NECORD capacity building workshop held in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 March 2004, 03:28 GMT]
North East Community Restoration and Development Project (NECORD) funded capacity building workshop with assistance from German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) for contractors from Vavuniya and Mannar districts was held in Vavuniya Ellapar Maruthankulam Agricultural Training center, sources said. This is the fifth workshop out of the eight planned workshops planned by the NECORD and GTZ.
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TNA holds election meeting in Trinco Muslim village

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 March 2004, 21:08 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader, Mr.Sampanthan, launched the village level campaign for the forthcoming general election in the Trincomalee district from Pulmoddai, a traditional Muslim village, about 60 km north of the eastern Trincomalee town Tuesday. Two meetings were held in Pulmoddai in support of the sole Muslim candidate in the Trincomalee district list, Mr. A.H.Sahul Hameed, sources said.
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No regional split - LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 March 2004, 18:18 GMT]
A spokesman for Col. Karuna, senior commander of the Liberation Tigers told TamilNet Wednesday night there was no split in the LTTE. ''We will be functioning directly under the command of our leader'', he said referring to reports that there was a major split in the LTTE.
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SLFP, JVP confusing everyone says former minister

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 March 2004, 08:50 GMT]
Former Minister of Lands Mr. Rajitha Senaratne accused the JVP of having no clear policy to resolve the northeast crisis and said the contradictory positions of the two coalition partners - the SLFP and the JVP -were confusing everyone. The outspoken United National Front politician was addressing a press conference in Colombo Wednesday.
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Sri Lanka Elections: News in Brief

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 March 2004, 01:14 GMT]
Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), a party fielding Buddhist monks in parliamentary elections, begins its campaign in Kandy, candidates withdraw nominations in Digamadulla and Batticaloa, and a Tamil candidate dies of heart-attack in Nuwara Eliya, media reports said.
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SLRCS youth camp concludes in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 March 2004, 13:13 GMT]
Three-day youth camp organized by the Youth Wing of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) in collaboration with the Trincomalee branch of the SLRCS concluded Sunday evening at the banks of Mahaidivulewea in Morawewa division in Trincomalee district. Country Delegate of the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC), Mr.Alasdir Gibson, participated and distributed certificates to participants on the final day of the event.


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U.S condemns killing of Batticaloa candidate

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 March 2004, 12:09 GMT]
State Department Spokesperson, Richard Boucher, has condemned the killing of Sinnathamby Sunderampillai, a candidate in Sri Lanka's upcoming parliamentary elections. "Although no one has claimed responsibility for the crime, we note recent statements by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam that were clearly intended to discourage Tamil candidates of whom they did not approve," Boucher said in a statement issued March 1 in Washington. Sri Lanka police, however, say the matter is under investigation and declined to blame LTTE.
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Bomb rips through school in Mannar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 March 2004, 11:02 GMT]
A powerful bomb exploded in a school in Mannar Tuesday afternoon, Police in the island town on Sri Lanka's northeastern coast said. The explosion caused severe damage to the school's roof. But no one was hurt as the school had closed for the day, Police said.
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TNA holds its first election rally in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 March 2004, 17:34 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) held its first election rally in Trincomalee Sivan Kovil Veethi Monday evening. "The forthcoming general election has been thrusted on the country as chauvinist forces in the south could not digest the contents of the Interim Self Governing Authority proposal submitted by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to the United National Front government,” said TNA leader and the lead candidate in the Trincomalee electoral district, Mr.R.Sampanthan, addressing the rally.
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TNA manifesto released in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 March 2004, 10:10 GMT]
A political solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka should be based on the recognition of the Tamil speaking people’s homeland, the Tamils’ identity as a distinct nation, and their right to self-determination, according to the manifesto of the Tamil National Alliance, which was released at a press conference in the TNA’s elections office in Jaffna Monday. "The Sinhala nation should come forward soon to resume peace talks with the Liberation Tigers for establishing the Interim Self Governing Authority," the manifesto states.
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UNF candidate shot dead in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 March 2004, 08:44 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot dead a United National Front (UNF) candidate Monday morning in Batticaloa town. The candidate, Mr. Sinnathamby Sundarampillai, 63, was slightly wounded when unidentified assailants shot at him on Saturday night. Two men visited the candidate who was receiving treatment at the Batticaloa Hospital and shot him at point blank range. Both got away, Police said. Another UNF candidate, Mr. Thambirajah Jeyakumar, was shot dead during the campaign for the general elections in December 2001.


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Sri Lanka army declines to lend a hand to EPDP

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 March 2004, 06:53 GMT]
Sri Lanka army refused to allow the paramilitary EPDP to take a group of refugees inside the Palaly military base to see their homes during the weekend. “We already had a problem in Chavakachcheri where the group claimed that it was responsible for persuading us to vacate a sector of our high security zone there. We want better relations with the public. But we don’t want politics. Our only duty is to defend our country”, a Sri Lanka army officer in Jaffna told TamilNet.
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TNA starts house to house campaign in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 March 2004, 06:47 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance began a house to house campaign in Valigamam North and in Vadamaradchi in Jaffna. “We wanted to start on a quiet note, going directly to the people to understand their problems and attitudes”, said Mr. Selvarajah Gajendran, a TNA candidate and a former President of the Jaffna University Students’ Union. On Sunday the TNA held an introductory public meeting in Chavakachcheri.
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Trinco education project launched for resettled students

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 February 2004, 22:43 GMT]
The Trincomalee Children Welfare Fund (TCWF), with the financial assistance from a group of Trincomalee Tamils domiciled in Canada, has launched a special education development project for students of displaced Tamil families who have been resettled in Tamil villages in the district.
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Southern political forces fear TNA's strength - Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 February 2004, 20:30 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader and the lead candidate of the party in the Trincomalee electoral district, Mr.R.Sampanthan, said that southern political forces are jittery that the TNA would be returned with about twenty seats to the new parliament in the April polls as a kingmaker, addressing TNA activists Sunday morning at the Hindu Cultural Hall in the eastern port town.
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TNA manifesto to be released shortly

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 February 2004, 20:22 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance is to release its election manifesto for the forthcoming general election during this week. It is under preparation, said the TNA leader and the party's lead candidate in the Trincomalee district, Mr.R.Sampanthan, Sunday.
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LTTE official criticizes child rights double standards

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 February 2004, 15:51 GMT]
"More than twenty five thousand Tamil children, from a three month old infant to eighteen years old youth, were killed in massacres and murders during the two decades of war against our people. No one raised their voice against it then. But today the Sri Lankan state and representatives of some foreign organizations are accusing us of violating children’s rights. You should understand the politics behind this crass hypocrisy," said Mr. S. Elilan, the head of the LTTE’s political division in Vavuniya addressing a function Sunday to gift equipment to the school in Othiyamalai in Mullaithivu.
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US Rights report criticises GoSL and LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 February 2004, 11:23 GMT]
Annual country report on Human Rights Practices for 2003, released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the Government of United States of America, criticised both the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for human rights abuses. "...the military and police [of GoSL] reportedly tortured, killed and raped detainees...," and the "LTTE was responsible for arbitrary arrest, torture, harassment, disappearances, extortion, and detention," the report said.
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Objection against TNA using HOUSE symbol rejected

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 February 2004, 13:38 GMT]
The Commissioner of Elections Mr Dayananda Dissanayake Friday rejected the objection made against the Tamil National Alliance contesting in the name of Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) and its election symbol "HOUSE," as the challenge was made after the closure of the nomination for the April 2nd general election, sources said.


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IGP to deploy Home Guards for NorthEast election duty

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 February 2004, 13:30 GMT]
"Home guards would be deployed to assist the police to maintain law and order during the election period in the northeast province, said the Inspector General of Police Mr.Indra de Silva, according to media sources.
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