Solheim meets Hakim, Devananda

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 September 2004, 01:13 GMT]
Norwegian special envoy Eric Solheim Tuesday evening met with Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Rauff Hakim, and Secretary General of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), Douglas Devananda, and discussed in detail about the resumption of peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suspended from April last year, political sources in Colombo said.
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TNA MPs meet with Japanese Ambassador

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 September 2004, 19:12 GMT]
Members of Tamil Nationall Alliance's (TNA's) Foreign Affairs Committee, Parliamentarians Joseph Pararajasingham and Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, met with Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Akio Suda and Second Secretary Mr. Kenji Miyata at 4pm Tuesday, sources said.
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Solheim meets Government Peace Secretariat Head

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 September 2004, 16:18 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Eric Solheim Tuesday held wide range of discussion with Dr.Jayantha Dhanapala, Secretary General of the Peace Secretariat of the Government of Sri Lanka regarding the prospects of resuming peace talks between the GOSL and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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Tamil Students condemn foreign military assistance

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 September 2004, 15:26 GMT]
The International Students' Association of Thamileelam (ISAT), in a press release issued Tuesday, said that the military and financial assistance of United States to the Government of Sri Lanka and the visit of Indian Navy Commander to Sri Lanka would not help in finding a peaceful solution to the conflict but would lead to renewed hostilities.
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Southern Journalists meet with Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 September 2004, 13:08 GMT]
Director of National Peace Council, Dr. Jehan Perera, and a group of about forty journalists from South met with Head of LTTE Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan, at LTTE Planning and Development Secretariat in Kilinochchi Tuesday, sources from Vanni said. The objective of the meeting was to explore ways to strengthen and promote cordial relationship between the North and the South, the delegation members said. Liberation Tigers arranged for the group to tour war affected areas and, to witness progress of humanitarian projects in Vanni. The group left for Jaffna in the afternoon, sources said.
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Norwegian peace envoy arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 September 2004, 04:45 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Eric Solheim arrived in Colombo Monday evening on a five-day visit to hold talks with the leaders of Government of Sri Lanka and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) with the aim to a make a headway in the resumption of stalled peace talks, political sources said.
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Kumaratunga confidante promises better deal in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 September 2004, 17:09 GMT]
President Chandrika Kumaratunga's spokesman and advisor on rehabilitation and reconstruction, Mr. Harim Pieris told jounalists in Jaffna Monday that her government does not discriminate between areas held by the Liberation Tigers and Sri Lankan armed forces in providing aid unlike the previous regime in Colombo. He pointed out that President Chandrika's government had repaired bridges on the A9 road first in the LTTE held parts of the north.
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English Language College opened in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 September 2004, 12:03 GMT]
The opening ceremony of an English Language College run by Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) was held on the new College premises at Jeyanthynagar, Kilinochchi, Monday. Twenty five students who currently are working for TRO projects have completed the English courses. Twenty student teachers will commence training at the College on Monday 20 September and a new term of classes at Beginner, Elementary and Intermediate level will commence in October, according to TRO officials in Kilinochchi.
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U.S. urged to adopt balanced approach to peace

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 September 2004, 10:17 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader and the Trincomalee district parliamentarian Mr.R.Sampanthan in a press release issued Monday in Trincomalee said that a meeting Ambassador J.Cofer Black, had with a group of Sri Lankan media representatives in Colombo, has "caused much concern to wide sections of the Tamil people," and cautioned that "failure to adopt an even handed approach could cause immense harm to the peace process." Ambassador Black is U.S. State Department's Co-ordinator for Counter Terrorism.
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Chief Justice opens Trincomalee court complex

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 September 2004, 00:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Chief Justice Mr.Sarath N.Silva Sunday declared open the Trincomalee modern court complex constructed at a cost of about 79 million rupees under the World Bank funded Legal and Judicial Reforms Project of the Ministry of Justice. Trincomalee Bar Association President Mr.O.L.M.Ismail presided the opening ceremony.


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"Weakening LTTE, main aim of SL Govt"- Balakumaran

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 September 2004, 13:57 GMT]
"Absolutely nothing fundamental has changed on the ground. There can be absence of war, there can be prospects of peace talks, or involvement of the International community, or there can be press releases issued by Chandrika Kumaratunge. But, precious little has changed in the feelings or nationalistic thinking of our people. War has not ended yet," said K.V.Balakumaran, a Senior Leader of the Liberation Tigers, in an interview with the Sydney Tamil Radio Thamil Muzhakkam's "Mannin Mainthargal" program during his recent visit to European countries.
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Estate workers stage protest in Kandy

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 September 2004, 12:28 GMT]
Hundreds of upcountry workers staged a protest campaign at George R.De Silva park in Kandy Saturday, demanding increase in salary and opposing privatization of tea estates. The protest was organized by the Union of Upcountry workers and Human Rights Development society. The New Left Front and several other unions also participated, sources in Kandy said.
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'Chauvinists see LTTE's development offices as camps' -TNA MP

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 September 2004, 02:39 GMT]
Chauvinist forces in the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government of Sri Lanka are saying that the offices the Liberation Tigers have constructed for rehabilitation and development efforts in Trincomalee are military camps in proximity to the government security installations, said Mr.Thurairatnesingham, the Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian from Trincomalee, addressing a meeting following the opening of the Trincomalee district office of The Economic Consultancy House (TECH) Friday.


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Refugees abandoned on Kachchathivu arrive in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 September 2004, 09:37 GMT]
Twenty eight Sri Lankan Tamil refugees from South India who had been abandoned in the island Kachchaithivu were brought to Jaffna Saturday. Government officials at the Jaffna District Secretariat gave the refugees money to help them return to their villages in Mannar,Mullaithivu and other parts of the Vanni. The refugees related their harrowing experience to local experience to local journalists.
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TECH district office opened in Trinco

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 September 2004, 02:06 GMT]
The Trincomalee district office of The Economic Consultancy House (TECH), a Non-Governmental Non-Profit Sharing Organization registered with the Government of Sri Lanka, and a computer training center was opened Friday morning at No 16, Green Road, Trincomalee. TECH has its headquarters in A9 Road, Iranaimadu Junction in Killinochchi.
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Jaffna IDPs oppose move to reduce relief

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 September 2004, 17:11 GMT]
Internally displaced people (IDPs) living on relief assistance provided by the Sri Lankan government are planning to launch a protest campaign if the authorities failed to suspend their decision to cut down the number of recipients by half, warned Valikaamam Fisheries Societies Federation in the northern Jaffna peninsula in a memorandum handed over to Point Pedro Divisional Secretary, Friday.
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Kachchaithivu stranded refugees rescued

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 September 2004, 16:40 GMT]
25 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees stranded in Kachchathivu, an islet in Indian Ocean, were rescued and transported to Nedunthivu, one of the islets in Jaffna peninsula by a co-operative passenger boat Friday evening, Jaffna district secretariat sources said.
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SLA involvement in Pullumalai attack aimed at provocating LTTE - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 September 2004, 11:58 GMT]
Noting that the "evidence of MAG personnel, proximity of the Tampaddi SLA camp vis-à-vis the LTTE point and the fact that the attackers alighted from the MAG vehicle and carried the dead into the SLA camp are clear indicators of SLA complicity in the attack", the LTTE Political Head, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, accused Friday that the "SLA is engaged in ceasefire violations with a view to provocate the LTTE and thereby leading to disruption of the entire peace process" in a letter to the SLMM Head.
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TNA MPs meet Canadian Ambassador

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 September 2004, 10:44 GMT]
Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Senior parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Kajendran, Ms.Pathmini Sithamparanathan and Selvam Adaikalanathan met with Candian Ambassador Valerie Raymond at the Canadian High Commission in Colombo Friday morning to discuss matters related to Interim Administration Authority Proposals (ISGA), diplomatic sources in Colombo said.
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Solheim to visit Sri Lanka next week

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 September 2004, 09:37 GMT]
The Norwegian Special Envoy, Mr. Erik Solheim, will on Monday 13 September arrive in Sri Lanka on a routine visit and have meetings with President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, members of the Government of Sri Lanka, representatives for the opposition as well as with civil society. Mr. Solheim and the Norwegian ambassador Mr. Hans Brattskar will on Thursday 16 September have consultations in Kilinochchi with the LTTE Political Head Mr. S.P. Thamilchelvan, according to a press release from the Royal Norwegian Embassy Friday.
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