President meets opposition leader

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 November 2004, 15:13 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga Tuesday urged opposition leader, Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe to participate in the all party parley to find a solution to end the island's ethnic conflict. Mr. Wickremesinghe and President Kumaratunga met in Colombo for discussions on Tuesday. All the main opposition parties, including the Tamil National Alliance and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress are boycotting the NACPR, charging that it is a time buying ruse by President Kumaratunga.
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SLN claim of destroying LTTE camp, a fabrication- Elilan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 November 2004, 11:16 GMT]
"The SLN has fabricated the story of destroying a LTTE camp in Palampoddaru area along Trincomalee-Kandy road to justify its false claim that LTTE had constructed several new camps in Trincomalee," Mr. Elilan, LTTE Trincomalee district Political Head tod TamilNet, reacting to media reports Monday that Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) had destroyed a Liberation Tigers camp.
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Spinner Muralitharan visits Pooneryn

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 November 2004, 08:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka Cricket Board has decided to construct playgrounds in Killinochchi and Jaffna peninsula at an estimated cost of 5 million rupees to develop cricket in the north, according to Sri Lanka's cricket star Mr.Muttiah Muralitharan. "Sri Lanka Cricket Board has requested the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for approval to implement the project," he said addressing a press conference Monday evening at the UNHCR office in Jaffna after a day tour in the peninsula. Mr. Muralitharan visited the LTTE held Pooneryn area after the press meet.
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Sri Lanka opposition boycotts Kumaratunga's peace parley

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 November 2004, 14:31 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga addressing the first meeting of the National Advisory Council for Peace and Reconciliation (NACPR) Monday said devolution of power to an extent should be found within the framework of the United Sri Lanka. "Solution to the northeast conflict should not be war,"said President Kumaratunga. Opposition parties, including the largest Tamil party in Sri Lanka's Parliament, boycotted the parley. Tamils charge that the NACPR is a time buying tactic by President Kumaratunga.
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NE Governor cancels visit to Jaffna after protest

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 November 2004, 13:20 GMT]
The North East Province Governor (retired) Major General Asoka Jayawardene Monday cancelled his official visit to Jaffna after civil groups in the peninsula warned that he would face public agitation as hundreds of thousands of internally displaced families are still languishing in refugee camps and welfare centres, district secretariat sources said Monday. The NE Governor was scheduled to visit Jaffna on Wednesday.
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Tamils must act to preserve cultural values- Semmanan

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 November 2004, 11:54 GMT]
"The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in occupation in Jaffna district is engaged in attempts to destroy our freedom struggle by degrading our cultural values. We should all be alert to defeat this enemy and join hands to safeguard our cultural identity and values" said Mr.Semmanan, Deputy Political Head of the Liberation Tigers in Jaffna district addressing the final event of the two-day Divisional Cultural Festival held Sunday at Karaveddy Predesiya Sabah hall, sources said.
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Parochial politics delaying peace, LTTE tells Japanese

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 November 2004, 10:58 GMT]
"Parochial political concerns and lack of consensus in the south are delaying the peace process and humanitarian delivery to the war affected people of the northeast", Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, told Japanese Special Envoy Mr. Yasushi Akashi who met head of Liberation Tigers' political division in Kilinochchi Monday.
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TRO assists war-affected families in Muttur east villages

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 November 2004, 10:36 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) provided financial assistance to six families affected by the war in the Muttur east villages in Trincomalee district under the second phase of its Self Income Generating Incentive Project (SIGIP) . Bulls, carts and cycles were supplied to families to generate self-income, TRO Trincomalee District Director Mr.Kiruba said.
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Human Rights Commissioner meets Jaffna journalists

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 October 2004, 22:34 GMT]
Mr.N.Selvakumaran, Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), addressing a press briefing in Jaffna said HRCSL would not hesitate to take action against errand policemen and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers for violation of human rights if it receives complaints supported with evidence. He met with the Jaffna based journalists at the regional office of HRCSL Sunday.
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Computer training centre opened in Alankerni

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 October 2004, 01:10 GMT]
With support from London-based expatriate organization TR TEC, Trincomalee branch of TECH,The Economic Consultancy House, a Non-Governmental Non-Profit Sharing Organization registered with the Government of Sri Lanka, Friday opened the seventh free computer-training centre in a remote Tamil village Alankerni, in Kinniya division in Trincomalee district. The centre is housed in Alankerni Vinayagar Maha Vidiyalayam.
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LTTE delegation meets John Hume

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 October 2004, 14:46 GMT]
“Learning to live with diversity and respect for each other is the cornerstone of a meaningful democracy," said Social Democratic and Labor Party (SDLP) Leader, former Member of EU Parliament and Nobel Laureate, Mr. John Hume, in a meeting with the LTTE delegation led by its Head of Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan, Friday, said LTTE sources in Ireland.


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HRCSL Commissioner visits Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 October 2004, 13:21 GMT]
Mr.S.Selvakumaran, a member of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) Saturday paid a visit to Jaffna and held talks with the political leadership of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Jaffna district. Mr.C.Ilamparithi, Jaffna district LTTE political head expressed dissatisfaction over the actions taken by the HRCSL in regard to the disappeared youths after the arrest by the Sri Lanka Army during 1996-1997 period during the discussion which was held at the HRCSL Jaffna regional office, human rights sources said.
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Akashi visits Trincomalee, meets community leaders

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 October 2004, 11:53 GMT]
Mr.Yasushi Akashi, Japanese special peace envoy Saturday visited Trincomalee and held discussions with the delegations representing Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims in the Trincomalee district separately at the residence of Parish Priest of Trincomalee St Mary's Cathedral. "Trincomalee district has showed to the world that there is a possibility for co-existence and co-operation between the three communities in Sri Lanka," said Mr.Akashi after the discussion.
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Ranil warns against altering Sri Lanka's constitution

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 October 2004, 16:30 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s opposition leader Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe said Friday that any attempt by President Chandrika Kumaratunga to alter the country’s constitution might encourage the Liberation Tigers to exercise the mandate obtained by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) at the last general elections to summon their own constituent assembly in the northeast. Addressing a seminar by the International Democratic Union-Asia Pacific Democratic Union at the Taj Samudra Hotel in downtown Colombo, he said: “it can really throw a spanner in the peace process."
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"Revive Jaffna palmyra, coconut industry"- TNA MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 October 2004, 12:34 GMT]
Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Mr.Suresh Premachchandran Friday wrote to the Chairman of the Coconut and Palmyra Development Societies Federation, Provincial Commissioner of Co-operative Development and the Government Agent the urgency of reviving the palmyra and coconut industry in the peninsula, which is currently being neglected by the government and other related agencies, sources said.


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TECH opens district office in Mannar, donates Solar panels

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 October 2004, 10:52 GMT]
The Economic Consultancy House (TECH), a Non-Governmental Non-Profit Sharing Organization registered with the Government of Sri Lanka, opened its Mannar district office in Aandankulam in Adampan district Wednesday, sources in Mannar said. During the event, four selected Mannar schools received photo-voltaic lighting systems obtained from funds donated by TECH branch in the US, organizers of the event said.
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Two PLOTE cadres reported missing

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 October 2004, 09:51 GMT]
Two members of the PLOTE, an ex-Tamil militant group in Vavuniya, were abducted by unidentified gunmen in a suburb of the northern border town, Sri Lanka Police said Thursday. Their whereabouts are not yet known, according to Police. The PLOTE cadres have been missing since Tuesday night, relatives said.
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TNA delegation meets Akashi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 October 2004, 09:25 GMT]
The release of 4.5 billion dollars aid pledged at the Tokyo conference to Sri Lanka should not take place until the stalled peace talk with the Liberation Tigers resumes on the basis of Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposals, delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians told Japanese special peace envoy Mr.Yasushi Akashi during a discussion in Colombo Thursday, TNA sources said.
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Mirusuvil massacre case inquiry to resume

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 October 2004, 02:09 GMT]
The stalled inquiry into the Mirusuvil massacre case is to resume before the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar (TAB) on the instruction of the Supreme Court that TAB could continue its proceedings although the confession made by one of the accused soldier Mr.R.M.S.Ratnayake was declared inadmissible, legal sources said.
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LTTE delegation to meet Irish Foreign Ministry Officials

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 October 2004, 13:41 GMT]
Three members of LTTE Political Section, led by Head of Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan arrived in Dublin, Ireland Thursday for talks with Officials from the Foreign Ministry of Irish Government, LTTE sources from Dublin told TamilNet.
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