Profiles of TRO abductees released

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 February 2006, 18:54 GMT]
Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), Friday, released the family background and employment details of the seven employees abducted during the week of January 30, allegedly by paramilitaries, and still being held in captivity.
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Ashraff wants Muslims to pray for Geneva talks success

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 February 2006, 18:33 GMT]
Ms Ferial Ashraff, leader of the National Unity Alliance and the Minister for Housing Friday appealed to Muslim to pray for the success of peace talks scheduled to be held in Geneva on February 22 and 23. She declared open of an office of the NUA Friday in Amparai. She is also the Amparai district parliamentarian, sources said.
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TRO expresses dismay, concern over Govt. allegations of non-cooperation

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 February 2006, 13:28 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) expressed "dismay and concern" over allegations made to the media by Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, Mangala Samaraweera, and Cabinet spokesperson Priyadharsana Yapa, that TRO was not helping with ongoing investigations. TRO refuted these statements as politically motivated propaganda by the Sri Lanka Government aimed at discrediting the TRO, TRO officials told TamilNet. TRO said in a press release issued Friday from Colombo that it is fully cooperating with the investigations, and has provided detailed account of the actions taken by TRO from the time of abductions.
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TNA MPs meet British Deputy High Commissioner

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 February 2006, 12:06 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Members of Parliament, Mavai Senathirajah, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, S. Jeyanandamoorthy and Sithamparanathan Pathmini met the British deputy high commissioner Lesley Craig, at the British High Commission in Colomobo on Friday at 10:00 a.m. and discussed the current humanitarian situation following the abductions and the escalating number of assassinations in the NorthEast, TNA sources said.
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Five parties to contest in Jaffna Local Council elections

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 February 2006, 11:26 GMT]
Five political parties have expressed interest to contest in local elections in Jaffna district, Jaffna election officials said. Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), Peoples Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), and Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK- Federal party), are expected to contest in all regions in Jaffna district whereas All Ceylon Muslim Congress and Muslim Congress will compete only in Jaffna Municipal Council, sources said.
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Businessman's kidnappers demand 20 million rupees ransom

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 February 2006, 07:14 GMT]
The kidnappers of a Tamil businesman, Vadivel Anandan, who was abducted Wednesday night in Colombo, have demanded a 20 million Lankan rupees ransom for his release, family members told media Friday. The abductors, who allowed the businessman to call his family members for two minutes on Thursday, have threatened not to divulge any information to the Police.
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Local elections will highlight Upcountry Tamils' unity- Chandrasekaran

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 February 2006, 01:40 GMT]
"In the forthcoming local elections, Hillcountry Tamils should unite to initiate a joint action program to increase their representation, and create the foundation for strengthening the political power and unity of Sri Lanka's Tamil people." said Thamilchelvan, leader of LTTE political wing, during the discussions he had with the Leader of Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF), Periyasamy Chandrasekaran, at the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi Wednesday morning, a media release from the UPF said.
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Batticaloa farmers discriminated in compensation payments-TNA MP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 February 2006, 16:40 GMT]
Mr.T.Kanagasabai, Batticaloa district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, made an urgent appeal to the Minister of Agriculture not to show racial discrimination in paying compensation to farmers whose paddy crops had been destroyed due to flood by heavy rain during the end of last year, sources said.
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TRO opens first Sinhala pre-school in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 February 2006, 12:21 GMT]
The first pre-school constructed by the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) for Sinhalese children in the Trincomalee district with the funding of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) at a cost of one 150,000 rupees was declared open Thursday morning, in Vijithapura, a Sinhala suburb in the Trincomalee town. The institution has been named Sumathi Pre-School.
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GoSL delegation announced for Geneva talks

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 February 2006, 11:14 GMT]
The Sri Lankan delegation to the talks in Geneva would comprise of SL Ministers Nimal Sripala De Silva, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and Rohitha Bogollagama, said Sri Lanka's cabinet spokesman, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, on Thursday, sources in Colombo said. Talks in Geneva between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are scheduled for 22-23rd February.
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Preparations ahead of Geneva talks should focus on people's plight - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 February 2006, 07:58 GMT]
"One of the key issues in the February 2002 Cease Fire Agrement was ensuring a safe life to the civilians in Sri Lanka military controlled areas of the Tamil homeland," Liberation Tigers Political Head Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan told media, following a preparatory meeting with the Ambassadors of Norway and Swtizerland, at the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi Thursday. "It is therefore vital that the team participating in the talks, study the ground situation prevailing in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas," he added.
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Tamil businessman abducted in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 February 2006, 20:09 GMT]
A Tamil Jewellery shop owner was abducted by an unknown armed gang Wednesday night at 11.30 p.m. near his residence at Alexander Road in Wellawatte Colombo, sources said.
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Swedish Ambassador meets Jaffna NGOs, GA

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 February 2006, 18:57 GMT]
Mrs. Inga Eriksson Fogh, Swedish Ambassador to Sri Lanka, arrived in Jaffna Palaly airport Wednesday morning, sources in Jaffna said. The Ambassador spent the whole day Wednesday meeting civil leaders and representatives of relief organizations in Jaffna. [The Ambassador of Switzerland to Sri Lanka, Bernardino Regazzoni, did not travel to Jaffna. TamilNet regrets the error in the initial report.]
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Colombo lacks will to resolve Tamil National question, says Banu

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 February 2006, 11:49 GMT]
"Disarming the paramilitaries, their expulsion and the creation of normalcy in people's daily life are the essential prerequisites for the continuation of peace talks. But Sri Lanka is unlikely to agree," said Colonel Banu, Batticaloa district military commander of Liberation Tigers, in the first memorial anniversary held in remembrance of Kowsalyan on Tuesday in Kowsalyan Education Centre at Ampilan in the Paduvankarai region of the Baticaloa district. Tamil National Alliance M.P for Batticaloa, S. Jeyanandamoorthy also participated and spoke at the event.
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Parents of abducted TRO staffers on protest journey to Welikanda

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 February 2006, 08:10 GMT]
Parents of five of the seven abducted humanitarian staffers of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), on Wednesday, set off on a journey through Welikanda area in search of their sons and a daughter, relatives of the kidnapped humanitarian staffers in Batticaloa said. The families have decided to camp at a Hindu Temple in the Welikanda area until their family members are released, the sources added.


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Muslim council appeals for release of abducted TRO workers

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 February 2006, 17:29 GMT]
The Kinniya Jemiyathul Ulama Sabah (Islamic Theological Council) Tuesday appealed for the immediate release of the abducted workers of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO). The abduction would pose serious threat to take forward the peace process, a statement issued by the Kinniya Jemiyathul Ulama Sabah Tuesday said.


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Trinco traders call off protest, open shops

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 February 2006, 17:28 GMT]
Traders in Trincomalee town called off their protest and opened their business establishments Tuesday following the arrest of three suspects, all of them from the majority community who were alleged to be involved in the assault of Muslim businessmen Sunday night. Muslim and Tamil traders in the Sinnakadai bazaar area closed their shops Monday in protest to the assault and went in procession to the Trincomalee Police Headquarters, sources said.
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TNA MP spotlights irregularities in teacher appointment

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 February 2006, 17:27 GMT]
Mr.S.Jeyananadamoorthy, Batticaloa District Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian has complained to the Minister of Education that several qualified volunteer teachers have been ignored when permanent appointments were given recently in the North East. He appealed to the Minister to take immediate steps to make them permanent, sources said.
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Switzerland welcomes talks, Swiss Ambassador to visit Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 February 2006, 11:16 GMT]
Government of Switzerland in a press release issued from Berne Monday welcomed the decision by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers to hold talks on February 22-23 and called on "the parties to the conflict to do all within their powers to ensure that the talks can start in a constructive atmosphere." Mr. Hans Brattskar, Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Mr. Bernadino Regazzoni, Switzerland Ambassador to Sri Lanka, will travel to Kilinochchi on Thursday to discuss preparatory arrangements for talks in Geneva with the LTTE Political Head Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, LTTE Peace Secretariat sources in Kilinochchi said.


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Govt. rejects appeal to hold SLEAS examination in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 February 2006, 16:44 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Commissioner General of Examinations Monday rejected an appeal made by the Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union (CTTU) to postpone the Limited Competitive Examination of Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service Class III scheduled to be held only in Colombo on February 11 for a later date and also to take immediate steps to hold the examination in the northeast province to make it easy for the Tamil medium candidates to take the exams, sources said.
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