PA, UNF trade charges over claims of new Trinco LTTE camps

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 September 2003, 14:37 GMT]
The main opposition in Sri Lanka's parliament, the People's Alliance, Friday rejected the claim by the ruling United National Front government that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has not constructed any new camp in the government controlled areas in the northeast except the Kurankupanchchan LTTE camp now in dispute, and reiterated its original claim of many new LTTE camps in Trincomalee in areas controlled by the Government of Sri Lanka.
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Akashi to be briefed about Amparai Tamils' plight

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 September 2003, 14:18 GMT]
The Japanese special peace envoy, Mr.Yasushi Akashi, is scheduled to visit Amparai Saturday and would hold a discussion with Tamil and Muslim leaders of the district to assess the present political situation in the eastern district, sources said.


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Kanchirankudah displaced left to fend for themselves by GoSL, NGOs

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 September 2003, 04:34 GMT]
The displaced people of Kanchirankudah in the Amparai district are resettling in the village, but neither the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) nor any Non Governmental Organization has come forward to provide support for their basic needs, Human Rights activists say.
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SL Police express regret for humiliating LTTE activist

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 September 2003, 20:37 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police officers at Kodikamam and Chunnakam in Jaffna district Thursday openly expressed their regret at the inquiry held at the regional office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka for the arrest of a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam political activist, Mr. Nadarajah Premachchandran alias Jegan, at the Muhamalai check point, due to a mix up in identifying the suspect in a crime alleged to have been committed elsewhere in the peninsula, human rights sources said.
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Danish Ambassador concludes tour of Vanni

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 September 2003, 17:15 GMT]
The Danish Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Michael Sternberg, met with officials of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) in Kilinochchi Wednesday and the commander of the Naval wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Col. Soosai, in Mullaitivu, Thursday, and concluded his tour of the Vanni, sources in the Vanni said.
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'NE conflict cannot be solved through talks' -Sihala Urumaya

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 September 2003, 14:53 GMT]
At a press briefing held Thursday in Colombo, Mr.Tilak Karunaratne, the General Secretary of the Sinhala extremist political party, Sihala Urumaya (SU), said that in the SU's view, the northeast conflict could not be solved through negotiations, media sources said.
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SL govt. rejects PA claims of new Trinco LTTE camps

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 September 2003, 13:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government Thursday totally rejected the charges leveled by the opposition, including the People's Alliance (PA), that the security of the Trincomalee harbor and the eastern province is in danger, and said that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam had not established any new camp in the government controlled areas in the Trincomalee district, except the Kurankupanchan camp, after the ceasefire agreement, denying the PA claims that there are 13 new LTTE camps in Trincomalee.
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Col. Karuna meets parents of LTTE martyrs

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 September 2003, 00:30 GMT]
A meeting between the parents martyrs of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and Col. Karuna, the Senior Commander of the LTTE for the Eastern region, took place at ‘Thenaham’ Guest House in Karadiyanaru at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, sources in Batticaloa said.


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Plans for Pongu Thamil in Vavuniya moving ahead

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 September 2003, 00:04 GMT]
The organizers of the The Pongu Thamil (Tamil upsurge) event in Vavuniya are moving ahead with plans to hold the event on September 24, and have earned widespread support from the Tamil and Muslim people of the area, including strong support from the merchants in Vavuniya and the Vanni district Tamil National Allaince parliamentarians, sources in Vavuniya said.
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Akashi to commence Sri Lanka visit Thursday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 September 2003, 19:09 GMT]
The Japanese special peace envoy to Sri Lanka, Mr.Yasushi Akashi, will arrive in Colombo on a six-day visit Thursday. He will stay in Sri Lanka until September 16 and hold discussions with several political leaders regarding the present stalled peace process between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, political sources said.
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'Symmetrical devolution will not work'- Minister Peiris

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 September 2003, 19:02 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Constitutional Affairs Minister and the Leader of the Sri Lanka government's peace delegation Professor G.L.Peiris said Wednesday that attempting to find a solution to the conflict based on symmetrical devolution of powers for all provinces as in the case of provincial council would be a futile exercise, media sources said.
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Trinco fishermen return from Tamilnadu with boats

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 September 2003, 15:33 GMT]
Fifty-three Tamil fishermen of Trincomalee arrived at the Codbay fisheries jetty in Trincomalee harbour Wednesday morning with 49 boats, which were towed by 12 Indian trawlers with 74 Indian crew, including 12 skippers and escorted by the Sri Lanka Navy gunboats. Two Indian government officials also accompanied the returnees, provincial rehabilitation ministry sources said.
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Danish Ambassador meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 September 2003, 10:45 GMT]
Ambassador for Denmark in Colombo, Mr. Michael Sternberg, met with the Political Wing Leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Mr. S.P. Tamilchelvan, at the Peace Secretariat Building of the LTTE in Kilinochchi Wednesday, sources in the Vanni said.
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Trinco district to get two new local bodies

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 September 2003, 18:58 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Provincial councils and Local Government Minister, Mr.Alick Aluwihare, has appointed a committee to carve out two new local authorities in the Trincomalee district. Accordingly, the Muslim dominated Kinniya will get an Urban Council (UC), and a new Pradesya Sabah (PS,village council) by the name Verugal is to established in the Tamil dominated Eachilampathu Divisional Secretariat (DS) division in Muttur east, provincial local government sources said.
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Emergency action plan to control HIV, AIDS in NE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 September 2003, 17:19 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Health Ministry is to formulate an emergency action plan to control and prevent the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the northeast province. A high level conference to work out a comprehensive plan is to be held on Friday morning at the North East Provincial Health Ministry auditorium, which is to be attended by high officials from the central health ministry, health authorities said.
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Norwegian Ambassador meets LTTE in Karadiyanaaru

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 September 2003, 01:58 GMT]
Norwegian ambassador in Colombo Mr Hans Brattskar met with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Senior Commander Col.Karuna and other LTTE officers at the Thenaham Guest House in Karadiyanaaru, Batticaloa Monday 7.00 pm, security sources said.
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Boats return from Tamilnadu after thirteen years

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 September 2003, 01:48 GMT]
Sixty one mechanized fishing boats of Tamil fishermen of Trincomalee left Monday morning around eight from Nagapatinam port in South India to Trincomalee towed by twelve Indian trawlers after thirteen years in the custody of Indian officials, northeast provincial council (NEPC) sources said.


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Tamil Eelam Netball team wins Championship

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 September 2003, 20:37 GMT]
The leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, V. Pirapaharan, Monday congratulated and honored the Tamil Eelam Netball team that participated at the 8th Tamil National Sports Festival in London, United Kingdom, and won the championship shield, sources said.
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Shortage of English language teachers in NE

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 September 2003, 19:52 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has requested Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, to take steps to fill the vacancies that exist for English language teachers in Northeast schools by granting permanent appointments to part time English teachers who have been working in the region for several years, sources said.
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Tamil women's event concludes with plan of action

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 September 2003, 19:35 GMT]
The gathering of Tamil women’s associations at the Vavuniya Town Hall concluded its three-day event Saturday with a serious plan of action that seeks to identify and solve problems of women through village level associations and empower them with education and self-employment skills, sources said.


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