'Pongu Thamil' event to be held in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2003, 14:31 GMT]
Though the ceasefire has brought a halt to the war, "everyone should understand that the fight to win the Tamil people’s political rights has not stopped," said Mr. Sivashakthi Ananthan, the Vanni parliamentarian, speaking at a meeting held Sunday at the Suthananda Hindu Youth Association hall to plan the ‘Pongu Thamil’ (‘Tamil resurgence’) events.
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Thamilchelvan says doors to peace wide open

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2003, 06:42 GMT]
“The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are keenly studying the proposal for an interim administrative structure sent by the Sri Lankan government although it fails to meet the expectations of the Tamil people”, said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan addressing more than five thousand troops of the LTTE’s southern front forces on the grounds of ‘Meenaham’, a sprawling military base complex in Tharavai, about 40 kilometres northwest of Batticaloa, late Sunday night.
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‘Federalism is a beguiling serpent’ – H. L de Silva

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 July 2003, 04:18 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s leading Sinhala constitutional lawyer, Mr. H. L de Silva, addressing a seminar on Indian federalism Sunday in Colombo, described a federal solution to end the island’s ethnic conflict as a snake a drowning man clutches in his desperation to stay afloat. In a cogently argued critique of Colombo’s efforts to formulate a federal concept as the basis for a solution to the conflict, Mr. Silva said, “One wonders whether for Sri Lanka federalism is that beguiling serpent, which by its fatal sting will bring about the death of the Republic”.
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NE provincial Tamil Language day held in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2003, 05:30 GMT]
Addressing the North East Provincial Tamil Language Day celebration, held Saturday for the first time after several years in Jaffna, Mr. Arun Master, the Deputy Head of the Thamileelam Education Board, said, "Educationists and teachers worked hard to preserve the pristine glory of Tamil language and Tamil culture from being destroyed by enemies during the wartime in the northeast."
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'Tamils will not accept hasty decision on land matters’

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 July 2003, 05:18 GMT]
"We cannot accept any hasty decision taken regarding land related problems in the Trincomalee district at a time when all attempts are made to take forward the peace process and serious consideration is given to the establishment of an interim administrative structure with adequate powers," said the Trincomalee district parliamentarian, Mr.Rajavarothiam Sampanthan, Saturday to the media following the cancellation of Lands Minister's visit to Trincomalee, sources said.
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Land Minister's Trinco visit cancelled, mobile service called off

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 July 2003, 21:07 GMT]
A four-day mobile service scheduled to be inaugurated at the Trincomalee district secretariat Saturday morning by the Lands Minister of SriLanka, Dr..Rajitha Senaratne, was called off at the last minute as a one-day hartal was observed in the eastern port town the same day, sources said.
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SLMC to talk to SL President on Interim Administration

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 July 2003, 18:10 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress will meet the President of Sri Lanka, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, to discuss the SLMC’s suggestions to safeguard Muslim interests in the proposed Interim Administration, the SLMC said in a press release Saturday.
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SL Police asks Tamil paramilitaries to avoid unnecessary movements

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 July 2003, 16:14 GMT]
The Sri Lankan police in Batticaloa have advised the paramilitary Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), the People’s Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) and the Eelam People Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF-Varathar wing) cadres not to move unnecessarily outside their offices in the district, and if there was a serious need to move out, the police would provide security to them, sources said.
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LTTE hands over surrendered SLN soldier to SLMM

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 July 2003, 13:31 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Saturday morning handed over a surrendered Sri Lanka Navy soldier, C.Rajapakse, 27, to the head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Committee Mission in Jaffna, SLMM sources said.
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Junior LTTE officers complete training

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 July 2003, 13:05 GMT]
At a ceremony held in the Vanni Saturday to mark the completion of training of the junior officers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the leader of the LTTE, Mr. V. Pirapaharan, participated, made a speech and awarded certificates to the officers, LTTE sources said.
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Hartal observed in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 July 2003, 12:38 GMT]
A hartal (general shut down) was observed in the town of Trincomalee Saturday and all business establishments owned by Tamil and Muslim people were closed down, bringing the normal life to a standstill, civil sources said.
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No need for public apology for July’83 pogroms - Peiris

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 July 2003, 15:52 GMT]
Though the July 1983 pogroms against the Tamil people in Sri Lanka have left an “indelible scar,” no purpose would be served by making a public apology or regret by the United National Front government for it, said Mr. G. L. Peiris, the Sri Lankan Cabinet spokesman, in response to a question from a foreign correspondent in Colombo, the Jaffna-based Tamil daily, Uthayan, reported Friday.
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SL President appoints committee to report on IA proposals

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 July 2003, 05:04 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President, Chandrika Kumaratunge, has appointed a four member committee to study and report on the interim administrative structure proposals which have been submitted to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam by the United National Front government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, political sources said.
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Hartal in the East for the second day

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 July 2003, 20:54 GMT]
The hartal (general shutdown) observed on Monday in the Batticaloa and Ampara districts continued for the second day Tuesday, and normal life came to a standstill again, sources said.
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NE local government week celebration concluded

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 July 2003, 15:31 GMT]
Sustainable development could be seen in the war-torn Northeast province if the rehabilitation and development projects are implemented with the participation of the people, said North-East Provincial Council Chief Secretary, Mr.S.Rangarajah, addressing the provincial level 2003 local government week celebrations in Trincomalee Monday evening.
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NECORD replaces school building destroyed by SLN

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 July 2003, 03:33 GMT]
The district commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Trincomalee, Colonel Pathuman, Monday declared open a new building at the Ilakanthai Tamil mixed school in the LTTE held Muttur east which was constructed under the Asian Development Bank funded North East Community Restoration Development (NECORD) project.
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Slow progress in supplying electricity to Omanthai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 July 2003, 03:03 GMT]
Work is currently underway to supply electricity to the Omanthai Sri Lanka Army checkpoint complex, but so far only 20 % of the project has been completed, said Mr. S. Pirabhakaran, Engineer, Vavuniya Region, the Ceylon Electricity Board.
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US demining team to collaborate with SLA in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 July 2003, 19:39 GMT]
The US de-mining team RONCO is to recommence its de-mining work in the Jaffna district with effect from August 15 in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Army, team leader Mr.Don Smith told TamilNet Monday.
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French army officer visits Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 July 2003, 16:25 GMT]
The French army attaché for Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives visited Batticaloa Monday and met with the military, Police, the Catholic Bishop, Muslim civil society leaders and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Sri Lankan Police sources in the eastern town said.
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Hartal in the East to protest arrests

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 July 2003, 14:06 GMT]
A complete hartal (general shutdown) was observed in the Batticaloa and Ampara districts Monday to protest the continuing arbitrary arrests of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cadres and the killing on July 11 of Mr. Velupillai Paraneetharan (18), a civilian, in Puttur, sources said.
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