Conference against war held in Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 April 2004, 14:20 GMT]
Members of National Anti-War Front, a coalition of more than one hundred Sinhala peace movements across Sri Lanka, in a conference held in Colombo yesterday, expressed their opposition to war and resolved to raise public awareness against a return to a state of war, a popular Canadian radio broadcast said.


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JHU parliamentarian complains of intimidation by unidentified group

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 April 2004, 10:22 GMT]
Venerable Omalpe Sobitha Thera, Deputy Leader of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) parliamentary group Saturday lodged a complaint with the Embilipitya Police, down south of the country that a group unidentified persons covering their faces came to his Bodhirajarama Dharmajaye Vihare, tied black flags in the temple premises and intimidated the inmates, police said.
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Youth arrested with grenade in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 April 2004, 04:49 GMT]
A youth carrying a hand grenade and live ammunition in a fertilizer bag was arrested Thursday by Sri Lanka Army and Police personnel in Main Road at Mavadivembu, about 22 km northwest of Baticaloa town, sources said.
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UPFA accuses JHU of joining hands with TNA

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 April 2004, 16:52 GMT]
The leaders of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the main constituents of the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), jointly addressing a press conference Friday, said that the "true form" of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) has been revealed in parliament when its two parliamentarians voted in the Speaker's election with the main opposition United National Front, thereby "joining hands" with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), media sources said.
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Anandasangaree case goes to Supreme Court

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 April 2004, 16:12 GMT]
Mr.R.Sampanthan and Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham, the Secretary General and the Senior Vice President of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) respectively, Friday filed an application in Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court, seeking an order to suspend the interim injunction issued by the District Court of Colombo preventing them from holding the central working committee or any other meeting of the TULF without the approval of Mr. V.Anandasangaree, President of the party, legal sources said.
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Sri Lanka's President betrayed renegade commander - JHU

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 April 2004, 10:31 GMT]
The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) blasted the Sri Lanka Government for the pandemonium caused in Parliament on Friday, and asked Ms.Kumaratunge's government to take responsibility for its defeat. Although the JHU assured Ms.Kumaratunge of their votes, her betrayal of renegade Eastern Commander forced them to decide against supporting her, JHU said in a press conference held in Colombo today. JHU further said that its members would willingly sacrifice their lives to prevent the creation of Tamil Eelam.
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Kumaratunga requests Norway to resume facilitation

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 April 2004, 08:37 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga phoned Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik Thursday evening and requested Norway to resume its role as a third party facilitator in the peace process between the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said a press release issued by the Norwegian Prime Ministers Office in Oslo Friday. Norway, however, said it would resume its role as facilitator if the LTTE also made a similar request to Oslo. Norway said it was temporarily withdrawing from Sri Lanka's peace process in November last year.
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Unidentified persons torch TNA MP’s office in Amparai

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 April 2004, 00:01 GMT]
The Karaitivu office of the Amparai district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian, Mr. M. Pathmanatahn, was set fire by unidentified persons on Wednesday night, sources in Amparai said.
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Uproar in parliament follows election of Speaker

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 April 2004, 14:49 GMT]
Pandemonium reigned in Sri Lanka’s parliament Thursday night after the election of the new Speaker and when the leaders of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) made speeches congratulating the new Speaker, Mr.W.J.M.Lokkubandara.
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Sri Lanka's parliament Speaker contest ends in tie

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 April 2004, 07:48 GMT]
Second round of voting to elect the sixteenth Speaker of Sri Lanka's Parliament is expected to be held Thursday afternoon as the two candidates contesting for the post of Speaker received 108 votes each in the first round of voting with seven parliamentarians abstaining and with one vote being rejected, parliamentary sources said.
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Missing Bhikku parliamentarians attend new Parliament opening

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 April 2004, 04:50 GMT]
The first session of the thirteenth Parliament of Sri Lanka began Thursday morning around 10 am in a tense atmosphere to elect its sixteenth Speaker since independence.
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TNA MP responds to the needs of Batticaloa village

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 April 2004, 02:50 GMT]
Mr. S. Jeyanandamoorthy, the Tamil National Alliance member of parliament from the Batticaloa district, on Sunday visited Thuraineelavani, a village 29 km south of Batticaloa town, in the Manmunai division, to thank the constituents for electing him and to listen to the needs of the village, sources said.
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LTTE criticizes UNICEF over recent statements

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 April 2004, 16:57 GMT]
Mr. S.P. Thamilchelvan, the political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, has expressed disappointment with the UNICEF in a letter on Monday to the resident representative of the organization in Sri Lanka, Mr. Ted Chaiban, over the UNICEF's ‘vocal’ criticism of the LTTE on the issue of child soldiers, arguing that the UNICEF, while being vocal on the issue, has failed in its obligations under an Action Plan agreed upon by both parties in addressing the community needs and to support the released underaged cadres.
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TNA MPs to attend parliament in traditional attire

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 April 2004, 13:32 GMT]
The 22 Tamil National Alliance members of parliament are planning to attend the first sitting of Sri Lanka’s parliament on Thursday in traditional Tamil attire, sources in the Vanni said.
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Countdown begins for election of Sri Lanka’s Speaker

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 April 2004, 18:19 GMT]
The first meeting of the Sri Lanka’s thirteenth parliament is to be held on Thursday morning with the election of a new Speaker as the first item in the agenda The two major political parties, the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and the United National Party (UNP), are actively engaged in garnering the support of small parties to prove their majority in the election of new Speaker, parliamentary sources said.
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‘No force can destroy Tamil unity’ -Ramanan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 April 2004, 15:01 GMT]
“Our national leader has deep love for our people and land, and our people, likewise, are committed to Tamil unity and remain loyal to the national leader. The people of Batticaloa-Amparai have shown that no force can destroy Tamil unity now,” said a senior commander of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. Ramanan, speaking at the 16th year death anniversary of Annai (Mother) Poopathy, held Monday at the Navalady memorial for the late Tamil activist mother in Batticaloa town, sources said.
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TNA MPs, Pirapaharan discuss peace talks, ISGA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 April 2004, 10:33 GMT]
“The Tamil people voted for you on the basis of the principles of Tamil nationalism. You should understand their feelings and work to realise their aspirations. Love for one’s country comes from one’s love for home, family, village and region. In this sense I encouraged love for one’s region, as it is necessary to strengthen a liberation struggle. But it is dangerous when the affection for one's region is exploited for selfish motives”, said Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan, speaking to 22 MPs of the Tamil National Alliance at the LTTE’s political division headquarters in Kilinochchi Tuesday.
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TNA MPs meet Pirapaharan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 April 2004, 05:26 GMT]
Newly elected MPs of the Tamil National Alliance met the leader of the Liberation Tigers for discussions Tuesday in Kilinochchi. The TNA twenty two MPs will hold a press conference Tuesday afternoon to explain the policies and plans of the alliance, LTTE officials said.
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Tamil NGOs aid rehabilitation of homeland - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 April 2004, 22:40 GMT]
Three organizations registered as legal Non-Governmental Organizations in Sri Lanka and in the North-East are contributing in a major way to the rehabilitation, reconstruction and humanitarian work in the Tamil homeland, the Liberation Tigers said in a statement Monday.
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Annai Poopathi remembered in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 April 2004, 21:12 GMT]
Annai Poopathi sacrificed her life for the emancipation of Tamil people in the northeast province, said the Tamil National Alliance national list parliamentarian, Mr.M.K.Eelaventhan, addressing the death anniversary celebration of Annai Poopathi held Monday at the Colonel Kittu mausoleum, located at Muththirai Santhi in Jaffna town.
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