Foundation stone laid for Karadiyanaaru school building

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 October 2003, 14:42 GMT]
T. Ramesh, Batticaloa-Ampari Special Commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), laid the foundation stone for a three-storey school building in Karadiyanaaru Saturday during a ceremony organized by the school officials, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Competition to felicitate late Trinco Tamil scholar

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 October 2003, 12:24 GMT]
"People of Trincomalee should be proud of Tamil scholar Mr.Kanagasuntharampillai who had rendered immense service to the development of Tamil language and its literature," said Dr Gerard Robuchon, a linguist and a lecturer in the Department of Modern languages of the Kelaniya University in Sri Lanka, speaking as a special guest at the prize giving event held Friday in Sambaltivu Tamil Maha Vidiyalayam located 10km north of Trincomalee town.
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LTTE delegation returns from Dublin, European meetings

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 October 2003, 12:04 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) delegation, led by its Head of Political Wing S.P.Thamilchelvan, which had been to Dublin Ireland to finalize LTTE's proposals on Interim Administration to Northeast returned to Sri Lanka Saturday. Senior Commander Karuna arrived at the Illupadichenai Sports Grounds at 10.30 am in a special military helicopter, sources in Batticaloa said.
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Book on history of Eelam newspaper journalism released

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 October 2003, 06:34 GMT]
A book under the caption "Eelathu Ithaliyalin Varalarum Mathipeedum" (The history of Eelam newspaper journalism and its evaluation) was released at the second day celebration of the North East Provincial Tamil Literary Festival held Saturday evening at Vavuniya Irambaikulam Girls Maha Vidiyalayam. The event took place in the specially named dais Maveeran Pandara Vanniyan Arangu, sources said.
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LTTE, Muslims meet in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 October 2003, 15:03 GMT]
Representatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and Kinniya Muslim Jemiyathummal Ulama Council (MJUC) met in the presence of two members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) based in Trincomalee met Saturday morning at Alankerni Sithivinayagar Maha Vidiyalayam, and agreed that Muslim cultivators could construct access roads and watch-huts in their paddy fields allowed for cultivation this season at Kinniya division in Trincomalee district, sources said.
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NECORD reinstates ferry service to Muttur village

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 October 2003, 10:34 GMT]
Raalkuli, a Tamil village in Muttur division, south of Trincomalee town, which is separated from the mainland by Mahaweli gangai, is to get a ferry service from Tuesday after nearly ten years, residents of Ralkuli said.


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'Safeguard Tamil language and culture' -GA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 October 2003, 00:46 GMT]
"Tamils in Ilankai (Sri Lanka) and those displaced from here in the Diaspora are rendering great service to the promotion and continued vitality of the Tamil language. The services they render to the creation of literary work in Tamil have been commended as being better than even in India," said Mr. K. Ganesh, the Vavuniya district Government Agent, speaking at the evening program of the Tamil literary festival in Vavuniya Thursday.
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WFP launches "Food Basket" programme for displaced

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 October 2003, 14:51 GMT]
The World Food Programme (WFP) has launched a " food basket" scheme to support the resettled displaced families under the Protective Relief Recovery Operation (PRRO) in the districts of Killinochchi, Mullaithivu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Batticaloa in the northeast province and the border areas in the districts of Puttalam, Anuradhapura and Polonaruwa.
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Tamil Literary festival begins in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 October 2003, 11:40 GMT]
"While cherishing the ancient nature of Tamil literature we need to march courageously towards accommodating newly emanating concepts in our culture. Debates and research should probe deeply into our culture and contribute to healthy development of our literature," said R Thiyagalingam, secretary to the Northeast ministry of education and culture, during the opening ceremony of the 3-day literary festival which opened at Irambaikulam Girls School Thursday.


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Jaffna journalists fast to mark colleague’s murder

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 October 2003, 11:30 GMT]
“Today we see those who murdered Nimalarajan walking about freely. Investigations into his foul murder have been going on for long without any progress. But none of his murderers have been brought to book. We have no faith in Sri Lanka’s system of justice”, said Mr. Velupillai Thavachelvam, President of the Jaffna Journalists’ Association, addressing a protest fast Friday in the northern town to mark the third death anniversary of Mr. Mylvaganam Nimalarajan, the well-known Jaffna journalist.
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Eight veteran NE Tamil scholars to be honored

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 October 2003, 03:41 GMT]
The thirteenth annual Tamil Literary festival of the North East Provincial Education, Cultural, Sports and Youth Affairs Ministry is to commence Friday at Vavuniya. On the final day of the festival to be held on Sunday eight veteran Tamil scholars in the northeast province are to be conferred with the Governor’s Award-2003, sources said.
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Security and land Tamils' chief concern – Minister

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 October 2003, 17:13 GMT]
“The Singhalese should decide whether we are going to have a united Sri Lanka or Eelam and Sri Lanka. The peace process may take years. But the conflict should be resolved before the next elections”, said Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Minister of Lands, speaking at a workshop on ‘Devolution of Power: To what extent in Sri Lanka – Lessons Learnt in Europe’, in Colombo Thursday.
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Wickremesinghe said to agree in principle to IDPs' resettlement in HSZ

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 October 2003, 16:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, in a meeting with a delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Thursday, accepted 'in principle' that all internally displaced families are entitled to resettlement in their own lands and houses in the northeast province, regardless of whether those lands or houses come under areas declared as high security zones (HSZ) by the Sri Lanka Army, TNA sources said.
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Batticaloa Deminers to be given one month training

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 October 2003, 15:40 GMT]
New deminers recruited recently for the Batticaloa district will be given one month training starting on October 25, said Ms. Teresa Tavares, the official in charge of demining in the district.
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LTTE delegation meets Norwegian Foreign Minister

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 October 2003, 15:26 GMT]
The LTTE's peace delegation led by the head of the organization's political wing, Mr.S.P.Mr.Thamilchelvan, met with the Foreign Minister of Norway, Mr. Jan Petersen, Thursday at 5 p.m. at the Royal Norwegian Foreign Ministry, sources said.
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Canadian Foreign Minister visits Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 October 2003, 13:28 GMT]
"I have come to Jaffna today to see first hand the devastation wrought by the long and tragic conflict, and to gain better understanding of the ground realities," said Canadian Foreign Minister Mr. Bill Graham, addressing a press conference Thursday at the UNHCR office in Jaffna.
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LTTE protests SLA's funeral restrictions

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 October 2003, 20:40 GMT]
Mr.S.Ezhilan, the Vavuniya district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE), Wednesday wrote to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, saying that he was concerned about the SLMM’s endorsement of the conditions laid down by the Sri Lanka Army on holding the funeral of an LTTE cadre in Vavuniya, as these conditions amounted, in his view, to interference in the political activities of the LTTE.


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NE Provincial English Day held in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 October 2003, 17:02 GMT]
Twenty years of civil war and displacement have severely affected the educational standards of the Northeast province, said Mr.R.Thiagalingam, the North East Provincial Education Ministry Secretary, addressing the provincial English Day celebrations in Trincomalee Tuesday evening at the St.Joseph's College auditorium.
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TNA meets Indian Foreign Minister

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 October 2003, 14:27 GMT]
The visiting Indian Foreign Minister, Mr. Yaswant Sinha, told the Tamil National Alliance Tuesday that the Indian government would extend its support to all efforts taken to find a peaceful political solution to the island's ethnic conflict through democratic means, safeguarding human rights and based on the concept of multi-racial country, TNA sources said.
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STF commandos stay on in hospital

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 October 2003, 13:57 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF), the elite counter insurgency arm of the Sri Lankan armed forces, said Wednesday it would further delay moving out of the Thirukkovil District Hospital, 76 kilometres south of Batticaloa. The hospital, which is in the midst of a large Tamil village, has been garrisoned by the STF for 17 years despite protests by local rights activists and politicians.
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