Norway delegation meets SL President

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 January 2005, 14:00 GMT]
Norway's Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Development Mr. Jan Peterson and Ms. Hilde F. Johnson met with Sri Lanka's President Ms Kumaratunge at President's House in Colombo Friday, a press release issued by Sri Lanka Government said.
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Dire need for long-term psychological counseling- Fr.Karunaratnam

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 January 2005, 03:18 GMT]
Rev.Fr.M.X. Karunaratnam, head of the NorthEast Secretariat on Human Rights (NESOHR), was recently appointed as chairman to lead an effort to provide psychological support for those in the NorthEast affected by the tsunami. Father Karunaratnam spoke to TamilNet in detail of the task at hand and about the group they have assembled to carryout this task that requires social sensitivity, and a coordinated plan for long-term care and follow-up.
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Counseling coordinators to start public awareness campaign

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 January 2005, 14:10 GMT]
Importance of urgently starting a public awareness campaign on the counseling needs for the survivors of tsunami disaster was discussed in a coordinating meeting of representatives of humanitarian organisations held Tuesday 2 pm at the North East Secretariat on Human Rights (NESOHR) located at Karadipokku in Kilinochchi, sources in Kilinochchi said.
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NLF decries induction of foreign troops

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 January 2005, 18:17 GMT]
The New Left Front (NLF), a vocal leftist group, in statement signed by the group's leader Dr. Vickramabahu Karunarathne and issued in Colombo Monday, condemned the induction of foreign troops into Sri Lanka in the guise of helping the tsunami victims. In a strongly worded statement the New Left Front said 'it is totally unnecessary to commit troops' for relief work and accused the US of having its own agenda of gaining a foothold with designs to suppress the LTTE and control the Tamil liberation struggle on behalf of local capitalist rulers."
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President Kumaratunga briefs tsunami crisis to Colombo-based diplomats

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 December 2004, 16:44 GMT]
President Kumaratunga Friday met Colombo based diplomats and members of the International Agencies to brief them on the crises faced by Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Sunday's disaster. Commenting on the long term needs of the country she has said that the country "would welcome the assistance of all friendly nations", adding that the damaged road network would be given the first priority followed by telecom, hospitals, schools, housing.
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UNP's protest campaign draws 30 000 protestors in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 December 2004, 16:48 GMT]
Around thirty thousand protestors joined in a big protest rally organized by the main opposition United National Party (UNP) in Colombo Tuesday, demanding the release of Mr.S.B.Dissanayake, a UNP parliamentarian who was sentenced to two years rigorous imprisonment by the Supreme Court recently, on being found guilty on contempt charge.
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Paramilitary cadre arrested with hand grenade in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 December 2004, 10:40 GMT]
A paramilitary cadre, Vellaikutty Tharmakumar (25), believed to be a member of the paramilitary group led by Karuna, was arrested in Valaichenai, 32 kilometres north of Batticaloa, when he was found in possession of a hand grenade Friday evening, Police sources said.
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RSF says concerned over attacks on Tamil media

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 December 2004, 21:12 GMT]
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Monday voiced concern over threats to the news media in the war-torn north and east of Sri Lanka after a Tamil-language daily newspaper and the premises of a radio and TV group were the targets of violent attacks two days apart. RSF said in a statement that the attacks not only posed a threat to journalists but also denied the public reasonable access to news and information. It called for thorough investigations to identify and punish those responsible.
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‘No Karuna group, only SLA psy ops’ –Kausalyan

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 December 2004, 04:47 GMT]
“Sri Lanka military intelligence has from time to time unleashed brutal state terror in the East, using individuals and paramilitary groups such as PLOTE Mohan and Razeek group. There is no Karuna group operating in the East now. The recent violence in the East in the name of ‘Karuna group’ is a continuation of this state terror by the SLA,” said Mr. E. Kausalyan, the political wing leader of the Liberation Tigers in the East, speaking to journalists at the LTTE secretariat in Kokkadicholai Saturday.
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Trinco Campus launches first external degree programme

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 December 2004, 07:40 GMT]
Trincomalee campus of the East University has inaugurated its first External Degree Programme on two disciplines, B.Sc (Management) and B.A (Communication). The inauguration of the programme and introduction of applicants was held Friday evening at the conference hall of the Trincomalee campus with Rector, Rev Dr.C.P.Rajendram in the chair.
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Colombo continues to violate Tamils’ rights- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 December 2004, 13:09 GMT]
“We have established a system of government that upholds and protects the fundamental rights of our people in regions under our control in the northeast. Our judiciary and Police are committed a society based on the Rule of Law in which our people can enjoy their freedoms and pursue their interests with self respect. But in areas held by the Sri Lankan government its armed forces continue to violate the rights of the Tamil people," said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, head of the political wing of the Liberation Tigers addressing a meeting to mark International Human Rights Day in Kilinochchi Friday.
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SC reserves order on Bindunuwewa massacre appeal

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 December 2004, 09:55 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court reserved its order on the appeals made by the four accused against death sentence imposed on them by the Trial-at-Bar of the High Court in the Bindunuwewa rehabilitation camp massacre case, for a later date. The appeals were heard by specially constituted five member bench of the SC comprised Justices T.B.Weerasuriya, Nihal Jayasinghe, N.K.Udalagama, N.E.Dissanayake and Raja Fernando, legal sources said.
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GoSL must start talks based on ISGA- Jaffna NGOs

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 December 2004, 04:22 GMT]
"If peace and goodwill are to prevail, the Government of Sri Lanka should come forward to discuss without delay the Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) proposals put forward by the LTTE. The proposals represent the collective will of all NorthEast Tamils," said Rev. Father Jeyakumar on behalf of the consortium of NGOs at a meeting held Monday in Nallur, Jaffna. Academics from the South who were on a fact finding mission to Jaffna also participated in the meeting.
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UNP protests against UPFA's budget

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 December 2004, 11:49 GMT]
Hundreds of supporters of United National Party (UNP) and many of its senior parliamentarians held a protest march against the Sri Lanka's budget, the price increases of essential goods and the increase of an hour in the working day, sources from Colombo said. The protest march started from Rajagiriya junction and moved towards the parliament square.
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Karuna kidnapped ENDLF secretary claims mother

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 November 2004, 16:47 GMT]
The mother of Mr. Pakkiyanathan Rajaratnam, 51, the secretary of the ENDLF, a Sri Lankan Tamil paramilitary based in South India, complained to the Human Rights Commission in Jaffna that her son has allegedly been kidnapped by the 'Karuna Group'. Mr. Rajaratnam alias Mano Master has been reported missing since last Thursday. Police are still investigating his whereabouts.
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NY Tamils celebrate Heroes Day

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 November 2004, 17:13 GMT]
Residents of New York and surrounding counties celebrated Heroes Day at Queens High School in Queens, New York, Saturday evening, event organizers said. Flag of the United States and of Tamil Eelam were jointly hoisted at the beginning of the event. Cultural events were held following floral tributes by the attendees to the memorial to 'Maaveerar' setup on stage.
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Tigers dismiss Batticaloa attack reports as SLA psy ops

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 November 2004, 04:39 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers dismissed reports in the Sri Lankan state controlled media that more than thirty LTTE fighters were killed in a landmine attack in the Batticaloa district's interior. "This is clearly another psy-ops gimmick by the Sri Lankan armed forces to disrupt the Great Heroes' Week in Batticaloa", an LTTE spokesman told journalists Monday night. Meanwhile, residents of Batticaloa town said Sri Lanka army troopers had dropped hundreds of handbills in the name of the paramilitary Karuna Group in the early hours of the morning Tuesday.
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SLA military intelligence operative, Karuna cadre killed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 November 2004, 10:31 GMT]
A Sri Lanka military intelligence operative and a person suspected to be a member of the paramilitary, 'Karuna Group' were shot dead by a gunman in Kaduruwela, a satellite town of Polannaruwa, 85 kilometres northwest of Batticaloa, around 1.30 p.m. Thursday, Police said. The men were riding a motorbike in the predominantly Sinhala town when they were shot by a person with a handgun. The Sri Lanka military intelligence operative, Lance Corporal Ajith Dassanayaka was killed on the spot and the Karuna Group cadre died on admission to the Polannaruwa hospital, according to Police.
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Tigers, SLA discuss security of LTTE political workers

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 November 2004, 13:37 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers met Sri Lankan armed forces representatives Friday at the truce monitoring mission office in Batticaloa for discussions on the security of their political activists who are working in the eastern town. At the meeting, the Tigers pointed out that LTTE members are, contrary to the spirit of the cease fire agreement, harassed by Sri Lankan armed forces when they show their official identity cards. This hinders the LTTE's political work in areas controlled by the Sri Lankan government in Batticaloa, the Liberation Tigers told Sri Lankan armed forces delegation.
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Paramilitary operative arrested for claymore attack in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 November 2004, 11:36 GMT]
Batticaloa Magistrate Friday remanded a ‘Karuna Group’, cadre accused of attempting to murder two civilians by exploding a claymore mine and lobbing a grenade at them on Thursday around 2.30 p.m. near Kaluwankerni Junction on the main coastal artery of the district. Mr. Dharmasena Ratnayaka, Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Eravur Police said the Karuna Group cadre was operating from the EPDP camp in neighbouring Chenkalady.
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