Navy arrests 25 Tamil refugees in Mannar Sea

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 June 2005, 16:58 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) Wednesday morning arrested twenty-five Tamil refugees returning from Tamilnadu in South India and the two boatmen in the Mannar Sea, sources said. The Talaimannar Police produced all of the arrested in Mannar Court Thursday morning.
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Civil groups to agitate over Omanthai Buddha statue

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 June 2005, 15:32 GMT]
Vavuniya civil group leaders Thursday announced at a discussion held in the office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that they would launch an agitation if the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fails to remove the controversial Buddha statue erected in the Omanthai Pillaiyar temple premises within seven days. The discussion was held between the officials of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and representatives of the civil groups including the LTTE district political section and the Hindu priest of the Omanthai Pillaiyar Temple in the presence of SLMM monitors, sources said.
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"SL President bears responsibility for worsening situation"- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 June 2005, 08:52 GMT]
"Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge has the executive power to establish the Joint Mechanism. But she is using the aid deal as an instrument to advance her fortunes in the political chess game and has created a political storm opposing the Joint Mechanism in the South. Even for today's meeting Norwegian delegation has only brought verbal assurances from Colombo. The meeting has failed to make any concrete steps towards the establishment of a Joint Mechanism," said LTTE's Head of Political Wing, S P Thamilchelvan briefing the press at the LTTE peace secretariat after meeting Mr Vidar Helgesen in Kilinochchi Wednesday.
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Defeat the minority NGO clique, Weerawanse tells SLFP Ministers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 June 2005, 07:23 GMT]
Mr.Wimal Weerawanse, parliamentary group leader of the JVP, in a special statement soon after the parliament reconvened on Wednesday, thanking the Ministers Anura Bandaranaike, Mangala Samaraweera, Lakshman Kadirgamar, Siripala de Silva, Susil Premajayanth, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse for their co-operation, said: "We, on behalf of the inspiration of millions of people, wish that you will be able to defeat the minority NGO clique which has wriggled its way into the Alliance government to destroy it." Mr. Weerawanse added that the JVP will function as an independent group of the opposition as announced earlier.
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SL parliament meets, JM not tabled

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 June 2005, 06:13 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament reconvened Wednesday for the first time after Sinhala Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), withdrew its support to the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government last week over the Joint Mechanism structure to be signed with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which is to facilitate the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the tsunami destroyed coastal areas in the northeast province. The government did not table any document or statement in the parliament on the joint mechanism proposal as widely speculated in the political circles.
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SL Parliament to meet with JVP in opposition

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 June 2005, 00:29 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament is scheduled to meet Wednesday for the first time after the Marxist Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) withdrew its support to the 14-month-old United Peoples' Freedom Alliance government (UPFA). JVP, a major constituent of the ruling alliance, and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) signed an agreement to form UPFA on 20 January 2004 in Colombo.
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Amnesty condemns rights violations by GoSL, LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 June 2005, 20:20 GMT]
Amnesty International accused the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) of torture in police custody, continued impunity for security forces against rights violations and for the presence of threat to religious minorities, in its report covering events from January to December 2004. Amnesty drew attention to the "dramatic increase in politically motivated killings," after renegade commander Muralitharan's split and accused the LTTE of continued recruitment of children, acknowledging the LTTE released "large number of child soldiers...."
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Trinco after-school education gets funding boost

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 June 2005, 10:03 GMT]
Fifteen remote villages in the Sri Lanka government and LTTE controlled areas in the Trincomalee district will continue to receive financial support from the Trincomalee Children Fund (TCF-Canada), the organizers said after an assessment study into the working of the project, during an event held at Sambaltivu Tamil Maha Vidiyalayam Sunday. The project was initiated in 2002 to improve the educational standard of war-affected students in deprived areas of Trincomalee district.
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Tamil civilian shot dead in Muttur

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 June 2005, 09:23 GMT]
Mr. Sithiravel Sathiyanathan, 33, a Tamil civilian and a resident of Sampoor in Muttur east was shot dead by an unidentified gunman Tuesday afternoon around 12.30 in the heart of Muttur town near a petrol station, Police said.
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Gunmen loot travellers in Mannampitiya

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 June 2005, 08:41 GMT]
Two armed men in military fatigue blocked vehicles travelling towards Batticaloa via Polannaruwa-Batticaloa road around 3.30 AM Tuesday morning at Mannampitiya and looted money and valuables worth Rs 300,000 from passengers in at least two vehicles, sources said. The armed men were standing 200 meters away from a military checkpoint for almost two hours.
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CTTU calls for campaign demanding the removal of Buddha statue

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 June 2005, 07:38 GMT]
The working committee of the Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union (CTTU) on Tuesday decided to extend its fullest co-operation to the campaign demanding the removal of the controversial Buddha statue located close to the Trincomalee central bus stand, CTTU sources said.
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Home-made micro-hydro receives financial award

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 June 2005, 13:34 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) Saturday donated one hundred thousand rupees and a push bicycle to Mr.Radhakrishnan of Right Bank of Muthiankaddu in Mullaitivu district as an incentive to his successful effort in generating electricity from a hydro-power plant he constructed utilizing a three feet water head from Muthiankaddu tank to power a water turbine.
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Token fast held in Trinco in support of aid deal

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 June 2005, 12:37 GMT]
One-day token fast was held in Trincomalee town Monday from morning till evening demanding the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) to sign the joint mechanism with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to facilitate the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the tsunami destroyed coastal areas in the northeast province without any delay. Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples Forum (TDTPF) organized the event.
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Protest march held in Vadamaradchchi supporting aid deal

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 June 2005, 11:28 GMT]
Thousands of people participated in the protest march held Monday in the Vadamaradchchi division in Jaffna district demanding the immediate implementation of the joint mechanism structure and withdrawal of the government troops from their land. The Vadamaradchchi fisheries societies federation organized the protest march, sources said.
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CTTU plans protests over teacher shortage, error-filled text books

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 June 2005, 10:31 GMT]
The Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union (CTTU) said Sunday that it will organize trade union action if the Ministry of Education fails to take constructive measures to implement several demands including setting up of a separate Tamil Administrative Unit in the ministry before July 25. As a first step the CTTU will hold a one-day token strike after the deadline expires, said Mr.N.Rajanathan, and Mr.T Mahasivam, President and General Secretary of the CTTU briefing the press after the conclusion of the Working Committee meeting held in Trincomalee.
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Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union elects new President

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 June 2005, 18:12 GMT]
Mr.Rajanathan, Principal of the Trincomalee Vigneswara Maha Vidyalayam was Sunday elected as the president of the 20,000 member-strong Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union (CTTU). He was unanimously elected to the post of President at the CTTU Working Committee meeting held at the Trincomalee Vigneswara Maha Vidyalayam.
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TNA, UNP discuss aid deal

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 June 2005, 17:15 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Sunday appealed to the main opposition United National Party (UNP) to openly declare its full support to the joint mechanism proposal and to insist that the Sri Lanka Government sign the agreement before tabling it in the parliament. TNA parliamentary delegation led by its leader Mr.R.Sampanthan met with Opposition Leader Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, Sunday afternoon and held discussions regarding the current political crisis following the withdrawal of the Sinhala Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) from the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, TNA sources said.
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"Rise to rout Buddhist Sinhala chauvinism"- Jaffna Undergrads

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 June 2005, 10:51 GMT]
"We, the Tamil people declare that we will defeat Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism and regain our traditional homeland from the occupation of armed forces. We will exercise our right to self determination in our land with our own strength," said a declaration of students of Jaffna campus read at the conclusion of a renaissance event "Voice of Tamil Nation" held Sunday at the Kailasapathy Auditorium.
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Tamil refugees rescued from sandbank in Mannar Sea

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 June 2005, 01:39 GMT]
Fourteen Tamil refugees including four children returning from Tamilnadu in South India were rescued from a sandbank in the Mannar Sea by Mannar fishermen Friday. The refugees were taken into custody by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and handed over to the Talaimannar police Friday evening, sources said.
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Token fasts supporting aid deal planned in Trinco

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 June 2005, 17:18 GMT]
Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples Forum (TDTPF) is planning to stage a three day token fast in different towns in Trincomalee from Monday supporting the joint mechanism proposal and urging the Sri Lanka Government to sign the agreement with the LTTE without further delay, said Mr.S.G.Gowrimuhunthan, Secretary of the TDTPF at a press conference held Saturday. "People of all three communities, Tamil, Sinhalese and Muslim, who are supportive of the joint mechanism proposal are invited to participate in the token fast," he added.


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