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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SIHRN-World Bank formalize Establishing NE development fund

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 February 2003, 12:34 GMT]
The World Bank (WB) and the Sub Committee on Immediate Humanitarian Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN) Friday signed a "Letter of Intent " as a prelude to establishing a North East Reconstruction Fund (NERF) in support of post conflict development efforts in the northeast province, a press release issued by the SIHRN said.


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Muslim parliamentarians meet Sri Lanka's PM

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 February 2003, 02:30 GMT]
A delegation of Muslim parliamentarians Thursday requested Sri Lanka's Prime Minister (PM), Ranil Wickremasinghe, for an opportunity for the Muslims to participate as an independent group in the peace talks now being held between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), sources said.
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New Head of SLMM meets LTTE officials in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 February 2003, 12:49 GMT]
Tryggve Tellefsen, the new head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission(SLMM), a group of Nordic monitors overseeing the year-old truce between Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL), met with officials of the LTTE at the Vavuniya SLMM office, sources said.


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PM to visit India tomorrow

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 February 2003, 16:08 GMT]
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe will make an official visit to India tomorrow, Sri Lankan foreign ministry officials said. Mr. Wickremasinghe will stay in India for three days and meet with Indian Prime Minister, B. Vajpayee, Foreign Affairs minister, Jaswant Sinha and Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani.
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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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Implementation of Cease-fire Agreement not adequate- Sivajilingam

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 February 2003, 23:52 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian (TNA) Mr.M.K.Sivajilingam said Friday addressing a conference held at the Jaffna district secretariat that the Cease-fire Agreement (CFA) has not been implemented in a way to alleviate the sufferings of the displaced people who are still languishing in refugee camps and welfare centres.
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Protest against GOSL failure to implement ceasefire agreement

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 February 2003, 21:12 GMT]
The Jaffna District People's Forum (JPDF) Friday called for a token hunger campaign in front of the Nallur Kandasamy Temple on Sunday to highlight that cease-fire agreement (CFA) signed by the United National Front (UNF) government and the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) has not benefited Tamils in the northeast province. The Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) has failed to implement the agreement fully, the campaign organizers said. The Consortium of NGOs in Jaffna district Friday called for a 'hartal' (general shut down) Saturday for the same reason till 10 in the morning, sources said.
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Police should replace military, LTTE women cadres can wear civilian belts - SLMM

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 February 2003, 13:42 GMT]
To prevent future clashes, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) agreed to allow women LTTE cadres to wear any civilian type of belts when entering and staying in GOSL controlled areas, a press release issued Sunday by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) said.
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Kilinochchi protesters condemn SLA assault in Manipay

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 19:58 GMT]
Hundreds of residents of Kilinochchi and surrounding areas marched through Kilinochchi Saturday protesting the attack on Wednesday 12 February on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) unarmed female cadres in Manipay, Jaffna, by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and by the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) members. The march was organized by the Tamil National Uprising Front in Vanni, sources said.


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Protest in Vavuniya condemns Manipay SLA assault

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 12:24 GMT]
More than thousand residents of Vavuniya and surrounding areas marched in Vavuniya Saturday wearing black belts in their waists protesting the attack on Wednesday 12 February on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) unarmed female cadres in Manipay, Jaffna, by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers. The marchers handed over a memorandum to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), sources in Vavuniya said.


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"Focus will be on political issues at Tokyo talks"-Peiris

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 February 2003, 21:52 GMT]
The ruling United National Front Thursday announced that the devolution of power would be the key issue at the next round of peace talks between the GOSL and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
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Music, Dance, Drama festival to be held in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 February 2003, 17:32 GMT]
A five day North East Tamil music, dance and drama festival is to be held in Trincomalee commencing from March 3rd to March 7th to create awareness among Tamils and to promote peace when the next round of talks takes place between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Japan, according to a decision taken at the discussion held Sunday evening at Trincomalee Town Hall under the auspices of Art and Literature Committee, sources said.
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Sea incident, Rights, Resettlement, Children's issues discussed in Berlin talks

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 February 2003, 16:08 GMT]
At the fifth round of peace talks held in Berlin, the Government of Sri lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) negotiators agreed to work out safeguards to prevent Nedunthivu type sea incidents from happening in the future, agreed to establish three committees in Eastern Province to address local land and other issues, agreed to request Amnesty's Ian Martin to prepare for discussion a roadmap of human rights issues. LTTE also agreed to work with UNICEF on an action plan for children affected by armed conflict, a Norwegian embassy press release said.
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Only peace will permit development - Minister

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 February 2003, 15:33 GMT]
Only because of the prevailing climate of peace and the progress that is being achieved in the on-going talks between the Government of SriLanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) that we are able to visit here and actively engage in promoting industrial development, said Industries Minister Rohitha Bogollagama of the ruling United National Front (UNF) government, speaking at Manmuni North regional Secretariat in Batticaloa district, Friday, sources in the east said.


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Gen. Nambiar visits Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 February 2003, 17:54 GMT]
Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Satish Nambiar, the Indian defense expert invited by the government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) to report on high security zones (HSZs) in the North-East, visited Batticaloa on Friday morning and held discussions with Sri Lankan military and police officials and Tamil paramilitary groups, sources said.
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Three sea tigers die in boat blast

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 February 2003, 11:57 GMT]
Three cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Friday afternoon around 12.40 p.m.killed themselves by blowing up their trawler following an inspection by the monitors of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, SLMM sources said.
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Opening of LTTE war memorial delayed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 February 2003, 19:24 GMT]
At a conference held Thursday at the political office of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Nilaveli, sixteen km north of Trincomalee town, a decision was made to delay the opening of the reconstructed war memorial in Gopalapuram in remembrance of twenty-two LTTE cadres who died in a boat mishap in 1990, until the problem is sorted out by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and the Tamil parliamentarians of the Trincomalee district, sources said.
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Government peace delegation leaves for Berlin peace talks

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 February 2003, 18:34 GMT]
The leader of the Sri Lanka Government peace delegation Minister Mr.G.L. Peiris Wednesday morning left Colombo accompanied by the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Mr. Austin Fernando to attend the fifth round of peace talks between the GOSL and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which is scheduled to begin Friday at Berlin in Germany. The government delegation includes Ministers Milinda Morogoda and Rauff Hakim.
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