Festival focusses on revival of Cultural, Literary values

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 December 2002, 02:18 GMT]
"After twenty years of brutal war, with the dawn of peace, Tamils in northeast province have now got an opportunity to work for the revival of their lost literary and cultural values," said Mr S.Sivanandan, Director of Education of the Provincial Ministry of Education, presiding over the first day evening session of the Tamil Literary Festival held in Trincomalee.
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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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JDMA condemns attack on journalist

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 December 2002, 14:43 GMT]
The Jaffna District Media Association (JDMA) Wednesday condemned the police attack on its President Mr.V.Thavachelvam at Nelliady as a blatant violation of press freedom." Even after showing the press accreditation card Mr.Thavachelvam was attacked by the Police," said JDMA in a statement issued today.
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Vadamaradchy observes hartal

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 December 2002, 13:18 GMT]
All business activities in Nelliady, Puloly, Udupiddy, Valvettiturai and Manthikai areas in Vadamarachchi division in Jaffna district Wednesday came to a standstill as hartal (general shut down) was observed in protest against the Police attack on civilians who picketed the office of the para military Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) Tuesday afternoon, sources said. Picketing was held against the presence of EPDP cadres in Nedunthivu island others areas in the peninsula.
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Police fired live bullets on Nelliady picketers

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 December 2002, 18:35 GMT]
Medical sources in the northern Jaffna town said Tuesday evening that Police had fired on the anti-EPDP picketers with live bullets and not with rubber bullets as earlier stated. On Tuesday night three of the eight seriously wounded traders were admitted to the Jaffna teaching hospital with gunshot wounds, the sources said.
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Police attack injures fifteen anti-EPDP picketers

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 December 2002, 11:56 GMT]
At least fifteen civilians were injured Tuesday afternoon in Nelliady, 30km northeast of Jaffna, when Police used tear gas and opened fire with rubber bullets on the picketers in front of the local office of Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP). In a subsequent grenade attack eight persons, were seriously wounded including journalist Mr.V.Thavachelvan. All have been warded in the Point Pedro base hospital, medical sources said.


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'War imminent if federal solution is rejected'- Minister Peiris

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 December 2002, 18:39 GMT]
The United National Front (UNF) government Monday said if the attempt to find a political solution to the ethnic conflict through a federal constitution is rejected then there is high likelihood of war breaking out again. "Instead of amending the clauses of the present constitution, the government has decided to table a new constitution that will embody the new political framework," said Professor G.L.Peiris, Minister of Constitutional Affairs and cabinet spokesman at a press briefing Monday in Colombo.


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CTTU leads Rights Conference in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 December 2002, 17:51 GMT]
"Human rights abuses in Sri Lanka abound because people refuse to accept other people's views. If every community develops the mindset to listen and understand views of others, there would be no war and destruction," said Mr. K. Velayutham, the Badulla district member of parliament (MP), speaking at a conference on "Human Rights and Democracy" in Batticaloa today.
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LTTE, GOSL reach exploratory agreement

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 December 2002, 12:04 GMT]
The government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam reached an exploratory agreement Thursday to “explore a solution to end the island’s conflict founded on the principle of internal self determination in areas of historical habitation of the Tamil speaking peoples, based on a federal structure within a united Sri Lanka”. “Sri Lanka needs a new constitution that would radically transform its polity," said Chief negotiator of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. Anton Balasingham, addressing a joint press conference Thursday morning at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Oslo.
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Third round of peace talks open in Oslo

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 December 2002, 16:32 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) began the third round of peace talks to end Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict at the Radisson SAS Plaza Hotel in downtown Oslo Monday afternoon.
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TNA mourns death of veteran Trinco Tamil activist

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 December 2002, 21:21 GMT]
"At a time when we are at the doorstep of finding a just, permanent and lasting solution to the Tamil national question through talks between the United National Front (UNF) government and the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) Trincomalee Tamils have lost a veteran activist who has worked for the political emancipation of his community for about fifty years," said the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan paying Homage to Mr. Subramaniam Gunanayagam Sunday evening.
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Veteran Tamil activist Gunanayagam passes away in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 November 2002, 10:52 GMT]
A veteran Tamil social worker and a politician in Trincomalee district Mr. Subramaniam Gunanayagam passed away Thursday at the age of seventy after a brief illness.
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Secretariat formed to manage NE development

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 November 2002, 17:46 GMT]
Setting up of a Secretariat to manage the rehabilitation and development to start functioning on 15 December was discussed at the first meeting of the Sub-Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs of North East (SIHRN) comprising delegations of the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held Monday, 18 November, at the Killinochchi District Secretariat auditorium.
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LTTE, government delegations in Thailand

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 October 2002, 10:35 GMT]
The delegations of the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Wednesday flew in the same plane from Colombo to Thailand to attend the second round of four day peace talks scheduled to commence on October 31, airport sources said.
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Negotiators depart for Thailand Peace Talks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 October 2002, 11:12 GMT]
Representatives of the Sri Lankan Government, Director of Peace Secretariat Bernard Gunatillake, Major General Shantha Kotegoda, John Gunaratne and Janaka Jeyasekara of the Peace Secrtariat, departed Katunayake airport today, 29 October morning to participate in the second round of peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to be held on the 31st in the city of Nakhon Pathom, 35 miles west of Bangkok, sources said.
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Nimalarajan remembered

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 October 2002, 17:10 GMT]
The second death anniversary of journalist Mr. Mylvaganam Nimalarajan was observed in Jaffna Friday under the auspices of International Thamileelam Students Forum ( ITSF ) and Jaffna district Media Association.
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Diplomatic delegation meets Balasingham

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 October 2002, 19:52 GMT]
An eight-member diplomatic delegation from Denmark, Greece and Italy held discussions with the Mr.Anton Balasingham, LTTE's chief negotiator, in Killinochchi, Wednesday. The diplomats expressed their fullest support to the current peace process and assured their readiness to provide funds for Northeast development and de-mining in the province, LTTE sources in Vanni said.
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Norwegians to meet Pirapaharan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 October 2002, 12:26 GMT]
A Norwegian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgessen will meet the leader of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. V. Pirapaharan, in Vanni, next week, the Voice of Tigers Radio announced Wednesday, quoting Mr. Anton Balasingham, the LTTE’s chief negotiator. Mr.Balasingham arrived in Vanni Tuesday from London.
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British MPs tour Jaffna, Vanni

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 October 2002, 04:52 GMT]
Progress in peace talks will largely determine if Britain will lift the ban on the LTTE or not, said Mr.Gareth Thomas, British Member of Parliament, Tuesday after visiting Jaffna and Vanni areas accompanied by Mr.Robert Evans, Member of European Parliament.
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STF atrocities intended to scuttle peace – Karuna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 October 2002, 11:16 GMT]
“The peace talks in Thailand have created confidence among our fighters and our people. In this context, the actions of the STF are aimed at scuttling the peace talks. Our people have faith in future negotiations. But the STF’s atrocities are sowing doubts and confusion in their minds. However, we are observing the ceasefire with vigilance according to the instructions of our national leader,” Col. Karuna, senior commander of the Liberation Tigers in charge of the Batticaloa Ampara districts, told Maj. Gen. (ret) Trond Furhovde, the head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission.
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