TNA meets with Trinco Muslim leaders

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 October 2004, 18:59 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Saturday launched its first district political awareness campaign in Trincomalee district by organizing a discussion with a group of prominent Muslim citizens in the east port town at Trincomalee New Silver Star Hotel, TNA sources said.
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"Home guards' release, goodwill gesture to SLMM"- Elilan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 October 2004, 18:12 GMT]
"We released the two Sinhala home guards, Sarath Bandara and Chandana Piyasiri, as a goodwill gesture to the efforts taken by the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM) for the release of ten cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)," said Mr.S.Elilan, LTTE Trincomalee district political head of the LTTE. The Thamileelam courts in Sampoor in Muttur east Saturday around five p.m. released the two home guards on cash and surety bail, legal sources said.


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Youths converge for Batticaloa Peace Convention

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 October 2004, 15:03 GMT]
Hundreds of Tamil, Sinhala and Muslim youths, both boys and girls, from more than sixteen regions in Batticaloa district, assembled in Batticaloa town for a three day Youth Peace Convention from Friday to Sunday to stress the urgency for peace and unity between the communities, sources from Batticaloa said.
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Balasingham reviews Norwegian talks in new book

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 October 2004, 13:17 GMT]
Liberation Tigers’ Political Strategist and Chief Negotiator, Mr. Anton Balasingham, in his new book published this month, provides “a critical elucidation of all peace efforts the LTTE participated in, from Thimpu talks to the recent Norwegian facilitated negotiations,” the books publishers said this week. “The significance of this voluminous study, running into more than five hundred pages, lies in its exposition of a new realm of material, hitherto unknown and the new insights it provides into the dynamics of the Tamil liberation struggle,” publishers said in an e-mail to TamilNet.
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TNA to launch awareness campaign Saturday in Trinco

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 October 2004, 00:24 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is to launch its first district level political awareness campaign in Trincomalee Saturday with a political rally in the evening at the Trincomalee Hindu Cultural Hall located along the Inner harbour Road facing the Trincomalee harbour. Organizers, expecting heavy rain, changed the venue from Sivankoviladi, sources said.


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Finland promises humanitarian assistance

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 October 2004, 00:00 GMT]
Director General of Finland Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Americas and Asia section, Ms Paivi Luostarinen, told the Liberation Tigers delegation that Finland will continue its humanitarian assistance to NorthEast, and extend its support to the peace process including the activities of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, during a meeting Friday held at the Finnish Ministry building, LTTE sources in Finland said.
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Computer training centres opened in Muttur east villages

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 October 2004, 13:44 GMT]
Trincomalee IT Tech in collaboration with the London TR Tec opened two more computer training centres in Muttur east villages, Chenaiyoor and Sampoor, under a programme to provide free computer training to five thousand students in fifty schools in the northeast province. Six computer-training centres have now been opened in Trincomalee district under this project, sources said.


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No split in LTTE command - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 October 2004, 11:22 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers’ Political Strategist and Chief Negotiator, Mr. Anton Balasingham, Friday dismissed Colombo-based press reports of a split in the senior leadership of the Liberation Tigers as "malicious speculation." Mr. Balasingham told TamilNet that Indian and Sri Lankan press reports that Sea Tiger Special Commander, Col. Soosai, had split from the LTTE were "baseless rumours intended to alarm and demoralise the Tamil people."
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CTTU, Education Secretary discuss Tamil Education Issues

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 October 2004, 00:55 GMT]
A delegation of the Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union (CTTU) Thursday led by its general secretary Mr.T.Mahasivam held discussions with Secretary of the Minister of Education in the United People Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government, Dr Tara de Mel, Thursday at the latter's invitation regarding the problems confronting the development of Tamil medium education, sources said.
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"SL Govt ready with alternate peace proposals"- Samaraweera

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 October 2004, 00:20 GMT]
The United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government Thursday announced that it is ready with its alternative proposals to the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). "However, we do not know whether the LTTE would accept the government alternate proposals," said Media Minister Mr.Mangala Samaraweera at a press briefing held Thursday in Colombo, sources said.
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Thamilchelvan applauds Finland's contribution to SLMM

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 October 2004, 19:47 GMT]
“Tamil people are greatful to the Government of Finland for its significant contibution to the efficient functioning of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM),” said S.P. Thamilchelvan, head of the LTTE political wing in a meeting with Mr. Jaakko Laajava, under- secretary of state for political affairs, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finland, Thursday held at the Foreign Ministry Building.
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Southern delegation meets Ilamparithi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 October 2004, 17:08 GMT]
Jaffna district political head of the Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam, C.Ilamparithi, Thursday met with a delegation comprising Southern provincial councillors and members of the Saumya Youth Foundation at the Potpathy Road offices of the LTTE, sources said.
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SLA bars paddy cultivation in Trinco village

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 October 2004, 12:40 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has prohibited resettled Tamil farming families in Paththinipuram village from cultivating their paddy fields for the forthcoming season, said the villagers in complaints lodged with the Tampalakamam Divisional Secretary (DS) and Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO).


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Peace trapped in political chess game- paper

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 October 2004, 10:50 GMT]
"Leader of Opposition, Ranil Wickremasinghe, has told the Indian leaders that that United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA). should start talks with the LTTE. In earlier times, it was left to the Tamil leaders to undertake missions to bring pressure to bear on the Sri Lanka Governments. Tables have now turned, giving way to the scenario of one main southern Sri Lanka political camp persuading NewDelhi to pressure the other southern camp to start peace negotiations immediately," said Thinakkural, a popular Tamil daily in its editorial Thursday.
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Two more policemen identified in HR official assault

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 October 2004, 10:13 GMT]
Jaffna human rights officials Thursday identified two more policemen who were among a group that assaulted them on 27 September when they went to inquire about an arrest Tamil youth. Mr.Ruwan Chandrasekara, regional co-ordinator of Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) and his asscoiate Mr.S.Feroz identified two policemen in connection with the incident previously on Wednesday.
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Batticaloa court releases ten LTTE cadres on bail

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 October 2004, 09:53 GMT]
The Batticaloa Magistrate Mr.M.H.M.Ajmeer Thursday afternoon released ten cadres of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on cash and surety bail on the orders of the Court of Appeal. Monitors of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Batticaloa immediately took charge of the released 10 LTTE cadres and handed over to the Sri Lanka Army (SLA). Thereafter the SLA and the Police took them in their vehicles to "Karuththapalam" (Black Bridge) on A5 Chenkaladi Kandy road and handed them to the LTTE representatives under the supervision of the SLMM monitors.
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JVP supporters hold demo in Trinco

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 October 2004, 08:02 GMT]
A group of supporters of the Sinhala Nationalist cum Marist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), major constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) held a demonstration in front of the Trincomalee office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Commission (SLMM) Thursday around noon demanding the release of two Sinhala home guards who are in remand in Thamileelam prison on the orders of Thamileelam courts. The LTTE cadres arrested both home guards when they infiltrated into the LTTE controlled areas in the north of Trincomalee district on September 27, sources said.
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SLA bars paddy cultivation in resettled Trinco village

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 October 2004, 07:10 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has prohibited resettled Tamil farm families in Paththinipuram village from cultivating their paddy fields for the forthcoming season, said in complaints lodged with the Tampalakamam Divisional Secretary (DS) and Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO).
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Probe commences on Gurunagar disappeared youths

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 October 2004, 16:25 GMT]
Jaffna Magistrate Mr.K.Viknarajah Wednesday held the preliminary inquiry into a Habeas Corpus (HC) application filed by relatives of three Tamil youths who disappeared after being arrested by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in 1996, legal sources said. The youths were residents of Gurunagar and Ariyalai areas.
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Two policemen identified in Jaffna HR official assault

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 October 2004, 12:01 GMT]
Two policemen of Jaffna Police Mr.T.Dhanapala and Mr.Pushpamali Fernando were identified at the identification parade held Wednesday in Jaffna Magistrate's Court in connection with the alleged assault on Mr.Ruwan Chandrasekara, regional co-ordinator of Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) and his associate Mr.S.Feroz on 27 September, legal sources said.
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