Trinco monk protests govt inaction in providing tsunami relief

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 March 2005, 11:35 GMT]
The sit-in-protest campaign began by Venerable Hamulugamuwa Nandaretna, Viharathipathi of Mahadiulwewa Sri Pabatharama Raja Maha Vihare with his five disciples in the heart of Trincomalee town, in front of Clock Tower junction Saturday morning condemning the Sri Lanka government's inaction in providing relief and reconstruction assistance to tsunami victims in the Trincomalee district entered second day Sunday, sources said.
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US Senator's office exposes Lanka customs clearance fraud

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 March 2005, 13:10 GMT]
An over-charge of nearly US$4000 on an NGO during clearance of relief supplies was discovered due to the intervention of Maryland Senator Paul Sarbanes office, sources said. The fraud was discovered when officials of a Baltimore Church and Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), approached the Congressman for help to pressure Sri Lanka Government to waive the nearly $7000 US taxes it imposed on five water purifiers sent by the Baltimore church to NorthEast victims of recent tsunami.
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Lord Konesar procession concludes in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 March 2005, 10:00 GMT]
Three-day procession of Lord Konesar, chief deity of historic Trincomalee Koneswaram Temple with his consort Mathumai Ambal concluded Saturday early morning. The procession commenced Wednesday evening from Koneswaram Temple following Maha Sivarathiri Day celebrations, sources said
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LTTE delegation meets Norwegian facilitators in Oslo

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 March 2005, 16:45 GMT]
"We told the Norwegians that Sri Lanka Government should without delay extend co-operation to finalize the joint mechanism for aid distribution and should take immediate steps to end the targetting of LTTE political officials and cadres working in the East by paramilitary operatives operating with the backing of the Sri Lanka Army," said Head of LTTE Political Wing, S.P Thamilchelvan in Oslo Friday during a brief press conference held at the Hotel Continental in Norway's capital Oslo at 3 pm.
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Arrest rising chauvinism, extremism, TNA tells Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 March 2005, 12:15 GMT]
Accusing Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister of "inciting the forces of chauvinism and extremism" in Sri Lanka by rushing to describe World Bank official Mr Peter Harrold's statements on Liberation Tigers, without checking their veracity, as "provocative," Mr Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in his statement in Sri Lanka's parliament on the current political situation, urged the Sri Lanka Government to speak with one voice regarding taking the peace process forward, parliamentary sources in Colombo said.
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JVP's last card, churning up chauvinist cauldron- DLF

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 March 2005, 12:36 GMT]
"Desperate to retain its portfolios, having nothing to show for what it has so far achieved by being in government, haunted by the nightmare of 1970-1975 coalition politics that nearly destroyed the LSSP and CP, the JVP is now floundering, it is drowning in very shallow water...A democratic solution of the national question terrifies the JVP by cutting off its raison d’être. That’s what happens when you sacrifice your socialist responsibilities for chauvinist pandering," says Vasudeva Nanayakkara, veteran trade unionist and secretary, Democratic Left Front (DLF), in the newsletter issued in Colombo 5 March.
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CFA cannot survive in 'No war No Talks' climate- Elilan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 March 2005, 04:27 GMT]
"It is meaningless to observe a ceasefire in the current situation where there is no peace and no peace talks. The deteriorating security climate in the east, and the chaotic political situation plagued by disunity within the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in the South that shows no signs of improving, can only hasten Tamils march towards the final solution," said Mr.S.Elilan in his address at the International Women's Day celebrations held Tuesday evening at Trincomalee Cultural hall, sources said.
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Norway ‘optimistic on joint mechanism’

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 15:38 GMT]
Norwegian Peace Envoy, Mr. Erik Solheim, told the Liberation Tigers’ Political Strategist and Chief Negotiator, Mr. Anton Balasingham, whom he met Wednesday that Oslo was optimistic that a joint mechanism for aid distribution could be agreed “soon” between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government. Mr. Solheim also conveyed Colombo’s concerns over the LTTE’s airstrip in Vanni to Mr. Balasingham.
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Thamilchelvan, Nadesan bound for Europe

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 13:52 GMT]
A high level delegation of Liberation Tigers will begin an official visit to several European capitals from Friday. “Our meetings will focus on delivering aid to Tsunami affected people in northeast directly and efficiently”, Mr. S. Puleedevan, Secretary General of the LTTE peace secretariat in Kilinochchi, told TamilNet. The delegation led by Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, head of LTTE’s political division, leaves Colombo Thursday and will travel to Norway, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Ireland, and Switzerland. The Tigers will also visit the European Union headquarters in Brussels, Puleedevan said.


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Refugees allege were raped, robbed by Sri Lanka Navy men

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 11:30 GMT]
A group of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees alleged in a complaint to the Mannar Citizens’ Committee Wednesday that they were beaten, robbed and molested on a sandbank in the seas off Mannar last Saturday by five men suspected to be Sri Lanka Navy personnel. They also alleged that several refugee women were raped by the sailors. Thalaimannar Police Tuesday admitted to Mannar Base Hospital Ms. Rajitha Rajan, 25, one of the refugee women who were allegedly raped on the sandbank, for medical tests.


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Pre-school teachers in Trinco receive assistance

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 10:40 GMT]
Pre-School Education Development Council (PSEDC) of the North East headquartered in Killinochchi distributed bicycles to tsunami affected pre-school teachers and paid a compensation of fifteen thousand rupees to the next of kin of a pre-school teacher died in tsunami in the Trincomalee district on Monday and Tuesday, civil sources said.
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Muslim abducted, killed in Batticaloa north

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 07:29 GMT]
A Muslim auto rickshaw driver who was abducted Tuesday evening by unidentified gunmen in the in the general area of Kadjuwatte, about 55 kilometres north of Batticaloa, was found shot dead Wednesday morning, Sri Lanka army (SLA) spokesman Brig. Daya Ratnayaka said. He blamed the Liberation Tigers for the abduction and killing. "This is a foul murder carried out by the Sri Lanka army and its lackeys calculated to destroy cordial relations between Muslims and Tamils in the east. We will not rise to the bait", said Mr. P. Thayamohan, a senior LTTE political official in Batticaloa. A member of the Liberation Tigers was shot dead in this area in an ambush on Monday.


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Funeral of LTTE cadre held in Vakarai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 00:31 GMT]
"We strongly condemn the killing of our cadres in the east. These killings do not detract us from our main goals, instead they strengthen our will to continue our struggle with greater determination," said Colonel Balraj, senior commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) speaking at the funeral of Second Lieutenant Pushparajan (Robert Kanthamarajah Uthayakumar) who was killed in an ambush on Saturday at LTTE controlled Kirimichchai area in Vakarai division by unidentified gunmen, sources said.


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Jaffna celebrates Women's Day, calls on SLA to quit

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 March 2005, 17:34 GMT]
The Jaffna Women Cultural Forum celebrated the International Women's Day in the Jaffna district Tuesday calling on "the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) occupying the Tamil motherland should quit." An effigy symbolizing the SLA occupation was cremated at Parameswara Junction in Thirunelveli, sources said.


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Protesting Muslims cook on highway in Maruthamunai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 March 2005, 14:26 GMT]
Thousands Muslims who lost their homes when the Tsunami hit Maruthamunai, 35 kilometres south of Batticaloa, blocked the main highway to Kalmunai Tuesday protesting against the Government of Sri Lanka for not helping them rebuild their houses. Entire coastal suburbs of this densely populated Muslim town were flattened by the surging sea. The protestors erected tents and cooked on the road. Only the JVP and three Islamic groups had put up some temporary shelters for them, the protestors said. Streets were deserted and the usually busy town was shut down.
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Kodikamam Police force entry, search LTTE office

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 March 2005, 17:00 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Monday evening lodged a complaint with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Jaffna that a group of Sri Lanka Policemen had forcibly entered its Kodikamam Political Office Monday morning around 10.45 a.m. and conducted search operation without informing the SLMM, sources said.
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Refugees, robbed, molested on sandbank in Mannar sea

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 March 2005, 15:39 GMT]
A group of fifty Sri Lankan Tamil refugees abandoned on a sandbank in the seas off Thalaimannar were assaulted and robbed of all their belongings and savings by five armed men, the victims told Mannar courts Monday. The armed men had stripped and molested the women in the group at gun point. The refugees told Mannar magistrate Mr. N.M.M Abdullah they had left from camps in South India where they had been living for the last fifteen years.
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Students protest army killings in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 March 2005, 14:11 GMT]
Jaffna University Students Union (JUSU) Monday held a protest march from Nallur Kandasamy Temple to the office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) condemning the killings of a student and an elderly person Friday by the Sri Lanka security forces. Students of Technical College, Higher Technical Education Institute, Jaffna University and schools participated in the protest march in large numbers, sources said.


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Alikambai villagers receive Tsunami Relief

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 March 2005, 11:46 GMT]
Residents of Alikambai, an ancient tribal village in Amparai coast, from a community of 231 families were delivered relief supplies including clothing Sunday by the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), a Sri Lanka Government registered NGO which works exclusively in the NorthEast, sources said. The Grama Sevaka of the district assisted in distributing the supplies to the villagers.
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GoSL, LTTE must grasp opportunities for reconciliation- Prof Oberst

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 March 2005, 23:08 GMT]
While stressing the importance of "the Norwegian effort to create a joint government-LTTE mechanism to be successful" for Sri Lanka to recover from the tsunami disaster, and expressing hope that "UN special ambassador and former U.S. president Bill Clinton will be able to bring the two sides together to work towards rebuilding of the devastated areas," Professor Oberst pointed out that "[The] sad reality of the Sri Lankan conflict has been the remarkable ability of both sides to allow opportunities for peace and reconciliation to slip away from their grasp," when he talked to TamilNet this week commenting on post-tsunami development in Sri Lanka.
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