Civil society role vital to peace- SLMM Trinco Head

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 August 2004, 13:33 GMT]
Lions Club of Trincomalee Town honoured its past presidents at a special event held Saturday at the Trincomalee New Silver Star Hotel with Mr.Dagffin Aadness, Trincomalee head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) as the chief guest. Mr Aadness speaking at the event said the civil society including Lions Clubs and other organizations could play a vital role in safeguarding the current peace environs, sources attending the event said.


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HR Group meets to finalize Charter

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 August 2004, 12:49 GMT]
Northeast Secretariat of Human Rights (NESOHR), formed on the 9 July to monitor the human rights violations and implement actions to strengthen the human rights in the NorthEast, held its second meeting Sunday with Head of LTTE Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan attending, to finalize NESOHR' charter, LTTE's Peace Secretariat website said.
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Death at noon creates crack in Sri Lanka's defences

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 August 2004, 02:31 GMT]
Mr. Kandaiah Yoharasa alias PLOTE Mohan was the most dreaded Tamil paramilitary operative that ever worked with the Sri Lankan armed forces in their war against the Liberation Tigers. His name once evoked terror among the people of Batticaloa. He was an invaluable if not indispensable part of Sri Lanka's intelligence and counter insurgency operations against the LTTE.
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Social mobilization workshop held for Kanniya resettlers

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 August 2004, 00:56 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), sponsored by the North East Community Restoration Development (NECORD) project conducted a five day social mobilization workshop for resettled villagers in Kanniya located about eight km off northeast of Trincomalee town.


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"LTTE will emerge victorious if SL Government launches war"- Ilamparithi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 July 2004, 16:59 GMT]
"We are certain of victory if the Sri Lanka Government launches a war to occupy our traditional homeland," said Mr.C.Ilamparithi, Jaffna district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) addressing "Confluence (Sangamam)" event of the Jaffna District Tamil Resurgence Forum (JDTRF) held in Nelliyady, a residential town 25km northwest of Jaffna, Saturday.
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Pre-schools exhibition begins in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 July 2004, 01:36 GMT]
A two-day exhibition of the Child Friendly Development Centres (pre-schools) organized by the Early Childhood Development Unit of the North East Provincial Ministry of Education began Friday morning in the auditorium of the Trincomalee St.Joseph's College. This is the first time an exhibition of art works and other creations of students and teachers of pre-schools is being held in the northeast province.


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Another 'Karuna' associate shot dead in Welikanda

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 July 2004, 17:26 GMT]
A person identified as an associate the renegade LTTE commander V. Muralitharan alias Karuna, was shot dead Friday in the general area of Welikanda, 70 kilometres northwest of Batticaloa.
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SLA accused of distributing porn in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 July 2004, 17:12 GMT]
''Sri Lanka military leadership in Jaffna is engaged in weakening the Tamil liberation struggle by introducing obscene literature and blue films to students and youths to corrupt their minds,'' said Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Mr.S.Gajendran addressing a meeting of the International Thamileelam Students Federation (ITSF) Thursday, sources in Jaffna said.
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Jaffna Police to serve summons on SLA officials

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 July 2004, 00:29 GMT]
The Chavakachcheri Magistrate Mr.P.Subramaniam Thursday directed his Registrar to serve summons through Jaffna district police on Lt. Colonel Dumminda Kepptigollawa, the Jaffna area commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and another SLA commander who have been cited first, second and third respondents respectively in the Habeas Corpus applications filed on behalf of missing seven Tamil youths, legal sources said.


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UNP to support peace talks based on ISGA proposal

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 July 2004, 00:18 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) said Thursday in a press briefing that it would support the resumption of peace talks by the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the basis of LTTE's Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposal.


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Mullaithivu fishermen still at risk- MP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 2004, 16:50 GMT]
''The fishing community of Mullaithivu suffered immensely during the war. But the Sri Lanka Navy continues to terrorise them even after two years of peace'', Mr. Sathasivam Kanakaratnam, Tamil National Alliance MP for Vanni, told TamilNet Thursday. He said two Mullaithivu fishermen were dragged around at mid sea in their boats by SLN speed craft last week on 21 July.
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RSF urges Norway to press for journalists' safety in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 2004, 11:07 GMT]
Reporters Without Borders Thursday urged Norway to press Sri Lankan authorities to fight impunity with which journalists are attacked in the island, particularly on its east coast. ''Since the killing of a correspondent in Batticaloa region at the end of May, without any condemnation from a single minister, two other journalists have been forced to flee the area and take refuge in the capital'', RSF said.
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SL Government ready to resume peace talks- Cabinet Spokesman

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 2004, 10:25 GMT]
The minority United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government said Thursday that it is prepared to commence peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at any time and anywhere. Speaking at the post Cabinet press briefing held Thursday Media Minister Mr. Mangala Samaraweera said that the LTTE should adopt a policy of flexibility in its stand, sources in Colombo said.
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New Killings Threaten Ceasefire- HRW

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 2004, 03:01 GMT]
Human Rights Watch, a U.S. based independent nongovernmental organization said in a media release Wednesday, "A spate of killings between factions of the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) threatens Sri Lanka’s ceasefire...More than a dozen people have been murdered over the last month in apparently politically motivated killings attributed either to the LTTE or a faction led by the LTTE’s former eastern commander, Colonel Karuna, who broke away from the LTTE in March 2004."
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SLA commander ordered to appear in Jaffna courts

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 July 2004, 00:48 GMT]
The Jaffna Magistrate Mr.R.T.Viknarajah Wednesday instructed his Registrar to issue notice on the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to appear in court on September 7 when it was brought to the notice of the court that the accused military officials in three Habeas Corpus (HC) applications failed to attend inquiry without reasons, legal sources said.


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Norway says peace hopes at new low

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 July 2004, 18:02 GMT]
Hopes that the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers would soon restart peace talks plunged Wednesday after a top Norwegian envoy said there is “little reason for optimism” and warned of a resumption of the protracted ethnic conflict.
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Mannar GA says refugee influx unprecedented

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 July 2004, 15:53 GMT]
''Hundreds of refugees are risking their lives, paying high fares to unscrupulous boatmen, to return from India to their homes in the northeast. The influx of refugees is increasing by the day. It is hence imperative that MPs of the Vanni District should persuade the governments of India and Sri Lanka to let these refugees return legally by ferry or by boats from Mannar,'' said the Government Agent for Mannar Wednesday.
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Trinco sanitary workers demonstrate for land rights

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 July 2004, 15:52 GMT]
Sanitary workers employed by the Trincomalee Urban Council (UC) Wednesday held a five-hour demonstration in front of the UC office demanding that they should be provided with deeds and permits for the lands they are living in for more than half a century. More than five hundred people, men and women including family members of the workers, participated in the protest demonstration, which was organized by the Community Leaders' Consortium (CLC).


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Mannar farmers hit by drought

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 July 2004, 14:19 GMT]
Severe drought has hit the Mannar district affecting several hundreds of farming families and civil authorities are taking steps to provide relief to the affected people, sources said.
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Tamil police officers transferred from Mannar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 July 2004, 17:12 GMT]
Vanni District Tamil National Parliamentarian Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan Tuesday brought to the notice of the Sri Lanka's Inspector General of Police the injustice in transferring four Tamil police officers out of eight without any replacement, sources in Mannar said.


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