'Tamils disappointed by lack of normalcy' - ACTC leader

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 September 2003, 01:02 GMT]
”The people of Jaffna are a disappointed lot today even after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding by the United National Front Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)," said the Jaffna district parliamentarian and President of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), Mr.A.Vinayagamoorthy, at a seminar held in Trincomalee Sunday evening on the current political situation in the Northeast.


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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.
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British HC officials meet LTTE in Amparai

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 September 2003, 22:05 GMT]
A team of officials from the British High Commission (HC) in Sri Lanka, led by Ms. Margaret Tongue, the head of the Press and Public Affairs division at the HC, met with the Amparai district political leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at the LTTE’s Akkaparipattu political secretariat Thursday, sources in Amparai said.
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Parliamentary debate on independent Muslim group in talks

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 September 2003, 02:15 GMT]
Muslim parliamentarians at a meeting held Wednesday agreed on the request by the leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and Minister Mr.Rauff Hakim that a motion should be moved for a one day debate in parliament on the participation of Muslims as an independent group at the peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) when the talks resume, sources said.


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'GOSL should listen to IDP’s demands' - Ezhilan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 September 2003, 15:11 GMT]
"Those who say that the Ceasefire has brought peace and all problems are solved should go to the refugee camps and see the refugees who cannot return to their homes because of the Sri Lanka Army’s occupation of their lands. Only then they will understand the plight of the internally displaced people (IDP) and the fairness of their demands," said Mr. S. Ezhilan, the political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Vavuniya, speaking at the Pongu Thamil event in Vavuniya town Wednesday, sources said.
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LTTE Eastern commanders visit Vanni to discuss IA proposals

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 September 2003, 11:15 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) military officers led by Senior Commander of the East, Col. Karuna departed by a special helicopter from Iluppaiyadichenai Sports Grounds to Vanni at 9am today to participate in discussions towards finalizing the LTTE's Interim Administration (IA) proposals to the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL).
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Court hears petition against Interim Administration

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 September 2003, 00:31 GMT]
Sri Lanka Court of Appeal directed the Attorney General (AG) to submit written submission for the petition filed by a group of persons including the Chief Incumbent of the Seruvila Raja Maha Vihare, Venerable Saranakeerthi Thera, against the establishment of an interim administrative council for the northeast province without holding a referendum, legal sources in Colombo said.


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'HSZ prevents resettlement of 80,408 Jaffna families'

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 September 2003, 03:33 GMT]
In the Jaffna district, 80,408 families have been unable to resettle in their own lands for the last 13 years as the Sri Lanka Army has been occupying their lands in areas it has declared as High Security Zones, said the Consortium of Non-Governmental Organizations in Jaffna in a statement Saturday.
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Provincial committee formed to prevent HIV/AIDS in NE

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 September 2003, 20:42 GMT]
A provincial HIV/AIDS committee is to be established for the northeast, which has the second highest incidence of AIDS victims in the country, to take preventive measures against the disease, said Dr.S.A.P.Gnanissara, a consultant to the National HIV/AIDS Prevention Project, which is funded by the World Bank, at a conference held Friday at the provincial health ministry auditorium in Trincomalee.
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'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.
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TNA briefs Akashi on urgent need for IA in NE

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 September 2003, 16:45 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), led by its parliamentary group leader, Mr.R.Sampanthan, Friday told the Japanese special peace envoy, Mr.Yasushi Akashi, that an interim administrative structure with adequate powers is urgently needed to rebuild the war ravaged northeastern province as the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has no political power to implement a permanent political solution to the ethnic conflict immediately, sources said.
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PA, UNF trade charges over claims of new Trinco LTTE camps

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 September 2003, 14:37 GMT]
The main opposition in Sri Lanka's parliament, the People's Alliance, Friday rejected the claim by the ruling United National Front government that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has not constructed any new camp in the government controlled areas in the northeast except the Kurankupanchchan LTTE camp now in dispute, and reiterated its original claim of many new LTTE camps in Trincomalee in areas controlled by the Government of Sri Lanka.
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Kanchirankudah displaced left to fend for themselves by GoSL, NGOs

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 September 2003, 04:34 GMT]
The displaced people of Kanchirankudah in the Amparai district are resettling in the village, but neither the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) nor any Non Governmental Organization has come forward to provide support for their basic needs, Human Rights activists say.
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'GOSL responsible for disappearance of Trinco youth' - HRC(UN)

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 September 2003, 14:43 GMT]
The Human Rights Committee of the United Nations, established under article 28 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, has said in a public statement that the Government of Sri Lanka is under an obligation to make a thorough and effective investigation into the disappearance and fate of J.Thevaraja Sarma, who disappeared after being arrested in Trincomalee by the Sri Lanka Army in 1990.
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Fishermen urge GoSL not to release detained Indian trawlers

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 September 2003, 03:29 GMT]
Jaffna District Fisheries Societies Federation (JDFSF) called on the Sri Lanka Government not to return captured Indian trawlers caught poaching in the northern waters of Sri Lanka until the Indian authorities release boats belonging to Sri Lankan fishermen which are being detained at Rameswaram in South India by the Indian coast guard authorities, civil group sources said.


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Jaffna against holding national sports festival

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 September 2003, 20:54 GMT]
Tamileelam Sports Co-ordinating Committee (TSCC) Saturday said in a statement that the decision of the Central Ministry of Sports to hold the 29th National Sports Festival in Jaffna is an act against the feelings of Tamil people, sources said.


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Madhu road to be opened for public

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 September 2003, 14:02 GMT]
After a high level meeting with the Mannar district Government Agent (GA) V.Visvalingam and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) officials Friday at the SLA camp located at Madhu road junction it was announced that the Madhu road leading to the famous Madhu shrine from Vavuniya-Mannar highway will be opened for public use, security sources said.


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Paris meeting 'Positive and Innovative'

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2003, 19:54 GMT]
Delegates to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Constitutional Affairs Committee meeting in Paris to prepare a response to the Government of Sri Lanka's (GoSL's) proposal for an Interim Administration to the Northeast described the meeting as "positive and innovative," in a press release issued at the conclusion of the discussions that lasted from 23rd to 26th of August in Paris.


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SLA stops resettlement in Swamimalai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2003, 16:06 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Saturday stopped a group of internally displaced persons making arrangements to resettle in their abandoned Tamil village Kachchakodi Swamimalai in the Pattipalai division in Batticaloa district, civil group sources said. The Kachchakodi Swamimalai village is located on the border of Batticaloa and Amparai districts in the eastern province about 25 km off southwest of Batticaloa town.
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Solheim, Canadians join as LTTE's Paris meet concludes

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 August 2003, 01:47 GMT]
Eric Solheim, Norwegian special peace envoy, Lisa Gold of the Royal Norwegian Government, Hon. Bob Rae, former premier Ontario Canada and Prof. David Cameron of Canadian Forum of Federations joined the final day yesterday morning session of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam discussions in Paris, sources close to the LTTE delegation said. The LTTE's Constitutional Affairs Committee is currently meeting in Paris to prepare LTTE's response to the Government of Sri Lanka's (GOSL's) proposal for an Interim Administration for the Northeast.


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