Helgesen meets SLMC leader

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 July 2004, 16:07 GMT]
Mr. Vidar Helgessen, Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister is reported to have told Mr.Rauff Hakim, Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Tuesday that renegade Karuna's affair has become a stumbling block in taking forward the stalled peace talks between the Government Of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), according to SLMC sources.


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Police action threatens freedom of expression- IFJ

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 July 2004, 12:06 GMT]
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), a global organisation representing over 500,000 journalists worldwide, has today condemned recent actions by the Sri Lankan police threatening freedom of expression in Sri Lanka.
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Jaffna Hospital Association opens website

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 July 2004, 10:40 GMT]
Dr.S.Sathurmugam, the Director Teaching Hospital, and Dr.Ambalavanar, president of Jaffna General Hospital Development Association (JGHDA) launched a website for JGHDA on 19 July, sources in Jaffna said. A message posted on the website said that the site is not the official website of the Hospital but of the JGHDA which is registered with the Sri Lanka government as a Non-Governmental Organization.
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FMM voices concern over intimidation of journalists

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 July 2004, 10:07 GMT]
In media release distributed in Colombo today the Free Media Movement (FMM) said that it viewed with concern "the police search of the residence of journalist Dharmaratnam Sivaram for the second time in a short period of time," and the statement by the Sri Lanka Government that "Mr. Sivaram will be interrogated on the news item posted on the Tamil Net" to reveal the source of the news. "FMM requests you to halt the tactics of intimidation," added the media release.
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"LTTE will remain militarily strong"- Semmanan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 July 2004, 00:00 GMT]
"Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) will defeat government's hidden agenda to weaken our military and political strength," said Mr.K.Semmannan, Deputy Political Head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Jaffna district said when speaking at a meeting of the Thamileelam Resurgence Forum held in Karainagar Subramaniam Vidiyalayam Monday.
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Helgesen meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 July 2004, 09:47 GMT]
Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister, Vidar Helgesen, met with LTTE Head of Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan, at the LTTE Political Head Quarters in Kilinochchi Monday morning, for discussions on the stand of the LTTE regarding the recommencement of peace negotiations with the Government of Sri Lanka, LTTE's peace secretariat website said.
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Not a principled apology- Elilan

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 July 2004, 01:33 GMT]
"We regard Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge's public apology for the 1983 pogrom against the Tamils as a deceptive attempt, driven by political expediency rather than principles, to placate the Tamils," said Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) speaking as the chief guest at a public meeting in Trincomalee Sunday evening held at the Welikada Martyrs Memorial Hall in Trincomalee to remember the 21st anniversary of Black July.
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LTTE releases audio CD in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 July 2004, 00:38 GMT]
“ At a time when forces against Tamil unity are conspiring to destroy the Tamil nationalist movement, we have to unite and awaken Tamil national consciousness,” said Mr. K.V. Balakumar, a senior member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, speaking at an event to mark the release of an audio CD by the LTTE in Vavuniya Saturday with a view to raising Tamil national consciousness, sources said.
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Tamil conference slams Indo-Lanka defence pact

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 July 2004, 13:11 GMT]
The World Tamils Confederation came out strongly Sunday against any move for a defence pact between India and Sri Lanka, cautioning that New Delhi was being lured into a "trap to use its army to crush" Tamils in the island.
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World Bank to avoid LTTE - paper

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 July 2004, 10:58 GMT]
The World Bank would not provide direct funding to the LTTE and would continue its stance that all funding would be channeled through the Sri Lankan government, the Sunday Times reported this week. The Bank was responding to concerns raised by Sinhala nationalists, the paper said.
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North East Tamils mourn ‘Black July’

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 July 2004, 07:12 GMT]
Tamils in northeast province Sunday observed a day of mourning to mark the pogrom against Tamils by Sinhala extremists assisted by the then Sri Lanka Government twenty one years ago on 23rd July, 1983. Several Tamil and civil group organizations in Jaffna called for people to close down shops and conduct prayers. More than thousand innocent Tamils in the southern part of the country, majority of them in Colombo were killed, many burnt alive or hacked to death, in daylight in the presence of State security forces during the ‘Black July’.
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Karuna meets with Sri Lankan ministers, US officials- paper

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 July 2004, 00:36 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s tourism minister and brother of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Mr. Anura Bandaranaike, escorted the renegade LTTE commander, Karuna, to Singapore to address US officials on combating terrorism, The Sunday Leader reported this week, quoting government sources. Another government minister and a close confidante of President Kumaratunga, Mr. Mangala Samaraweera, is to meet with Karuna, the paper also said.
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India turns back TNA MP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 July 2004, 15:41 GMT]
Mr. Eelaventhan, a nominated Tamil National Alliance MP was turned back by Indian immigration authorities Saturday. Indian government officials confirmed that the TNA MP was refused entry to India at the Chennai International Airport Saturday.
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Another youth shot dead in east

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 July 2004, 13:05 GMT]
A youth was found shot dead Saturday morning in Pandiruppu, 40 kilometres south of Batticaloa. Police identified him as Mr.Sithamparapillai Thushyanthan, 25, of Mandur, about 32 kilometers southwest of Batticaloa. He was an employee of the Kalmunai branch of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), Police said.
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"Medical development, key to our success"- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 July 2004, 12:50 GMT]
"Our leader's emphasis on developing the needs for our medical division from early days of our struggle, laid the firm foundation that saved the lives of our people and our fighters during the dark periods of war," said LTTE Head of the Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan, during the opening ceremony of a modern ward at the Dr.Ponnambalam Memorial Hospital in Puthukudiyiruppu in Vanni Friday, sources said.
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RSF fears for Tamil journalist's safety

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 July 2004, 00:35 GMT]
"A dozen [Sri Lanka] police without a warrant searched the Colombo home of Dharmaretnam Sivaram, editor of the news website TamilNet.com for the second time in three months on 23 July," said Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in a press release published on its website. "Reporters Without Borders deplored the post-midnight raid as unjustified and said it was worried about his safety," the report added.
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LTTE leader Lt Sellakili remembered

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 July 2004, 14:20 GMT]
21st death anniversary of senior leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Lt. Sellakili was observed Friday in Jaffna, sources said. Lt Sellakili led the guerilla attack on a group of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers on 23rd July 1983 at Thirunelvely in Jaffna town. 13 SLA soldiers were killed in the attack.
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Tamils cannot be divided and ruled -TNA

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 July 2004, 08:31 GMT]
"The Sri Lankan state and military are using armed groups to divide and rule Tamil society in Batticaloa. They did it in the past. My people will never fall prey to the machinations of divisive forces because they have made immense sacrifices for the Tamil cause", said Mr. Senathirajah Jeyanandamoorthy, Tamil National Alliance MP for Batticaloa, speaking at a press conference by TNA regarding the current situation in the east.
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SLA condemned for opposing student participation in LTTE events

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 July 2004, 22:23 GMT]
Several peoples' organizations including leading student groups in Jaffna district have condemned the request made by Major General Susil Chandrapala, Jaffna area commander of the Sri Lanka Army, to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) to stop students participating in events organized by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), civil sources said.
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Australian High Commissioner visits Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 July 2004, 16:43 GMT]
Mr.David Binns, High Commissioner for Australia in Sri Lanka Thursday morning paid a surprise visit to Jaffna, sources in Jaffna said. Accompanied by the First Secretary, Mr.Binn arrived at Palaly main military air base by a special aircraft and later held discussion with the Jaffna District Secretary and Government Agent Mr.S.Pathmanathan and local heads of government departments, secretariat sources said.
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