Three-day education exhibition inaugurated in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 June 2003, 09:41 GMT]
Three day education exhibition "Piravaham-2003" of the Trincomalee Sri Koneswara Hindu College containing hundreds of art exhibits produced by the college students was inaugurated Thursday by the North East Provincial Education Ministry Secretary Mr. Mr.Thiagalingam.
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‘Together against Torture’ Seminar in Trinco

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 June 2003, 00:10 GMT]
Legislation against torture in Sri Lanka is kept in law libraries as an ornament and is not implemented to prevent torture, said Human Rights lawyer, Mr. K. Sivapalan, addressing a seminar on ‘Together against Torture,’ held Thursday in Trincomalee to commemorate the United Nations (UN) International Day.
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Preparations for Pongu Thamil continue amid sabotage attempts by EPDP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 June 2003, 20:01 GMT]
All roads will lead to Jaffna university medical faculty grounds Friday evening where the second Pongu Thamil celebration is scheduled to begin around 4 p.m., stressing the theme 'we want our land,' organizers of the event said.
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UNF govt. to submit IA proposals to LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 June 2003, 14:23 GMT]
The United National Front is preparing "a set of proposals reflecting the main features of a provisional administrative structure" for the Northeast, and plans to submit the proposals to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam within two weeks, said the cabinet spokesman and Constitutional Affairs Minister in the UNF government, Mr. G.L.Peiris, addressing a press conference Thursday.
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Picketing villagers bring Trinco-Vavuniya traffic to standstill

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 June 2003, 13:41 GMT]
Vehicular traffic between Trincomalee and Vavuniya through the Trincomalee-Anuradhapura trunk road came to a standstill Thursday when a group of Sinhalese villagers held a sit in protest across the road, demanding the release of a villager alleged to have been abducted by unidentified persons, police sources said.
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LTTE complains of SLA ceasefire violation in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 June 2003, 11:42 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) made a complaint to the head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has violated the ceasefire agreement by attempting to enter Kurankupanchchan area, which is in under LTTE's control, LTTE Trincomalee district political head Mr.S.Tilak told Tamilnet Thursday.


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Support to Pongu Thamil widespread - press

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 June 2003, 10:58 GMT]
"Progress and Freedom of a community depend on the solidarity and co-operation among its people. Pongu Thamil celebrations should show Tamil peoples' thirst for freedom and express their solidarity to move forward in their struggle," said Rev. Thomas Saundaranayagam, Bishop of Jaffna, in his message. Civil organizations across Jaffna peninsula have expressed unqualified support to the Pongu Thamil celebrations scheduled to take place Friday, press reports from Jaffna said.
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Jaffna’s crippled fisheries industry strapped for cash

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 June 2003, 02:18 GMT]
Two decades ago the Jaffna district was Sri Lanka’s main fisheries producer, accounting for 37 percent of the island’s total catch. Today Jaffna’s ‘fisheries belt’ lies inside the Sri Lanka army’s largest high security zone in the northeast, its once prosperous coastal villages virtually razed to the ground.
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LTTE and STF meet in Vavunathivu

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 June 2003, 00:32 GMT]
Commanders of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and Military officers of Sri Lanka's Special Task Force (STF) met at the District Secretariat in Vavunathivu, in Batticaloa district Wednesday 10a.m to discuss security related matters, military sources in Batticaloa said.


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JVP presses with campaign against peace talks

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 June 2003, 18:01 GMT]
The Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) held another massive demonstration and rally Wednesday near downtown Colombo denouncing peace talks between Colombo and the Liberation Tigers. More than five thousand party activists and members marched through a busy part of the city shouting slogans against the LTTE and Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Mr. Minister Ranil Wicremesinghe’s government.
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ADB aided computer-training centre opened in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 June 2003, 17:33 GMT]
The first computer-training centre in the Trincomalee district, established under the Asian Development Bank funded scheme by the Ministry of Education to promote computer literacy among students, was declared open ceremonially Wednesday by parliamentarian Mr.R.Sampanthan at the Trincomalee Sri Shanmuga Hindu Girls College.
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East High Court discharges two more PTA accused

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 June 2003, 17:08 GMT]
The East High Court in Trincomalee Wednesday discharged two Tamils indicted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and held in detention when the prosecution withdrew the charges on the advice of the Attorney General, legal sources said.
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Jaffna undergrads complain of SLA intimidation

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 June 2003, 12:38 GMT]
Jaffna University Students Union Tuesday complained to the regional office of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) of Sri Lanka that Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers intimidated its members when they were making preparations for the Pongu Thamil, which is to be held Friday at the Jaffna Medical faculty premises, sources said.


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Undergrads call for closure of Offices, Businesses on Pongu Thamil day

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 June 2003, 11:23 GMT]
P. Paheerathan, president of the Jaffna University Students Union, said Wednesday that the students have called for closure of all businesses and government offices on Friday during the Pongu Thamil celebrations.


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Women demining group begins training

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 June 2003, 05:00 GMT]
A twenty seven member women group, as part of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization's (TRO's) humanitarian activities section, began training in demining opertions Monday 23 June, sources in Kilinochchi said.


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Peace talks to resume soon - LTTE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 June 2003, 04:27 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) this week sent a positive signal to the Sri Lankan government that the peace negotiations, stalled for the past few months, would resume soon once the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s administration submits concrete proposals for an interim administration.


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Economic progress demands commitment from Batti officials - Ramesh

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 June 2003, 04:23 GMT]
"Every official in Batticalo district has a contribution to make in the development of our district. Only genuine commitment from our officials will enable us to improve economic prosperity of our people, said Ramesh, special commander of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during the monthly meeting associated with North East Irrigation and Agriculture Project (NIAP) held in Karadyanaru Thenakam Rest House Tuesday moring at 11am, sourcesin Batticaloa said.
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South African human rights activist visits Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 June 2003, 14:11 GMT]
An activist from the South African Human Rights Commission, Mr. Nagendran Kolappan, arrived in Jaffna Tuesday morning and held discussions with the representatives of Humanitarian Agencies, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, People’s Organizations and local media persons at the Jaffna regional office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, sources said.
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TRO sponsored Children's Park opens in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 June 2003, 00:12 GMT]
A children's Recreational Park for use by children who lost one or both of their parents in the war and who are currently being cared for in homes Gurukulam, Gandhi Illam was opened Monday in Kilinochchi. The children homes are run by Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) which also provided the financial support for the Recreational Park, according to Reggie, Head of TRO.
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Peace talks to resume soon – Balasingham

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 June 2003, 18:44 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said today that the peace negotiations between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers, suspended for the past few months, will resume soon.
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