"We solidly support leader Pirapaharan"- Thilak tells Solheim

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 March 2004, 08:19 GMT]
"We are solidly supporting the leadership of Mr.V.Pirapaharan. We are against dividing Tamils by north and east", Mr.S.Thilak, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Friday categorically told Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Erik Solheim during a discussion held Friday morning at the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission office in Trincomalee town.
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Solheim meets Thilak in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 March 2004, 08:13 GMT]
Norwegian special envoy Mr. Erik Solheim told Mr.S.Thilak, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam at the discussion held Friday morning at the office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee that he met Colonel Pathuman, Trincomalee district commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam at Killinochchi Thursday.
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TNA condemns State media for false reporting

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 March 2004, 18:19 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader Mr.R.Sampanthan Thursday in a statement condemned the officials responsible, including the Minister for Media, Lakshman Kadirgamar, for carrying false news in State media, political sources said.
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Karuna cadres burn Tamil dailies

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 March 2004, 12:34 GMT]
A group of youths believed to be cadres working for the renegade LTTE commander Karuna Thursday morning seized and burnt about four thousand copies of Thursday edition of a Tamil daily THINAKKURAL and about one thousand copies of another daily VIRAKESARI when they were transported to Batticaloa for sale, police said.


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Rupavahini blamed for falsifying report

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 March 2004, 11:24 GMT]
Amparai district former Tamil National Alliance (TNA)parliamentarian Mr. A.Chandra Nehru Thursday issued a statement denying a report carried by State controlled Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) saying that he participated in a demonstration burning the effigy of LTTE leader Mr.Pirapaharan, sources in Amparai said.


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"Election is a referendum on ISGA" - Thilak

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 March 2004, 10:58 GMT]
Mr.S.Thilak, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said Wednesday that Tamils of the northeast province should consider the April 2 general election as a referendum on the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposals and a democratic recognition for the liberation struggle, sources in Trincomalee said.


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Solheim to visit Trincomalee Thursday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 March 2004, 15:32 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Eric Solheim is to arrive in Trincomalee Thursday evening from Vanni. He is scheduled to hold talks with the Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Mr.S.Thilak on Friday morning, Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) sources said Wednesday.


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Solheim urged to help ensure fair polls in north

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 March 2004, 14:33 GMT]
Norway’s special peace envoy for Sri Lanka Mr. Erik Solheim met the Bishop of Jaffna, Government Agent, Consortium of NGOs and the head of the LTTE’s political division for Jaffna Wednesday in the northern town for discussions on the current situation and the status of the ceasefire agreement between the Liberation Tigers. The free and fair conduct of the forthcoming general elections in the north and the need to enable people in the LTTE controlled areas to vote without restrictions were the main issues that were discussed at the all the meetings, sources said.
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TNA must win all nine seats in Jaffna - Gajendrakumar

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 March 2004, 11:23 GMT]
"It is the historical duty of Tamil people of Jaffna to elect Tamil National Alliance (TNA) candidates in all nine electoral divisions in Jaffna district to send a clear message to the International Community that Liberation Tigers are the sole representatives of the Tamil people," said Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam in an election meeting held in Point-Pedro, daily Uthayan reported.
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"Vote to express sole representative status of LTTE" - Poet

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 March 2004, 17:18 GMT]
Head of the Arts and Cultural Department of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Poet, Puthuvai Ratnathurai, Tuesday speaking at a film release event said, "The forthcoming general election is a crucial one in the liberation struggle of Tamils. I appeal to Tamils to vote for the Tamil National Alliance. The international community are keen to see if Tamils are fully supporting the LTTE and its interim self governing authority proposals," said Mr.Puthuvai Ratnathurai.
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Colonel Pathuman speaks to TamilNet

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 March 2004, 14:25 GMT]
"I am keeping fine," Colonel Pathuman, Trincomalee district military commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) told TamilNet Tuesday evening by telephone from Vanni. He appealed to Tamil people not to believe in rumours spread through State media. His comment followed the news report of the State run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) that he had been killed in Vanni.
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Unidentified youths prevent THINAKURAL sale in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 March 2004, 13:59 GMT]
An unidentified group of persons is reported to have forcibly removed several parcels containing more than three thousand copies of a leading Tamil daily "THINAKURAL" between Valaichchenai and Vantharumoolai in Batticaloa district Tuesday morning when they were transported from Colombo to Batticaloa for distribution, sources said.


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Voters from LTTE controlled areas wont be checked - SLA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 March 2004, 13:37 GMT]
The Sri Lankan security forces commander for Jaffna, Maj. Gen. Susil Chandrapala said Tuesday that the military would not check people who come to vote at the 2 April general elections from the LTTE controlled Kilinochchi district. He told a group of academics and civil society leaders whom he met at the Sri Lanka Human Rights Office that if clustered polling stations for voters from Kilinochchi were to be set up inside the Sri Lanka army's entry point zone in Muhamalai in southern Jaffna, the military is ready to pull back its positions 500 metres away from the voting area.
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Civilian interests must be upheld - NPC

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 March 2004, 11:35 GMT]
"It is incumbent on the LTTE, government, political party leaders and civil society groups, and international ceasefire monitors to ensure that the ceasefire agreement is not violated by any party. In particular, we call on the government not to abdicate its responsibilities by the civilian population," said the National Peace Council (NPC), in a media release issued in Colombo today.
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British envoy meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 March 2004, 11:09 GMT]
The British High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Mr. Steven Evans and other British officials met with LTTE's Head of Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan in Kilinochchi today and discussed matters related to the current situation in Batticaloa, delivery of humanitarian assistance and voting issues in the forthcoming general elections, the LTTE peace secretariat website said.
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Thilak slams SLBC over Pathuman story

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 March 2004, 09:53 GMT]
The news that LTTE Trincomalee district military commander Colonel Pathuman has been killed in Vanni is a canard to create panic and confusion among Tamil people by some interested parties, LTTE Trincomalee district political head Mr.S.Thilak told TamilNet Tuesday afternoon. The State run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) in its noon news broadcast in all three media reported that Trincomalee LTTE military commander Colonel Pathuman had been killed in Vanni.
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UK medical expats fund Trinco war widows employment project

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 March 2004, 20:44 GMT]
The Trincomalee Inner Wheel Club, women wing of the Rotary Movement, Monday donated sewing machines and other household goods to war widows in Trincomalee to mark the International Women's Day. The self-employment project is being financed by the Medical Institute of Tamils (South Thames Regions) based in London. The event was held at Trincomalee Rotary House.


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Col.Pathuman dismisses Karuna's speculation

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 March 2004, 15:49 GMT]
In an interview with the Associated Press (AP), Col.Pathuman, Liberation Tiger's Trincomalee commander, dismissed speculation by renegade former LTTE commander from Batticaloa-Ampara Karuna that the LTTE leadership is holding Pathuman under house arrest in Vanni.
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Batticaloa Bishop and his team meet LTTE Leaders

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 March 2004, 15:35 GMT]
Bishop Rt. Rev. Kingsley Swampillai and his team from Batticaloa consisting of the eastern university representatives, NGOs and members of the business community, met with LTTE Political Head Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, Batticaloa-Amparai Special Commander Ramesh, Commander Ram, Mr. Karikalan and the Political Head of Batticaloa-Amparai Mr. Kausalyan today 8th March 2004 in Kilinochchi, sources in Vanni said.
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Vavuniya celebrates International Women's Day

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 March 2004, 12:18 GMT]
International Women's Day was celebrated in Vavuniya today under the sponsorship of Oxfam International, Bridge Asia Japan (BAJ), Danish Coucil (DRC), Save the Children and World Food Programme (WFP), sources in Vavuniya said. Several hundred women joined the silent march which was followed by a cultural event at Royal Hall, Vavuniya, according the sources.
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