Self-employment assistance centers open in Pooneryn

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 December 2005, 03:13 GMT]
Opening event for a Sewing Training Center and a Center for Animal Husbandry Training built with financial aid from Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and International Labor Organization (ILO) was held in Pooneryn Monday. Planning Director for ILO, Mr Janarthanan presided the event. The Economic Consultancy House (TECH), an NGO working exclusively in the NorthEast on employment generation projects, will adminstrator the two centers.
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Mortar fire on Meeravodai SLA camp - Police

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 December 2005, 14:41 GMT]
Four rounds of 81 mm Mortar fire was reported close to Meeravodai Sri Lanka Army camp located 2 km west of Valaichenai in Batticaloa district around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Police said. Miravodai is located 4 km north of Kiran where two Tamils were shot and killed by unidentified gunmen Monday night.
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India cannot be a card in Colombo’s oppressive politics game - Vaiko

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 December 2005, 12:59 GMT]
Indian Defence Minister Mr Pranab Muhkerjee assured the Tamil Nadu Politician Mr. Vaiko Monday that he will investigate the press reports on the reconstruction efforts of Palaly airstrip in the main Sri Lankan military base in Jaffna. “Earlier Indian political leaders had acted with great care, and had declined to enter into a defence treaty or airbase reconstruction projects when I have brought the Tamil concerns to the Indian leadership’s notice,” Vaiko said.
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Two Tamils shot dead in Kiran in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 December 2005, 05:25 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen who entered a house in Kiran in Batticaloa district Monday night abducted two men at gunpoint, shot and killed them 500 meters away from the house, police said.
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"STF, SL Ministers complicit in paramilitary operations, Karuna in India"

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 December 2005, 17:12 GMT]
The two paramilitary cadres who surrendered to the Tigers in Amparai disclosed that Karuna operates from India and that Pillayan was leading the Karuna group operating in the east. They also revealed that Sri Lankan Government Ministers A L M Athaullah, Douglas Devananda and Maithripala Sirisena are complicit in helping paramilitaries operating in the east, during a press conference held at Thenakam guest house in LTTE controlled Karadiyanaru Monday. The cadres also said that the paramilitaries were involved in violence against Muslims to create dissension between Tamil and Muslim communities.
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Colombo blocks Akashi from visiting Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 December 2005, 22:04 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government has prevented Japanese Special Peace Envoy, Yasushi Akashi, from visiting Kilinochchi to meet the political wing leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to discuss matters related to peace process. Denying media reports in Colombo that Japan wanted to become partner of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Akashi said Japan has no intention of becoming a partner to the SLMM and applauded the Scandinavian countries for their effective work.
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LTTE's Human Rights engagement on constructive track - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 December 2005, 11:21 GMT]
“While Colombo has been increasingly engaged in portraying Tamils’ struggle for self-determination as ‘terrorism’ in international fora taking advantage of the changed political climate following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, and the consequent war on terrorism, Liberation Tigers have exhibited genuine desire to adhere to the international human rights standards by closely engaging with UN agencies,” said Political Head of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) , S.P. Thamilchelvan, during his keynote address on Human Rights day event organized by the NorthEast Secretariat On Human Rights (NESOHR) in Kilinochchi Saturday.
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LTTE confers "National Patriot" title on murdered sisters

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 December 2005, 22:14 GMT]
Liberation Tigers conferred "Tamil National Patriot" titles to the two sisters, Mrs. Yogarasa Yogeswary, 26, and Thurairasa Vathany, 17, who were victims of a revenge killing, Wednesday night, by suspected paramilitaries, at Palacholai in Batticaloa. Their bodies were kept for viewing at Illupadicheni Tamil School and were cremated with full military honors at the LTTE Cemetary for Patriots Saturday, daily Batticaloa Eelanaatham reported.
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US NGO exhibits tsunami relief photos

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 December 2005, 20:59 GMT]
Operation USA, a Non Governmental Organization based in US, held a photo exhibition featuring tsunami relief activities carried out in the NorthEast of Sri Lanka by Tamil Rehabilitation Organization and other relief agencies. More than 300 photographs were on display at the exhibition which opened for public Thursday 7 p.m. at the Operation USA offices at Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles. Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP for Jaffna district, Ms Pathmini Sithamparanathan who is currently in US on a speaking tour, also attended the opening event.
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Akashi visits Amparai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 December 2005, 17:56 GMT]
Mr. Yasushi Akashi, representative of the Government of Japan for Peace-building, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Sri Lanka, arrived Saturday morning in Amparai and held separate meetings with Muslim, Sinhala and Tamil delegations comprising of civil society members, sources in Amparai said.
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Fanoos leaves thousands homeless in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 December 2005, 12:32 GMT]
Effects of cyclonic storm Fanoos which passed throught Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry coast was felt in Jaffna district, as hurricane force winds and heavy rains belted Jaffna distric from Friday night leaving thousands displaced in Vadamaradchy north and east. The storm weakened into a deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal on Saturday morning, according to weather center in Tamil Nadu.
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Trincomalee observes general shut down

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 December 2005, 11:48 GMT]
Tamil speaking people Friday observed general shut down in Trincomalee town and its suburbs responding to a call made by the Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples Consortium demanding the withdrawal of troops from the east port city and condemning the killings of civilians in the northeast province.
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Two youths shot dead in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 December 2005, 05:26 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen Friday night shot and killed two Tamil youths in Kiran, 4 km south of Valaichenai. The vicitms were abducted from their houses on Kali Kovil Road around 9:30 p.m. Friday by the gunmen who wanted to "interrogate" the youths for having contacts with the Liberation Tigers, residents said. Valaichenai Police recovered the dead bodies Saturday morning.
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Colombo to build Naval base in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 December 2005, 17:11 GMT]
Preparations by the Sri Lanka Government to set-up the first naval base in Batticaloa district close to Eravur was revealed in a meeting between the Police officers of the Batticaloa district, a Muslim Minister and Muslim representatives in Eravur. The special meeting which took place at Eravur Ummah Mosque Friday noon also discussed special security arrangements for Muslims in Eravur. Punnaikudah beach 4 km northeast of Saddam Hussain Village was identified as the location for the first Sri Lankan naval base in Batticaloa district, Muslim attendees to the meeting told TamilNet.
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Exert pressure to curb military violence, IFT urges International Community

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 December 2005, 14:53 GMT]
The Geneva based International Federation of Tamils (IFT), a consortium of more than 150 expatriate Tamil organizations, in a media statement released on Friday appealed to the International Community to exert its influence on the Government of Sri Lanka to help bring normalcy in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas in the Northeast.
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CFA has to be revived says Lankan Chief of Defence

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 December 2005, 13:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka Chief of Defence Staff, Daya Sandagiri, during a press meet in Colombo Friday ruled out Sri Lanka armed forces going to war but said that they will be prepared to meet any military situation that may arise. He said that the military leadership has submitted a report to SL President Mahinda Rajapakse concluding that the Cease Fire Agreement has to be revived and that Mr Rajapakse will make the final decision on this matter.
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CFA, Muslim Tamil amity, key to peace - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 December 2005, 11:31 GMT]
Pointing out that the recent escalation of violence is due to military aggression and sabotage activities of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) supported paramilitaries, LTTE's Political Head Mr. S.P.Thamilchelvan stressed the urgent need for effective implementation of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) and the critical need to maintain Muslim, Tamil amity to maintain peace, when he addressed the media following a meeting with the Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar Friday morning. The meeting that began at 9:30 a.m. lasted for one and a half hours at the LTTE's Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi.
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Brattskar visits tsunami transit camps in Mullaitivu

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 December 2005, 03:37 GMT]
Norwegian Ambassador in Colombo, Hans Brattskar, toured tsunami affected Mullaitivu area and visited transit centers housing tsunamil refugees to directly witness their living conditions. Ambassador Brattsker arrived in Mullaitivu at 2.30 p.m. Sunday after travelling overland from Jaffna via A9 highway, sources said.
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Muslim man shot dead, one wounded in Eravur

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 December 2005, 02:43 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed Mr. S. Samsudeen, 53, a Muslim civilian employed as watcher at a timber shop in Punnaikudah, 5 km northeast of Eravur town Thursday midnight. Another Muslim civilian, Mr. Mohammed Asanar, 55, who was sleeping inside his restaurant, located close to the timber shop, was shot and wounded by the gunmen who came in a van, Eravur Police said. Punnaikudah is a border area between Tamil and Muslim villages.
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Clause 1.8 key to saving truce - paper

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 December 2005, 15:34 GMT]
Arguing that “a period of mutual de-escalation and confidence building is a sine quo non if a meaningful peace process is to resume,” the Tamil Guardian newspaper said this week “[this] must begin with an end to the Army’s covert onslaught,” in reference to the ongoing shadow war by Army-backed paramilitaries against LTTE members and supporters. Despite the recent sharp rise in violence, fears of an imminent war are overstated, the Diaspora newspaper argued, noting that this is not the first time incidents involving heavy loss of life have occurred since the February 2002 ceasefire.
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