International Mine Action Day observed in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 April 2006, 15:01 GMT]
"We lost 15 lives in 119 landmine accidents in 2000 when the White Pigeon Organisation (WPO) was created whereas in 2005, we lost no lives and the number of landmine accidents were only 15, which prove the success of the WPO's mine risk education awareness campaign," said Dr. T. W. Jeyakularajah, President WPO and the Mullaithivu district Deputy director of Health Services, Tuesday 10:00 a.m. at the International Mine Action Day celebration in Kilinochchi Central College, in Kilincochchi.
Full story >>

No room for hypocrisy in implementing CFA - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 April 2006, 10:56 GMT]
Armed activities of the paramilitary groups have intensified following the first session of Geneva Talks contrary to the commitment made by the Sri Lanka Government to the February 2002 Cease Fire Agreement (CFA). Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse can no longer pay lip service to CFA after the route of the extreme Sinhala hardline forces in the local elections in the South, LTTE Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan told reporters in Kilinochchi after meeting the newly appointed Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer on Wednesday.
Full story >>

International Mine Action Day celebrated in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 April 2006, 02:19 GMT]
Non-governmental organizations and government and UN agencies marked April4 International Mine Action Day with activities in several towns in Sri Lankathe, including the government organized event in Colombo. Regional events included a bicycle race for disabled persons in Trincomalee, sports and cultural events in Vavuniya, drama presentations in Amparai, a mine exhibition in Jaffna, the screening of mine action films in Killinochchi and essay and poem writing activities in Batticaloa, UN agency sources said.
Full story >>

Jaffna pre-school teachers boycott demanding release of TRO staffers

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 April 2006, 17:08 GMT]
Pre-schools in the Jaffna district did not function Tuesday due to a boycott by teachers and other staff demanding the immediate release of workers of the Pre-School Educational Development Centre of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization who were abducted by unidentified persons in January while traveling through Welikanda route from Batticaloa to Killinochchi, sources said.
Full story >>

Potkerni war affected women start small industries project

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 April 2006, 00:30 GMT]
Mr.R.Rajarammohan, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Trincomalee District (CCITD) Sunday morning declared open a small industries project making rice flour-based food items in a hamlet Potkerni in Thampalakamam, a traditional Tamil village, about 24 km southwest of Trincomalee town. The project is funded by the Mercy Corps, an international non-governmental organization with its headquarters in USA at a cost of one million rupees.
Full story >>

Germany assists Jaffna, Kilinochchi Farmers' Organizations

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 March 2006, 00:29 GMT]
The German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) on behalf of the German Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ), handed over tractors to Farmers Federation in Jaffna District, said a press release issued by GTZ Thursday. The release added that GTZ, in co-operation with the Ministry for Nation Building and Development, has also dedicated a new school and Pre-School in Thadduvankoddy village in Kilinochchi district, on 1st March.
Full story >>

ITAK wins Trincomalee UC, PS, Thirukkovil PS, Alaiyadivembu PS

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 March 2006, 20:24 GMT]
Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kadchchi (ITAK), the Tamil National Alliance party contesting in the local authorities elections, has won all the 9 seats in Thirukkovil and Alaiadivembu Pradeshiya Sabahs and won Karaithivu with 4 seats in Amparai district. The ITAK also won after a long time, both the Trincomalee Urban Council with 10 seats, and Trincomalee Town & Gravets PS with 6 seats. UPFA got 2 seats and UNP 1 seat in Trinco Town & Gravets PS. In the local elections results released at 2 p.m. Friday, the ruling UPFA alliance has won 116 PSs, 7 Municipal Councils (MCs) and 12 Urban Councils (UCs). The JVP has captured only Tissamaharagama, and JHU has only secured a few seats.
Full story >>

Polling commences for 266 local councils in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 March 2006, 05:16 GMT]
Polling in about 8829 centers to elect 3624 members to 266 local government authorities comprising 12 municipal councils (MC), 34 urban councils (UC) and 220 pradesiya sabahs (PS) countrywide began Thursday morning at 7 a.m. A total 11,037,763 voters are eligible to cast their franchise to elect their members from about 25,523 candidates fielded by political parties and independent groups.
Full story >>

Sri Lankans go to local polls Thursday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 March 2006, 20:42 GMT]
Sri Lankans will elect 4442 members for the 330 local councils in the elections to be held Thursday. In Trincomalee elections are being held after a lapse of 12 years, and in six NorthEast districts- Jaffna, Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya and Batticaloa the elections have been postponed for six months.
Full story >>

LTTE will participate at Geneva Talks if safe passage guaranteed through Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 March 2006, 16:15 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) will participate at the second session of peace negotiations in Geneva during 19-21 April provided that the Government of Sri Lanka and the Norwegian facilitators guarantee the safety and safe passage of the Tamil Tiger negotiating team through Colombo Katunayake international airport. Mr. Anton Balasingham, chief negotiator of the LTTE, said he made this specific request for the security of the negotiating team when he met the Norwegian Development Minister, Mr. Erik Solheim Wednesday at his residence in London.
Full story >>

NECORD allocates Rs.300m for Vavuniya development

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 March 2006, 08:31 GMT]
In Killinochchi district eleven schools are still functioning with basic facilities in cadjan huts. Educational facilities have to improve if our students are to become skilled workers and intellectuals in a global community which is advancing rapidly in the use of technology," said Mr.T.Lankaneson, Project Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded North East Community Restoration Development (NECORD) programme participating as the chief guest at the annual prize giving celebration of the Vavuniya Saivapragasa Ladies College held during the weekend, sources said.
Full story >>

SLA, constant threat to security of Jaffna residents– Ilamparithy

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 March 2006, 20:49 GMT]
"Residents from 26% of land area of Jaffna peninsula remain driven out of their homes; Fishermen, trying to recover from the tsunami devastation, are unable to freely pursue their occupation; and the entire student community in Jaffna district is continuously being targetted and victimised by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers," LTTE's Political Head C. Ilamparithy told media Tuesday after meeting the new Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Mr. Ulf Henricsson at the LTTE Jaffna district political secretariat located in Pallai.
Full story >>

New SLMM chief meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 March 2006, 10:36 GMT]
Former Swedish Brigadier and the new Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Mr. Ulf Henricsson, met Head of the LTTE Political Wing, S. P. Tamilchelvan, Monday at 11.45 a.m. at the LTTE Peace Secretariet in Kilinochchi, LTTE sources said.
Full story >>

BoT launches 'Bank at school' in Mallavi

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 March 2006, 12:04 GMT]
"Bank at school saving programme promotes students to start thinking to attain the best economical resources in their future," says K. Blakrishnan, the Managing Director, Bank of Tamileelam (BoT), in his introductory speech on the merits of School Saving Units of the Banks in LTTE administered areas. The BoT ceremoniously opened Thursday the fifth of its Students' Savings Unit, at Mallavi Central College, in the Mullaithivu district.
Full story >>

Local elections in Trincomalee, Amparai to be held

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 March 2006, 19:27 GMT]
Elections to 12 local authorities in Trincomalee district and 17 in the Amparai district are to be held on March 30. Elections to forty-six local authorities in the other six districts of Jaffna, Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Mannar and Batticaloa in the North East are to be postponed by six months, Colombo media sources reported Monday evening quoting an official of the Department of Elections.
Full story >>

TNA, LTTE discuss local elections at Kilinochchi meet

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 March 2006, 12:19 GMT]
Selvam Adaikalanathan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for Vanni district addressing media in Kilinochchi after a meeting between the Liberation Tigers and the TNA parliamentarians Sunday morning, accused Colombo for delaying making decision on holding local elections in the NorthEast
Full story >>

Thamichelvan meets Brattskar in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 March 2006, 11:31 GMT]
Head of LTTE's Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan, met with Norway's Ambassador Mr Hans Brattskar at the LTTE Peace Secretariat building in Kilinochchi at 9.30 a.m. Thursday, LTTE sources in Kilinochchi said. Acting Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Brigadier Hagrup Haukland, also accompanied Mr Brattskar on his Kilinochchi visit, sources added.
Full story >>

Thamilchelvan to meet Norway's Ambassador, TNA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 March 2006, 02:06 GMT]
Head of Liberation Tigers Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan is to meet Norway's Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr Hans Brattskar, and a representative of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) at the LTTE Peace Secretariat Building Thursday, sources in Kilinochchi said. Thamilchelvan is also expected to meet the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians also in Kilinochchi on the 20th March, sources added.
Full story >>

Donors to ensure equity in aid distribution- Norway diplomat

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 March 2006, 00:15 GMT]
"The donor community is currently focusing its attention in ensuring equity in tsunami aid supply to North East," Mr. Erik F.Brede, Counselor of the Norwegian embassy in Colombo told presspersons when he paid a visit to Naduottu, a village in Kinniya division in Trincomalee district on Wednesday. Mr Brede was in Trincomalee to participate in the handing over event of twenty houses constructed with the funds provided by a group of Norwegian citizens to the tsunami affected families.
Full story >>

Tamil language seminar begins in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 March 2006, 09:06 GMT]
Two-day Tamil Language seminar for students taking 2006- GCE Advanced Level Examination began Tuesday in Trincomalee Vivekananda College. The seminar is being organized under the guidance of Trincomalee Zonal Education Office and sponsored by the Organization For Refugees Rehabilitation (OFERR) to raise the declining standard of Tamil language skill among students in the Trincomalee district, organizers said.
Full story >>