Japan's aid not conducive to peace in Sri Lanka - Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 July 2007, 19:38 GMT]
R. Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), has said that the decision by Sri Lanka's major donor country Japan, to continue economic aid to Sri Lanka, will soften the International pressure on the SL government to seek a political solution and strengthen Colombo to pursue the military option. Pointing out Sri Lanka President's categorical statement that there would be no change in his policy on a "unitary structure of a government" with the "district as the unit of devolution," Mr. Sampanthan dismissed the efforts of All Party Representatives Committee (APRC) as "no more than a mere pretense" to show some action is being taken towards political solution.
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Sri Lanka and International Community

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 June 2007, 18:05 GMT]
Nation, nation-state and nationalism are manifestations of a psychological phenomenon, experienced collectively by a group of people. It is a feeling of attachment and identity that comes naturally. Nationalism cannot be dictated to unwilling sections of the peoples of a country, whoever may come forward guaranteeing the territorial integrity of that country. Such guarantees may be meaningful when one nation invades others, but not when there is a genuine struggle for freedom within a country.
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Sri Lanka blocks TamilNet

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 June 2007, 15:32 GMT]
TamilNet has completed 10th year of its web publication on 7th June 2007. TamilNet is a globally based news agency, run by an independent group of persons, to cover news and views related especially to the North and East of Sri Lanka. TamilNet has earned its credibility for news reporting and has become an indispensable news source for analysts and opinion makers worldwide. Unsurprisingly, the Government of Sri Lanka has thought of rewarding the TamilNet on its 10th anniversary by surreptitiously blocking it to the public of Sri Lanka.
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Diaspora youth speakout

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 June 2007, 23:21 GMT]
A new brand of politically active Canadian Tamil youths are seeking innovative new outlets to express their political message, and to capture the attention of local media. Social networking sites including YouTube, and Facebook have become key electronic arsenal youths have marshalled to promote political themes and to invite other youths to join action groups. Groups employ well-organized public relations efforts including marathon-walks through cities to attract attention of the local media, law enforcement authorities and politicians.
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India: Sri Lankan Navy attacking Tamil Nadu fishermen

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 May 2007, 12:11 GMT]
The Indian government said Wednesday that it “is aware that a number of fishermen from Tamil Nadu are being attacked and killed by Sri Lankan Navy.” In a written response to a query in Parliament, India’s Defence Minister, Shri AK Antony, noted: there have been incidents of firing on Indian fishing boats in Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar area and recently slight increase in such incidents has been noticed.” The Defence Minister did not comment on recent accusations by Tamil Nadu Police that Tamil Tigers had also fired on fishermen.


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‘The gun is silencing the pen’ – Jaffna journalists

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 May 2007, 11:49 GMT]
Following the recent murder of another journalist in Jaffna by suspected Army-backed paramilitaries, the Journalists Union there has appealed to the international community to defend media freedom in Sri Lanka. Despite international media watchdogs’ disquiet over threats to Sri Lankan journalists, paramilitaries are openly threatening media workers and civil society activists in the northern peninsula, reporters say. The journalists appeal was supported this week by an appeal to the government signed by the Tamil Nationalist Alliance (TNA), Sri Lanka’s largest Tamil party.
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JVP MPs demonstrate outside British High Commission

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 May 2007, 07:02 GMT]
A group of JVP parliamentarians led by Wimal Weerawansa, the propaganda secretary, with hundreds of supporters and district organizers of Jathika Viumukithi Peramuna (JVP), demonstrated Wednesday afternoon outside the British High Commission in Colombo. The protest voiced opposition for interference by Britain and condemned the debate held in the House of Commons in London regarding the internal affairs of Sri Lanka, sources in Colombo said.
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Child Rights group acts to release LTTE under-age recruits

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 May 2007, 23:39 GMT]
Tamileelam Child Protection Board (TCPB), an authority empowered by the Liberation Tigers' Political Wing with the task of implementing Tamileelam Child Protection Act, has urgently requested the parents of children under 17 who had joined the LTTE and yet to be released, to contact the TCPB, in an announcement published Tuesday in Eezhanaatham, the Tamil daily circulated in LTTE controlled areas.
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Killing, abduction in Kanthalaay

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 May 2007, 21:16 GMT]
Unidentified armed men in unnumbered vehicles abducted a Tamil youth Wednesday afternoon, and in a separate incident, shot dead another Wednesday night in the Kanthalaay division.
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Two Tamil youths abducted in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 May 2007, 10:09 GMT]
In two separate incidents, unidentified men who came in white vans abducted two Tamil youths in Colombo city Tuesday night, according to complaints made by relatives at Wellawatte and Kotahena police stations, sources said. Both youths are natives of Jaffna.
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SLA threatens Jaffna media to censor news of student abductions

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 May 2007, 02:03 GMT]
"I strongly condemn the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) personnel intimidating the Jaffna media not to publish any news of the student agitation calling for the immediate release of the four students. This is a gross violation of the freedom of the press," S. Gajenthiran, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna parliamentarian said.
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UK, USA, assuming Policeman role in Sri Lankan affairs - Wimal Weerawanse

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 May 2007, 01:05 GMT]
"Britain and the USA have assumed the role of policemen in the affairs of Sri Lanka," the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) propaganda secretary, Wimal Weerawanse accused at an adjournment debate in Sri Lanka parliament Tuesday, parliamentary sources in Colombo said.
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Tamil youth shot dead in Moothoor

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 May 2007, 05:26 GMT]
Unidentified armed men shot dead a Tamil youth at Ma'natchea:nai in the government held territory in Moothoor south division in Trincomalee district Monday night around 8:45 p.m., sources in Trincomalee said.
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SLA soldiers search Thiriyaai village

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 May 2007, 16:07 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Monday morning conducted cordon and search operation in Thiriyaai, a traditional Tamil village located about 42 km off north of Trincomalee town along Trincomalee-Thennamaravaady road. The operation was launched following the attack on a group of SLA soldiers Sunday night in which one soldier sustained injuries.
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LTTE hands over 5 SLA bodies to ICRC

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 May 2007, 11:06 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) officials Monday around 1:30 p.m. handed over the bodies of five soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) killed in action during a SLA initiated offensive Sunday, to a delegation of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC). The handing over event took place at Vaddakka'ndal where the LTTE Mannar (Ma:n:naar) district political secretariat is located.
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Dissidents to rejoin UNP?

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 May 2007, 10:35 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament is to meet Tuesday after Tamil-Sinhala New Year and Wesak celebrations amid speculation in political circles that some dissident parliamentarians of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) are expected to re-join the UNP. The dissidents are expected to cross over to the opposition side during the current session of the parliament, informed political sources in Colombo said.
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3 STF troopers killed, 4 injured in claymore attack, in Kokkaddichcholai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 May 2007, 10:32 GMT]
Unidentified persons triggered a claymore device Sunday around 10:00 a.m at Kokkaddichcholai in Batticaloa, killing three Special Task Force (STF) troopers and injuring four. The injured troopers were rushed to Batticaloa Teaching hospital. The STF took over the bodies of the troopers killed in the attack.
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Swiss Tamil children hone language, religion skills

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 May 2007, 04:02 GMT]
3858 Tamil children sat for proficiency tests in Tamil and religion in forty two test centers in 17 of the 23 cantons in Switzerland Saturday conducted by the Swiss Tamil Educational Service (TES), a volunteer organization administered by expatriate Tamils, sources in Switzerland said. The examinations are being conducted for the 13th consecutive year, according to TES officials.
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SLFP proposals, an outrageous offer, says Edirisinha

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 May 2007, 12:02 GMT]
Deriding the claim that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) proposals pave the way for a "lasting and honourable solution to the ethnic issue," Dr.Rohan Edirisinha, head of the Legal and Constitutional Unit of the Colombo-based think-tank Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA), says in an opinion column in Saturday issue of daily mirror that the proposals go back to the failed district council proposals of the 1980s and "are potentially dangerous for democracy, good governance and the existence of independent institutions," and "demonstrates that those responsible for the proposals are completely out of touch with the realities of constitutional reform for conflict resolution."
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TamilNet Transcription: automation for trial

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 May 2007, 04:07 GMT]
Readers are requested to refer to our transcription system launched last week. Here is an automation trial to convert the Tamil text into Roman characters and vice versa. Try and comment to us. It is restricted to 200 characters at present. A full version for the use of our readers will be presented shortly.
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