International aid necessary to rehabilitate NE hospitals - Minister

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2003, 11:02 GMT]
Without interntational aid it will not be possible to renovate and rebuild hospitals damaged or destroyed by war in the Northeast province, said Minister of Health Services P. Dayaratne, addressing an event held in conjuntion with upgrading the Vavuniya General Hospital.


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Permanency to Tamil volunteer teachers with AG's approval

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 April 2003, 17:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe Thursday directed the Minister of Human Resources Development, Education and Cultural Affairs, Dr.Karunasena Kodituwakku, to obtain the approval of the Attorney General before granting permanent appointment to one thousand Tamil medium volunteer teachers serving in the Northeast province, Tamil National Alliance sources said.
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Colombo wants to create illusion of a political settlement– Karuna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 April 2003, 16:29 GMT]
“We should be mindful that we are living in the information age. Information technology has grown tremendously. Our information skills should be on par with this growth. The information revolution can be put to wrong uses too. It can be used to wage psychological warfare against us subtly through TV and other popular media,” said Col. Karuna, senior commander of the Liberation Tigers, addressing the opening of the offices and press of the ‘Thamil Alai’ (Tamil Wave) newspaper in Kokkaddicholai, 12 kilometres southwest of Batticaloa, Saturday.
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New LTTE cadres pass out from training camp

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 April 2003, 03:10 GMT]
A ceremony to mark the passing out of 400 men fighters from the 55th training camp and 300 women fighters from the 30th training camp in Batticaloa was held Thursday at the Tharavai central training camp in the LTTE controlled area of Batticaloa, sources said.
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Conference demonstrates Women's strength behind freedom struggle - Karuna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 March 2003, 05:11 GMT]
"National conference on Tamil Eelam Women's development is an appropriate event to awaken Tamil women at this juncture when there is a climate of peace with the cessation of hostilities. The event demonstrates to the International Community the forces behind our military struggle," said Colonel Karuna, Senior commander of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, speaking as a chief guest third day of the conference organized with the support of the Organization for the upliftment of women in Batticaloa.
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Second day events of Women's Conference

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 March 2003, 19:34 GMT]
Batticaloa-Amparai Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) women's wing political head, Bhanuka, presided the second day events of the National conference on Tamil Eelam Women’s development, organized with the support of the Organization for the upliftment of women in Batticaloa-Ampara, Friday at the Kallady Vipulanantha School for music and dance in Batticaloa.
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Vakaneri fields cleared for paddy cultivation

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 March 2003, 13:21 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Saturday 29 March, permitted paddy cultivation in more than 90% of arable land owned by Muslim farmers in the Vakaneri irrigation scheme located in Kalkuda, 34 km northwest of Batticaloa district, LTTE sources in Batticaloa said.


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Col. Karuna returns to Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 March 2003, 15:45 GMT]
The LTTE’s special commander for the Eastern Region, Col. Karuna, returned to Batticaloa Friday from Japan, where he participated in the sixth round of peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, sources said.
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Workers in Colombo walk out against privatisation

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 March 2003, 19:23 GMT]
Hundreds of workers in state run banks and major public enterprises walked out of their offices in Colombo Wednesday to protest against plans by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Front government to privatise their institutions. The protesting workers also demanded better wages.


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Farmers’ protest brings civil admin to standstill in Mannar

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 March 2003, 13:38 GMT]
More than 1500 farmers in Mannar demanding fair prices for their rice harvest and the removal of Sri Lankan armed forces units which continue to occupy fields and buildings in the region blockaded the District Secretariat Wednesday and brought all government administration in the Northwestern island town to a standstill.
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Economic development, TEEDOR's main focus - Ramesh

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 March 2003, 11:28 GMT]
Farmers and officials associated with agriculture should co-operate with the Tamil Eelam Economic Development Organization (TEEDOR) to build the economic sector of the Northeast which has been badly affected by war, said Ramesh, Batticaloa-Amparai Special commander of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), speaking as the chief guest in the Farmer' day event held at the Ampalanthurai Sports ground, Batticaloa, Sunday, sources said.


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Akashi hosts Tiger delegation to traditional meal

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 March 2003, 10:57 GMT]
Japan’s Special Peace Envoy to Sri Lanka, Mr. Yasushi Akashi, Thursday hosted a lunch for the Liberation Tigers’ delegation at the sixth round of direct talks between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government, officials said. Japanese diplomats and LTTE officials sat down to a traditional Japanese meal at a top restaurant in the hot spring resort of Hakone where the talks are being held.
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Names of Sea tigers killed in merchant vessel announced

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 March 2003, 01:18 GMT]
The names of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) sea tigers killed in international waters 220 miles from Trincomalee shores when the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) fired on their merchant vessel on March 10 were announced by the LTTE Wednesday, sources in Vanni said.
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LTTE to attend Japan peace talks

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 March 2003, 17:38 GMT]
The delegation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) will leave Colombo on Sunday night to attend peace talks in Hakone, Japan, scheduled to commence on March 18, said Mr.Anton Balasingham, LTTE theoretician, Saturday, addressing a press conference held at Killinochchi Peace Secretariat, sources said.
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LTTE officers graduate from Karadiyanaru Training school

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 March 2003, 01:29 GMT]
A graduation ceremony to award certificates and confer honor badges on 89 LTTE fighters (49 of them women fighters) trained at the Lt. Col. Balendra Officer Training College in the second lieutenant grade, took place Thursday in Karadiyanaru, in the LTTE controlled area of the Batticaloa district, sources said.
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Fighters killed in Vavunathivu SLA camp attack remembered

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 March 2003, 03:35 GMT]
The last day events of the sixth year memorial ceremony for the 103 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fighters, including Lt. Colonel Balendra and Lt.Colonel Mathana, who died during the attack on the Vavunathivu Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp, began at 6am Thursday at the Tharavai grounds in Batticaloa district, sources said.
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SLMM Head meets LTTE’s Col. Karuna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 March 2003, 17:21 GMT]
The head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Tryggve Tellefsen, officially met with LTTE’s senior commander, Col. Karuna, at Karadiyanaru in the LTTE controlled area in Batticaloa on Tuesday, sources said.
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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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CTTU to launch trade union action to win demands

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 February 2003, 18:53 GMT]
The Ceylon Tamil Teachers’ Union (CTTU) Sunday alerted its branches in the northeast province to be prepared to launch a concerted trade union action from March 3rd if the Minister of Human Resources Development, Education and Cultural Affairs, Dr.Karunasena Kodituwakku, failed to find solution to several longstanding demands put forward by the CTTU in July last year, sources said.
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Negotiators in Berlin for fifth round

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 February 2003, 22:51 GMT]
Negotiators representing the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lankan government as well as Norwegian facilitators arrived in Berlin Thursday to participate in the fifth round of direct talks between the two sides brokered by Oslo.
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