Jaffna undergrads hold demonstration supporting JM

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 June 2005, 11:36 GMT]
Several hundreds of Jaffna undergraduates Monday held a protest demonstration condemning the opposition by Sinhalese nationalists and Buddhist monks to the establishment of a joint mechanism for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the tsunami destroyed coastal areas in the northeast province, sources said. The demonstration was organized by the Jaffna University Students' Union.
Full story >>

Civil groups appeal to international community to intervene

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 June 2005, 11:25 GMT]
Jaffna District Civil Groups Consortium (JDCGC), in a statement in Jaffna Monday, appealed to the international community to exert pressure on the Sri Lankan government resist chauvinistic opposition to Joint Mechanism proposal and to move forward to find a permanent political solution to the Tamil national question, sources said.
Full story >>

Sivaram murder vehicle, SIM card recovered - Police

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 June 2005, 09:31 GMT]
Former military wing leader of PLOTE, Arumugam Sriskandarajan, also known as Peter, who was injured in the unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the government of the Maldives in 1988 and another suspect were arrested by Sri Lanka Police in connection with the abduction and murder of Dharmeratnam Sivaram, 46, a senior TamilNet editor and a popular columnist, sources in Colombo said. The SIM card from the cellphone owned by Mr. Sivaram, was recovered by the Police in a house in Maharagama Monday morning, according to Colombo Crime Division (CCD) Director Senior SP Sarath Lugoda. A vehicle, which Police believes, was used by the assains who abducted Mr. Sivaram, was also seized by the Police from the house.
Full story >>

One killed, 16 injured in grenade attack at funeral

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 June 2005, 08:46 GMT]
A sixty year old Sinhala civilian was killed and 16 Tamil civilians were injured when unidentified attackers lodged a grenade at the funeral of a former LTTE cadre, who was shot and killed on Saturday by unidentified gunmen in Sorivil in Polannaruwa district. The grenade attack took place around 10.30 PM Sunday night. Twelve of the 16 injured persons, 6 men and 6 women, are admitted to Polannaruwa hospital. Aralaganwela Police suspected Karuna Group for the killing of the former LTTE cadre and the grenade attack at funeral.
Full story >>

SEDB provides loan facilities for small businesses

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 June 2005, 02:06 GMT]
Socio-Economic Development Bank (SEDB) headquartered in Killinochchi through its Trincomalee district branch Saturday started providing loan facilities to farmers and fisheries federations to develop agriculture and fisheries in Trincomalee and Muttur. It also provided loans to persons to start income generative activities. SEDB sources said.
Full story >>

South's opposition adds legitimacy to Tamil struggle- Elilan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 June 2005, 14:57 GMT]
"The hostile opposition shown by Sinhala nationalist movements, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) to derail the proposed joint mechanism aimed at helping people devastated by tsunami, has clearly demonstrated to the international community the moral foundation of the Tamil liberation struggle and has brought to focus the urgent need to satisfy aspirations of the Tamil speaking people in their traditional homeland in northeast," said Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the LTTE Saturday.


Full story >>

TNA meets SL President on Joint Mechanism proposal

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 June 2005, 13:03 GMT]
A delegation of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians met with Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunge and discussed the state of the Joint Mechanism for post-tsunami rehabilitation and the rising tension among the communities in Trincomalee triggered by the Buddha statue, a press release from from TNA issued in Colombo Sunday said. The meeting was held between 11am to 3.00pm Sunday, at president house.
Full story >>

Civil group fights against Upper Kotmale Hydro Project

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 June 2005, 05:10 GMT]
Mr E Thambiah, an opponent of the Upper Kotmale hydropower scheme and organizer of People's Campaign Against Upper Kotmale Project (PCAUKP), a countrywide grassroots organization with members from all communities, recently spoke to TamilNet on the reasons for their campaign to stop the project. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), however, believes that the project is necessary to fuel economic growth of Sri Lanka.
Full story >>

ADB funds housing project for war displaced Kanniya families

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 June 2005, 17:01 GMT]
A ninety-unit housing project for the first group of resettled families in Kanniya, Trincomalee, implemented by Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) with financial assistance from Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded North East Community Restoration and Development (NECORD) project was inaugurated Friday, sources said. Kanniya is a traditional Tamil village located about 8 km off north of east port town along Trincomalee-Anuradhapura road.
Full story >>

JVP issues ultimatum for coalition break-up

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 June 2005, 05:53 GMT]
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the main political ally of ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government, informed on Friday at a press conference in Colombo that it will leave the UPFA coalition on 16th of June unless President Chandrika Kumaratunga gives up the idea of signing a Joint Mechanism with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) before June 15th midnight. The announcement was made by the JVP leader, Mr Somavanse Amarasinghe at Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in Colombo. The JVP has 39 seats in the 225-seat Parliament of Sri Lanka.
Full story >>

No final decision on JM proposal without Mahanayakas' consensus- SL President

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 June 2005, 05:05 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunge Friday early morning sent a special message to the Mahanayake Theras of three Chapters regarding the controversy over the signing of the joint mechanism structure with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). "Final decision to sign the proposed Joint Mechanism will not be taken without the consensus of the three Mahanayakas," the president assured in her letter, the State controlled Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) announced in its Friday morning news bulletin.
Full story >>

Japanese students hold Sivaram memorial

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 June 2005, 00:06 GMT]
Students at a Tokyo university where Tamil political columnist and military analyst Dharmeratnam Sivaram was scheduled to speak shortly before he was abducted and murdered by unidentified gunmen in Colombo on April 28 held a memorial Tuesday this week.
Full story >>

LTTE, Muslims meet in Karadiyanaaru

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 June 2005, 13:49 GMT]
Officials of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) met with representatives from Kalkudah Muslim community at the Karadiyanaru Maha Vidyalayam, Chenkalady from 10 AM to 12 PM Thursday, sources from Batticaloa said. Discussions centered around land issues concerning muslim settlers in Oddamavady and Kalkuddah, according to officials attending the meeting.
Full story >>

Danish Group funds Vavuniya preschool building

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 June 2005, 11:11 GMT]
Opening ceremony for a new preschool building in Kilavikulam in Vavuniya district, funded by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) was ceremonially opened at 1pm Wednesday. The 'Thamilenthi Preschool' was built at a cost of nearly Rs. 850,000 and will be administered by the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO).
Full story >>

Two LTTE cadres killed in claymore attack in East

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 June 2005, 13:10 GMT]
Two LTTE cadres, Mr. Niveharan (22) and Mr. Sutharanjan (23), were killed in a claymore landmine attack in no-man zone at Sangamankandy, between Pottuvil and Komari at 12.35 PM Wednesday, sources said. The attack took place at Sangamankandy 2 km from Thandiyadi Sri Lanka Army (SLA) checkpoint while the cadres were walking with their punctured motorbike from Kanjirankuda LTTE base towards LTTE political office in Komari, Mr. Daya Mohan, Deputy Head of LTTE's Batticaloa-Amparai Political Division told TamilNet. Mr. Daya Mohan blamed Special Task Force (STF) soldiers and paramilitary cadres working with the STF for the attack.
Full story >>

Vadamaradchy rural schools receive assistance

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 June 2005, 10:35 GMT]
The Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), a Sri Lanka Government registered NGO working mainly in NorthEast, donated Rs 400,000 to buy computing equipment for a school in Thumpalai, Point Pedro and gave another Rs 1200,000 to build a pre-school in the coastal town of Katkovalam located 5km east of Point Pedro, TRO officials said.
Full story >>

Parliamentary proceedings disrupted second day

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 June 2005, 10:15 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament proceedings were disrupted again Wednesday when Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians protested that they cannot accept the statement Government of Sri Lanka made in the House on the pull out of additional troops deployed in Trincomalee town after the unlawful erection of a Buddha statue in the heart of town, sources said.


Full story >>

Bikkhu Front begins fast in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 June 2005, 09:53 GMT]
National Bhikku Front (NBF) Wednesday morning started a fast unto death campaign in front of Fort Railway Station, Colombo, protesting against the signing of Joint Mechanism proposal between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The proposal spells out administrative and funds disbursement arrangement for rehabilitation and reconstruction of tsunami destroyed coastal areas in the Northeast province.


Full story >>

Japanese diplomacy boosts JVP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 June 2005, 14:27 GMT]
Leaders of Sri Lanka’s ultra-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Perumana (JVP) wound up a ten day visit to Japan last week, having had a strong of meetings with top officials, former prime ministers and no less than four conferences with Yasushi Akashi, Japan’s Peace Envoy to Sri Lanka, sources said. JVP leader Somawanse Amarasinghe and his delegation were invited to Japan with a view to persuading them to cease their resistance to the internationally-backed peace process in Sri Lanka, but, the diplomatic initiative failed, as the party remains adamantly opposed to the joint mechanism, the sources said.
Full story >>

JHU threatens to boycott parliament

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 June 2005, 13:27 GMT]
Venerable Athuraliya Ratana Thera, parliamentary group leader of the all monks' Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) party Tuesday announced in parliament that his party has decided to boycott the House temporarily in protest of the Sri Lanka government's move to sign the joint mechanism proposal with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), parliamentary sources said.


Full story >>