Batticaloa youth arrested for possession of firearms

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 May 2004, 13:51 GMT]
Mr. Theivanayagam Sutharsan of Mamangam in Batticaloa was arrested by Sri Lanka police and produced before the Magistrate, Mr. A.H.M. Ajmeer, on Monday, for illegal possession of firearms. The Magistrate remanded the youth till June 7, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Eastern university don shot dead

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 May 2004, 12:18 GMT]
Mr. Kumaravel Thambaiah, a senior lecturer in the Eastern University was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at his home in Batticaloa town around 4.30 p.m. Monday. Mr.Thambaiah, 48, the head of the economics department of the Eastern University, is from the village of Aasikulam north of Vavuniya.
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Divided Sinhala leadership poses danger to peace process- TNA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 May 2004, 23:25 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Sunday expressed pessimism that it would be difficult to find a lasting political solution to the ethnic conflict through negotiations as the Sinhala political leadership is sharply divided on the question of resuming peace talks on the basis of Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) put forward by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).


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"Viduthalai" released in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 May 2004, 22:51 GMT]
Viduthalai" (Liberation), a compilation of articles written by Liberation Tigers theoretician and political strategist, Mr.Anton Balasingham, on politics and other related subjects which were earlier serialized in "Velichcham" magazine was introduced to Trincomalee audience Sunday evening at an event held at theTrincomalee Town Hall. Hindu and Christian priests attended the event, sources said.
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India should reconsider decision to extend ban- Adaikalanathan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 May 2004, 13:40 GMT]
"We urge the Government of India to reconsider its decision to extend the ban on Liberation Tigers for another two years under the Unlawful Activities (prevention) Act," said Selvam Adaikalanathan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP for Vanni in a request sent to New Delhi, sources in Vanni said.


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US condition to LTTE to lay down arms unacceptable - Sinhala journalist

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 May 2004, 07:45 GMT]
''The condition laid by the US government for the LTTE to lay down arms is not acceptable. The question of handing over arms would cease automatically when an acceptable political solution to the Tamil people is found through talks, accepting the self determination of Tamils and their traditional homeland concept,'' said Mr.Ranath Kumarasinghe, Feature Editor of Haraya, a Sinhala political paper, addressing a seminar on Peace and Media Saturday evening held at Trincomalee Town Hall.
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Colombo conference to decide on poaching in northern sea

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 May 2004, 07:43 GMT]
A top level conference is scheduled to be held in Colombo in the office of Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on May 27th and 28th to explore the possibilities of stopping poaching in Sri Lankan northern territorial waters. Earlier this conference was to be held in Jaffna but later it has been shifted to Colombo, fisheries sources said.
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Tamil Nadu leaders urged to raise Sri Lanka Tamil issue

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 May 2004, 20:08 GMT]
"Tamil Nadu political leaders should pressure Delhi to take active interest in Sri Lanka Tamil problem and also to deproscribe the Liberation Tigers," said Leader of the Upcountry People’s Front (UPF) and Member of Parliament, Mr. Periyannan Chandrasekaran, speaking to Canadian Tamil radio after his recent visit to Tamil Nadu to meet with political leaders.
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PAFFREL to set up citizens committees in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 May 2004, 18:23 GMT]
People's Action for Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL), a Colombo based election monitoring group said it plans to start citizens committees in Jaffna-Manipay, Pt. Pedro-Karaveddy and Kopay for addressing local social problems and issues.
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JVP holds discussions on peace process with allies

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 May 2004, 18:10 GMT]
The leadership of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a main constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), has been holding intensive discussions with the other constituent political parties of the UPFA on the current position of the peace process, as a prelude to announcing its final stand on the Norwegian brokered peace talks between the UPFA government and the LTTE, JVP sources said Friday.


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Balasingham's "Viduthalai" to be introduced to Trinco audience

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 May 2004, 17:48 GMT]
The Arts and Cultural Division of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has organized a public meeting in Trincomalee on May 23 to introduce the book " Viduthalai"(Liberation), a compilation of political and philosophical articles written by LTTE theoretician and political strategist Mr.Anton Balasingham, to the Trincomalee audience, sources said
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Research book on King Ravaneswaran released in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 May 2004, 17:36 GMT]
"Ravaneswaran Inthira Ulah" a research book on the history of King Ravaneswaran written by a leading Tamil scholar Mr.Kandasamy Balasubramaniam of Moolai in Jaffna district was launched in Trincomalee recently under the auspices of Trincomalee Muthamil Valarkalai Mantram. Trincomalee Eelathu Ilakkiacholai published this book as its seventeenth publication, sources said.
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'UPFA’s peace talk plans do not violate SLFP-JVP agreement' - JVP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 May 2004, 19:39 GMT]
The peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, being considered by the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), do not violate the agreement reached by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna before the two parties joined to form the UPFA, said Mr. Wimal Weerawansa, the propaganda secretary of the JVP, speaking to journalists Thursday evening in Colombo.
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Mannar GA declines to send back jailed Indians by sea

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 May 2004, 17:39 GMT]
The Mannar government agent Thursday declined a directive by the district magistrate to send back by sea three Indian fishermen jailed for illegally ferrying Tamil refugees and for smuggling explosives to the island's northwestern coast last year.
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Solheim to visit Colombo next week

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 May 2004, 12:20 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Erik Solheim is scheduled to arrive in Colombo on May 24. He is expected to hold talks with the President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge and Prime Minister Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse the same day regarding peace process, Colombo media sources said.
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Elilan meets SLA's Trinco commander

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 May 2004, 21:26 GMT]
Mr.S.Elilan, newly appointed political head of the Liberation Tigers in the Trincomalee district, met with the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Sri Lanka Army in the district, Major General Sunil Tennekon, Wednesday afternoon in the Trincomalee office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Commission (SLMM), and discussed the ground situation in the district in detail, sources said.
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"ISGA the base for future peace talks" - Akashi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 May 2004, 15:29 GMT]
"The future peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam will be based on the Interim Self Governing Authority proposals submitted by the LTTE," said the Japanese special peace envoy, Mr.Yasushi Akashi, addressing a press conference Wednesday afternoon at the Colombo Hilton Hotel concluding his five-day visit to Sri Lanka.
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LTTE team completes assessment of development in East

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 May 2004, 15:20 GMT]
The team of political and administrative heads of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, led by the deputy head of the political division, Mr. S. Thangan, which visited the Batticaloa-Amparai district to assess development needs and activities, completed its assessment and returned to the Vanni Wednesday morning, sources said.
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Sinister elements behind killing of police constable - Kausalyan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 May 2004, 14:59 GMT]
Mr. E. Kausalyan, the political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Batticaloa, told TamilNet Wednesday that the LTTE has nothing to do with the killing of a police intelligence operative by unidentified gunmen Wednesday morning at a sub-post office in Batticaloa town.
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Military officer gets key peace secretariat post

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 May 2004, 13:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga Wednesday appointed Brigadier Sanath Karunaratna, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Sri Lanka army's 51 Division in Jaffna as the Director of Operations of the government peace secretariat, the institution in charge of handling Colombo's negotiations with the Liberation Tigers. Brig. Karunaratna served as the SLA spokesman from 23 June 2000 to 15 January 2003.
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