Colombo should demonstrate CFA obligations - Thamilchelvan in Oslo

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 March 2006, 18:48 GMT]
"It is time for Colombo to prove demonstrated commitment to February 2002 Ceasefire Agreement," said LTTE's Political Head S. P. Thamilchelvan, who met Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jonas Gahre in Oslo Friday. Speaking to TamilNet following his meeting with the Norwegian FM, Political Head of the LTTE expressed dismay over the controversial statements made by Sri Lanka peace delegation seeking to weaken the the Ceasefire Agreement, the sole foundation of continued peace- engagement.
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10 km race marks International Women's Day celebrations

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 March 2006, 12:13 GMT]
Vavuniya District Rehabilitation Organisation for Women conducted a 10 km marathon race Thursday 6 am celebrating International Women's Day, presided by Ms. Pathmavathy, District Director, sources said. Forty two women took part in the race that extended from Mankulam to Kanagarayankulam.
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Dental health awareness effort reaches 18,000 students

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 March 2006, 11:49 GMT]
Centre For Health Care, as part of the Dental Health Awareness Month of February declared by Tamileelam Health Services, conducted dental screening, therapy, and health education to more than 18,000 pre- and primary school students in deprived areas of NorthEast, health officials in Kilinochchi said.
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Kilinochchi Central College holds Inter-house Sports Meet

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 March 2006, 01:29 GMT]
Killinochchi Central College held its Inter-house athletic meet Tuesday presided by Principal S. Rajamahendran and with K.Pathmanathan, the Kilinochchi Regional Deputy Director of Education as chief-guest, Education officials said. The school was occupied by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) during 1996 'Sathjeya' offensive and resumed classes in 2000 after Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam recaptured Kilinochchi in the 'Unceasing waves' offensive in 1998.
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Aussie assisted pre-school opens in Vakarai

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 March 2006, 01:13 GMT]
A pre-school constructed by the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) at Kandalady, a village in the Vakarai division in Batticaloa district, and funded by a group of Australian citizenst a cost of about one million rupees, was declared open Wednesday.
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Missing LTTE cadres arrested by SLA, charges Elilan

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 March 2006, 00:48 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers in Trincomalee said Thursday that they have submitted fresh evidence to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to confirm that five of their members who had been reported missing since 25 February were arrested by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers. "Our organisation has lodged a fresh complaint based on evidence though eye-witnesses to substantiate our earlier complaint," said Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the LTTE.
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Lord Konesar three-day procession concludes

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 March 2006, 12:09 GMT]
The three- day procession of Lord Konesar, chief deity of historic Koneswaram temple which began on Monday evening after Maha Sivarathiri day observance covering entire Trincomalee town in three stages concluded Thursday morning with the return to temple located inside the Fort Frederick, Trincomalee residents said.
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Rajapakse to hold All Party Conference

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 March 2006, 11:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse is planning to hold the All Party Conference (APC), on March 6 Monday to brief the leaders of all registered political parties represented in the current parliament on the outcome of the Geneva peace talks, political sources in Colombo said. He will also brief the leaders on the matters to be discussed at the next round of talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).


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Move to install Buddha statue in Hindu Temple stirs controversy

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 March 2006, 02:23 GMT]
Leader of Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF), Periyasamy Chandrasekaran, has brought to the attention of Inspector General of Police (IGP), Chandra Fernando, the alleged attempts by local Sinhala residents to install a Buddha statue inside the premises of the historic Hindu Temple in Ukkuwela in Avissawala, UPF media office said.
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Troop presence impedes education in Jaffna Campus

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 March 2006, 02:11 GMT]
Jaffna University Student Union representatives and the University officials led by Vice Chancellor C. Mohanadas met at Jaffna University campus premises Wednesday 2 pm to explore possibilities of recommencing educational activities at Jaffna Campus, University officials said. Lectures and other campus activities were suspended from December 2005 due to escalating violence in Jaffna district and the presence of Sri Lanka troops in areas close to the University.


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LTTE protest to Sri Lanka Government over amendment issue

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 March 2006, 11:18 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTE) has registered its strong protest, expressing deep displeasure to Sri Lankan President Rajapakse administration over the stand taken by members of the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) negotiating team claiming that the Ceasefire Agreement has been amended. Mr. Anton Balasingham, LTTE’s chief negotiator and political ideologue, told the TamilNet that a message expressing serious concern and disapproval was conveyed to the Government of Sri Lanka through the Norwegian facilitators Wednesday.
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Appeal Court to hear petition against CFA

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 March 2006, 10:58 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Court of Appeal fixed the inquiry for 29 March into the petition filed by the Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and all monks' party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) seeking the court to nullify the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) entered into between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The JVP and JHU argue that the CFA is against the Constitution of Sri Lanka and illegal. The GoSL and the LTTE renewed their commitment to respect and uphold the Ceasefire Agreement of February 2002 in Geneva last week.
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Muttur Magistrate reprimands Police irresponsible arrests

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 March 2006, 10:26 GMT]
Mr.Manickavasagar Ganesharajah, Muttur Magistrate instructed the Police to adhere to proper procedures while arresting and investigating suspects in cases. He admonished the police to not to harm and harass innocent civilians, and not to arrest suspects arbitrarily. The Magistrate made this remark Tuesday in open court when the Police submitted a report in a case stating that they did not recover any explosives from a suspect during the investigation. The Magistrate acting on the police report released the suspect from the case, legal sources said.
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Jaffna fishermen's woes discussed in SLN, civil society meet

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 March 2006, 00:54 GMT]
A meeting between Northern Region Commander of Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Major General Chandrasiri and a delegation of civil society members held at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Kankesanthurai command of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) to explore solutions to hardships faced by fishermen in Jaffna district, ended inconclusively, sources in Jaffna said. Maj.Gen Chandrasiri told the civil society delegation that responses will be provided within two weeks after consultations with higher authorities in Colombo.
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SL President to meet JVP, JHU separately before APC

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 March 2006, 00:31 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse is planning to meet the leaders of the Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and all monks' party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) separately before holding the All Party Conference (APC) to brief the outcome of the Geneva peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), political sources in Colombo said.
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Donor Co-chairs welcome Geneva outcome

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 February 2006, 12:00 GMT]
Japan, Norway, the United States and the European Union welcomed the outcome of the meeting on the "implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement" and the "renewed commitment from the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to respect and uphold the Ceasefire Agreement, as well as the reconfirmation of their commitment to cooperate fully with and respect the rulings of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM)," in a press release issued Tuesday.
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Ex-garrison town gets new school buildings

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 February 2006, 11:29 GMT]
German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) of the German Federal Government and the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) announced that new buildings to house a school and a pre-school in Thattuvankotti, a village in close proximity to Elephant Pass are to be opened Wednesday at 10 a.m., marking an important milestone in the development of the village after the residents were displaced 1996.
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Lord Konesar procession begins in Trincomalee town

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 February 2006, 22:04 GMT]
Three-day procession of Lord Konesar with his consort Mathumai Ambal began Monday evening around 5 p.m. after the annual observance of Maha Sivarathiri day Sunday night in the historic Trincomalee Koneswaram Temple with heavy police security. The town was calm in contrast to the violence that plagued the town since the erection of Lord Buddha statue in the vicinity of the central bus stand, including the execution type killing of Tamil students on the second day of the New Year 2006.
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Diaspora Tamil Organizations welcome Geneva Joint Statement

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 February 2006, 12:21 GMT]
The International Federation of Tamils (IFT), a Geneva based consortium of Tamil diaspora organisations, in a press release issued Monday commended the facilitators Norway, Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse and the Liberation Tigers for bringing "relief to all peace loving people in the island." The press release also urged Mr Rajapakse to "use his power, influence and goodwill to prevail on those paramilitary cadres and get the seven TRO volunteers released immediately."
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Balasingham rejects Sri Lanka’s "amendment" concept as absurd

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 February 2006, 10:42 GMT]
Anton Balasingham, the chief negotiator and political strategist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), rejected outright the Sri Lanka government’s claim that the joint communiqué, issued after the Geneva talks, amounted to an amendment to the original Ceasefire Agreement. "This bizarre interpretation given by the President’s counsel, Mr H.L. De Silva is ridiculous and preposterous and totally unacceptable to the LTTE", Mr Balasingham told TamilNet when queried about the issue.
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