LTTE reiterates stand, says GoSL responsible for stalemate

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 April 2006, 10:04 GMT]
Political Head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), on Thursday reiterated LTTE's stand on safe travel of their eastern special commanders Col. Sornam and Col. Bhanu in preparation to the second session of the talks in Geneva, when he met the Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer at LTTE's Political Secretariat in Kilinochchi Thursday. The participation of the Tigers in Geneva Talks is entirely dependent upon GoSL, Thamilchelvan told the Norwegian Envoy, LTTE sources in Kilinochchi said.
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Tuberculosis awareness program held in Mulangavil

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 April 2006, 17:42 GMT]
Tamileelam Health Services (THS) organized a Tuberculosis awareness program in Iranaimathanagar, Mulangavil in Kilinochchi district sponsored by International Organization for Migration (IOM), sources in Kilinochchi said.
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Half a century of violence against Tamils still continues, says Nadesan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 April 2006, 16:26 GMT]
"What happens in Trincomalee now is only a continuation of the state terrorism that began fifty years ago. Now it has become customary for the law enforcement arms of the Sri Lankan government to openly assist and join the Sinhala nationalist thugs in the violence against Tamils," said Thamileelam Police Chief Mr. B. Nadesan, participating in a ceremony held Sunday 7. a.m to mark the graduation of a new group of police officers, in an undisclosed venue in Vanni, sources from Kilinochchi said.
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Colombo sabotages sea-transport, insisting on inapplicable procedures- Puleedevan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 April 2006, 10:51 GMT]
The LTTE had only agreed to transportation in "civilian vessel" and the arrangement, as promised by the new Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, was to be an "exclusive and extra-ordinary SLMM arrangement." Further, the LTTE had repeatedly made it clear that there could be no SLN escort or interference in the civil transportation. "This was a crucial issue agreed and guaranteed by the SLMM Head. Sri Lanka Navy attempted to override the SLMM arrangement with a procedure agreed for the transportation of LTTE owned military vessels in 2003," clarified Mr.S. Puleedevan, the director of LTTE's Peace Secretariat.
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"Excessive SLN interference in total contradiction to SLMM arrangement" - LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 April 2006, 08:27 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy imposed two new "rules" when the LTTE Commanders were preparing to board the civilian ferry facilitated by the SLMM, LTTE Political Head S.P.Thamilchelvan writes in an urgent letter to Major General Ulf Henricsson, Head of the scandinavian truce monitors Saturday. The "excessive interference" by the Sri Lankan Navy in the sea transport of LTTE commanders, was in total contradiction to the prior agreement with Maj. Gen. Ulf Henricsson, Mr. Thamilchelvan writes in his letter. The sea travel of the LTTE Commanders scheduled on Saturday was cancelled at the last moment in Mullaithivu.
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Henricsson to facilitate safe travel of Eastern LTTE Commanders

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 April 2006, 09:01 GMT]
The stalemate in the preparation to Geneva Talks ended Thursday as the Tiger leadership accepted the latest suggestion submitted by Major General Ulf Henricsson, Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, who assured safe travel of the Eastern LTTE Commanders in a civilian vessel without Sri Lanka Navy involvement. Maj. Gen. Henricsson will be on board the ferry on Saturday when the LTTE will be sending Acting Commanders to Eastern districts and transport Col. Sornam, the Trincomalee Commander of the LTTE and Col. Bhanu, the Batticaloa Commander to Mullaithivu.
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Japan concerned about escalation of violence in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 April 2006, 12:42 GMT]
"The Government of Japan is seriously concerned with the recent escalation of violence in the North and East of Sri Lanka, including the claymore attack against the Navy bus on Tuesday in Thambalagamam Trincomalee..," said a press release issued by the Embassy of Japan in Colombo Wednesday.
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19 killed, 45 wounded, 20 shops burned in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 April 2006, 10:41 GMT]
The death toll in the Trincomalee town violence has risen to 19 with more than 45 wounded. Around 15 persons with serious wounds were being treated at Trincomalee hospital. Around 20 Tamil and 2 Muslim shops have been burnt down by thugs armed with incendiary devices assisted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) troopers, said Trincomalee District TNA parliamentarian Thurairatnasingam. Widespread attacks on Tamils were reported after a bomb explosion in the town around 4:00 p.m where a Sri Lanka Army soldier was reportedly killed. Looting continued in the east port town where an indefinite curfew was clamped down by the Police.
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SLMM Head Henricsson meets Jaffna SLA, SLN commanders

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 April 2006, 17:29 GMT]
Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Major General Ulf Henricsson, who visited Jaffna and held meetings with the Sri Lanka Army and Navy Command, will meet with the LTTE political leadership in Kilinochchi Wednesday. A statement issued by the SLMM said truce monitors were making inquiries into all three attacks but will refrain from making any further comments regarding the perpetrators and possible motives until further inquiries have been done.
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Vigneswaran burial held in Anpuvallipuram

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 April 2006, 12:41 GMT]
The remains of slain Mr.V.Vigneswaran, President of Trincomalee District Tamil People's Forum (TDTPF) were buried in the cemetery in Anpuvallipuram, a suburb about 2 km. off Trincomalee, Tuesday evening, after being kept in the Trincomalee Town Hall for members of public to pay last respects from morning to noon and thereafter till 3 p.m. in Anpuvallipuram Kalaimagal Vidiyalayam. Large number of people attended the funeral. Mr.Vigneswaran was shot dead on Friday morning inside the Bank of Ceylon premises located in the high security zone in Trincomalee town by an unidentified armed men.
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Charles Anthony Brigade celebrates 15th anniversary of inauguration

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 April 2006, 11:19 GMT]
Cadres of Charles Anthony Brigade and Senior Commanders of the Liberation Tigers celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the formation of the brigade by holding a sports and cultural event which started at 3.30 p.m. Monday in an undisclosed sports ground in Vanni, sources said. Charles Anthony brigade, the first conventional fighting formation created by the Liberation Tigers on 10 April 1991 was initially trained under the leadership of Col.Balraj.


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TNA MPs, LTTE leaders pay respect to Vigneswaran in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 April 2006, 00:56 GMT]
"Tamil human rights activist Mr. V. Vigneswaran's assassination and those of 17 other Tamils in the period from November 2005 to January 2006 clearly shows that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) will never protect the human rights of the Tamils. Therefore we ourselves have to strive to protect our rights," said Rev. Fr. Kanagaratnam, Director North East Human Rights Secretariet (NEOSHR), paying homage to slain Mr. Vigneswaran whose body was kept for viewing at the Cultural Hall in Kilinochchi Monday, said sources.


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Final decision only after meeting LTTE Eastern Commanders - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 April 2006, 09:32 GMT]
A final decision with regards to LTTE's stand on CFA talks in Geneva would be taken only after LTTE commanders from the East attend a crucial central committee meeting with the Tiger leadership, Liberation Tigers Political Head Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan told media after a meeting with the representatives of Co-chairs at the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi Monday.
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Oxfam funds sapling planting in Kilinochchi villages

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 April 2006, 03:14 GMT]
Rural Rehabiltation and Development Organization (RRDO) organized delivery of free saplings of Mango, Orange, Jak Fruit and Gauva trees, funded by Oxfam, to twenty selected families of two Kilinochchi Planned Villages, Umayalpuram and Kumarapuram Thursday, sources in Kilinochchi said.
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Colombo's suggestion for sea transport, impractical - LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 April 2006, 12:37 GMT]
Liberation Tigers' Political Head Mr. S.P.Thamilchelvan, rejecting Colombo's offer that suggested the LTTE's eastern commanders to travel unarmed in Sri Lankan vessel from East to North, has informed the Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Major General Ulf Henricsson, Sunday, that Tiger Commanders were not prepared to travel in Sri Lankan naval vessels.
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SL President pledges to end violence of Tamil armed groups - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 April 2006, 18:29 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapakse has assured the LTTE leadership, through the Norwegian facilitators, that he will do everything within his powers to implement the pledges given by the government at the first session of peace negotiations held in Geneva in February this year. The President has instructed the military authorities to take necessary action to disarm Tamil armed groups and to put an end to the violence perpetrated against the Tamil Tigers and their supporters in the government controlled areas in the northeast. The development was reported after a meeting between the Norweign Envoy Mr. Hanssen-Bauer and the Chief Negotiator of the LTTE Mr. Anton Balasingham Saturday.
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Vigneswaran funeral on Tuesday

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 April 2006, 14:49 GMT]
The funeral of Mr.V.Vigneswaran, President of the Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples' Forum (TDTPF) who was shot dead Friday morning by an unidentified person inside the premises of Trincomalee main branch of the Bank of Ceylon is to take place on April 11 Tuesday afternoon at Anpuvallipuram cemetery. Hundreds of people are now paying their last respects to the Tamil activist whose body is kept in his Anpuvallipuram residence since Friday evening, sources said.
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Pirapaharan confers Maamanithar title to Vigneswaran

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 April 2006, 12:31 GMT]
Leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Velupillai Pirapaharan, bestowed the title Maamanithar (Great Human being) on Mr.Vanniasingham Vigneswaran, President of the Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples' Forum (TDTPF) who was shot dead Friday. "Steadfast and honest, he opposed the genocidal war by the successive Sinhala governments which destroyed thousands of tamil lives and their property, plundered Tamils possessions and resources, and was intent on destroying Tamil National symbols. Vigeswaran fought to free Tamils from this menace," Pirapaharan said in the statement conferring the award.
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Elilan blames SLA Intelligence for Vigneswaran slaying

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 April 2006, 10:48 GMT]
Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in a statement issued Friday, blamed the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and its intelligence operatives for the slaying of Mr.V.Vigneswaran, President of the Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples' Forum (TPTDF), in an area declared high security zone, and surrounded by vital security installations of the Sri Lanka Army, Navy and Police, sources in Trincomalee said.
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Families of abducted TRO staffers to meet Colombo press

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 April 2006, 02:50 GMT]
The Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) and the families of seven abducted humanitarian workers, during the past 6 weeks, report no progress despite reduced exposure to media following the messages received through "third parties" that the abducted would be released if TRO and the families "kept quiet and did not to speak to the media," a press release from the TRO said Wednesday. The organisation has called for a press conference Thursday.
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