

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 16:40 GMT]
District Media Associations in Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara in the eastern province have issued statements condemning the attack on two Tamil journalists, Mr.S.Sivabalan (Thinakural) and Mr.S.Manoharan (Eelanadu) at Manipay in Jaffna district by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in which LTTE women cadres and members of public were also assaulted, sources said.


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Negotiators in Berlin for fifth round

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 February 2003, 22:51 GMT]
Negotiators representing the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lankan government as well as Norwegian facilitators arrived in Berlin Thursday to participate in the fifth round of direct talks between the two sides brokered by Oslo.
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NorthEast Province receives 9 ambulances from WHO

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 February 2003, 13:55 GMT]
The World Health Organization (WHO) Friday donated eight ambulances worth fifteen million rupees to the Tamil dominated northeast province to provide better medical services to the people in the remote villages who have suffered years with lack of medical attention, provincial health ministry sources said.
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