Bishop Deogupillai passes away

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2003, 15:59 GMT]
Jaffna's twelfth Bishop Most Reverend Dr Bastiampillai Deogupillai (1917-2003) passed away peacefully in the early hours of Friday at the age of 86. The entire Catholic community and Tamils, irrespective of religion, are mourning the death of a veteran Bishop who stood for justice and peace through dialogue. His funeral is to be held on Monday evening at Jaffna St. Mary's Cathedral church, sources said.


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Thanthai Chelva’s 26th death anniversary observed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2003, 13:59 GMT]
The twenty sixth-death anniversary of late Tamil leader "THANTHAI” Mr.S.J.V.Chelvanayakam (1898-1977) was observed through the northeast province Saturday. He was the acknowledged leader of Tamil people for the last 20 years of his life and presided over the 1976 TULF national convention that ratified the goals for a separate state for Tamils in the landmark 'Vaddukoddai resolution.'


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Clergy appeal for resumption of peace talks

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2003, 01:49 GMT]
Leading members of the clergy Friday appealed to the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) not to go back to war and to resume peace talks immediately to find a negotiated political settlement to the ethnic conflict.
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SLMM clarifies issues in Proposals on Security at Sea

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 April 2003, 18:24 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission issued a press release on 25 Friday clarifying issues in its proposals contained in the ‘Initial Discussion Paper’ that outlined arrangements to avoid future incidents at sea between the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Sea Tigers.
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LTTE responds to US Ambassador

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 April 2003, 16:25 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Friday denied they had walked away from negotiations with the Sri Lankan government and said they were temporarily suspending talks “to provide time and space for the government to implement crucial decisions.” Responding to comments by the United States Ambassador, Mr. Ashley Wills, the LTTE’s Chief Negotiator and Political Advisor, Mr. Anton Balasingham told TamilNet Friday “As the representatives of our people we reserve the right to express our displeasure if decisions at the talks are not implemented and bi-lateral agreements are not fulfilled.”


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No threat of resumption of war - Minister Peiris

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2003, 18:58 GMT]
The ceasefire agreement signed last year by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is still in force and there is no threat of resumption of war following the pull out by the LTTE from peace talks, said Minister G.L. Peiris, addressing the weekly cabinet press briefing Thursday.
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Tamil fishermen complain of assault by southern fishermen

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2003, 18:42 GMT]
Two Jaffna fishermen were assaulted while fishing in the Vadamaradchi sea Thursday morning by Sinhalese fishermen who came from the south of the country in ?tank boats" to fish in the northern sea, fisheries co-operative federation sources said.
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Urban development sham in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2003, 13:11 GMT]
Batticaloa is a picturesque place. The town’s population has more than doubled in the last decade, largely owing to families moving in from the war-ravaged hinterland of the district. This is forcing a creeping crisis on the town’s urban development. Yet Colombo spares no money to address Batticaloa’s problem although the town has been under the purview of the Sri Lankan government’s Urban Development Authority (UDA) for more than 18 years.
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"LTTE won't derail peace process"- Pappa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2003, 12:12 GMT]
"We will not take any step that could derail the present peace process. We have not completely abandoned the peace talks. We have only suspended our participation in the peace talks for the time being," said Mr.Pappa, head of the Sports Department of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Thursday addressing workers of the non-governmental organizations in the Jaffna district on the current political situation and present peace process, sources said.


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Speedy relief essential for success of talks - TNA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2003, 11:26 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Wednesday requested the United National Front (UNF) government to formulate and implement a new approach that could provide speedy relief to the grievances of several thousands displaced Tamils without further delay fulfilling the justifiable expectations of Tamils since the signing of the ceasefire agreement, sources said.


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Tigers call off rehabilitation talks pending ‘tangible action on the ground’

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 April 2003, 00:00 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Wednesday postponed the meeting of the Sub-committee on Immediate Humanitarian Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN) scheduled for this week, to “await action and implementation on urgent matters … of resettlement and rehabilitation of Internally Displaced People and of refugees.” In a letter to Mr. Bernard Goonetilleke, the head of the Government of Sri Lanka delegation on the SIHRN, Mr. S. P. Tamilselvan, head of the LTTE’s Political Wing and head of the LTTE delegation on the SIHRN, called for ‘tangible action on the ground’ before the Sub-committee meetings resumed.
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EPS fall: reassessing LTTE's manoeuvre warfare prowess

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 21:26 GMT]
Three years ago, on April 22nd, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) hoisted their flag in the heart of what was once one of the most fortified military garrisons in South Asia. The fall of Elephant Pass, described as "impregnable" by a US army officer who visited the garrison months earlier, established the Tigers as the only non-state military force in the world today capable of complex manoeuvre war fighting.
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SLA tightening its grip on Northeast - Para

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 19:57 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army is strengthening its foothold where civilians live in the North-East even after the signing of the ceasefire agreement between the United National Front government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, said Mr. Pararajasingham (Para), Head of the Judicial Division of the LTTE, addressing a meeting in Jaffna town Wednesday.
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Buddhist prelate appeals to LTTE to re-enter peace talks

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 18:01 GMT]
The Mahanayake Thera of Asgiriya Chapter, Most Venerable Udugama Buddharakita Thera, Wednesday appealed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam not to pull out from the ongoing peace talks with the United National Front government, political sources in Colombo said.
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LTTE to commemorate capture of Elephant Pass

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 14:28 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam will commemorate the capture three years ago of the Elephant Pass garrison from the Sri Lankan military on April 28, sources in Vanni said.
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TEEDOR imposes restrictions in felling Jaffna trees

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 11:47 GMT]
Cutting down coconut, palmyrah, margosa, mango and jak fruit trees in private properties, excavation of stones and hauling large amounts of sand and clay will require special permission from the district co-ordinater on recommendation from village officer, said Gnanavel, head of Jaffna district Tamil Eelam Economic Development Organization (TEEDOR), addressing the meeting of Kayts agricultural society held at the Assistant Government Agent's office, according to local news reports.
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SLN arrests youths on alleged boat theft

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 01:53 GMT]
Mannar District Judge Mr.M.P. Mohideen Monday ordered fourteen-day remand for four Tamil youths for allegedly trying to steal a fishing boat kept in the custody of the Sri Lanka Navy, legal sources said. The boat belonged to an Indian fisherman and was confiscated when the fishermen were caught poaching in Sri Lankan territorial waters in Pesalai recently.


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Netherlands aids NE resettlement, educational development

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2003, 00:05 GMT]
The Ambassador for Netherlands in Sri Lanka, Ms. Susan Blankhart, Tuesday inaugurated the scheme for granting livelihood assistance for resettled families in the eight districts of the North-East province and the donation of school furniture to improve education in the province at a function held at the Trincomalee Town Hall, sources said.
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EPDP refuses to hand over RRAN vehicles

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2003, 19:19 GMT]
The local government ministry of the North-East provincial council and the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Authority for the North (RRAN) are in a dilemma to find ways to recover the pickup vehicles supplied to ten local bodies in the Jaffna district when the paramilitary group Eelam People's Democratic Party administered them, government sources said.
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LTTE condemns attack on Muslims in Allai Nagar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 April 2003, 16:54 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Tuesday said it strongly condemns the attack on a group of Muslim people at Allai Nagar in Thoppur in the Muttur division Tuesday morning. "We believe that it is the work of forces working against peace," said the LTTE’s Trincomalee district military commander, Colonel Pathuman, in a press release Tuesday, sources said.
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