'Tamil voters' fundamental rights violated' -- Supreme Court

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 March 2003, 20:15 GMT]
The Supreme Court Tuesday held that the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and the Commissioner of Elections had violated the fundamental rights of the voters in the LTTE held areas of the North-East province by preventing them from casting their votes at the last general elections held in December 2001, legal sources said.
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PM urged to stop SLA camp in Jaffna municipal land

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 March 2003, 19:37 GMT]
An urgent appeal has been made to the Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, Tuesday on behalf of the people of Jaffna that the Sri Lanka Army should not be allowed to relocate its Jaffna brigade headquarters in the municipal council land close to the Jaffna fort, sources said.
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Volunteer teachers extend their protest to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 March 2003, 19:25 GMT]
The five zonal education offices in the Jaffna district did not function Monday following the sit-in-protest by volunteer teachers who demand that they should be made permanent as approved by the cabinet and the newly formed Public Services Commission of the central government, sources said.
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Economic development, TEEDOR's main focus - Ramesh

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 March 2003, 11:28 GMT]
Farmers and officials associated with agriculture should co-operate with the Tamil Eelam Economic Development Organization (TEEDOR) to build the economic sector of the Northeast which has been badly affected by war, said Ramesh, Batticaloa-Amparai Special commander of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), speaking as the chief guest in the Farmer' day event held at the Ampalanthurai Sports ground, Batticaloa, Sunday, sources said.


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Sinhala settlers occupy Uyanthapadu beach in Trinco

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 March 2003, 12:43 GMT]
An appeal has been made to the Hindu Affairs Ministry and Local Government Ministry of the United National Front (UNF) to take immediate steps to relocate Sinhala fishermen who settled illegally in the Uthayanpadu beach of the Back Bay sea in Trincomalee to their own homes in the outskirts of Trincomalee and to declare the beach a sacred area where Hindu temples in the east port town have been conducting their annual festivals and other religious rites for centuries, sources said.


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Northeast photographic exhibition opens in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 March 2003, 04:44 GMT]
A two-day photographic exhibition of the North East Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs was declared open Saturday by the Secretary of the Provincial Public Service Commission, Mr.P.Balasingham. More than five hundred photographs focusing on historic places, antiques, cultural identity and scenic beauty of the Tamil dominated province were part of the exhibit.
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SLMM chief meets Trinco LTTE commander Pathuman

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 March 2003, 15:45 GMT]
The new head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Major General Triggve Teleffsen, Friday afternoon held discussions with the Trincomalee area commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Colonel Pathuman, and Trincomalee district political head, Mr.Tilak. The discussion centred regarding the movement of LTTE cadres in the Trincomalee district, sources said.
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Batticaloa, Jaffna residents pay respect to Sea Tigers killed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 March 2003, 13:22 GMT]
Several memorial events were conducted Friday in Batticaloa district and Jaffna peninsula to pay respect to the eleven Sea Tigers of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) killed on 10 March when their merchant vessel in international waters off the coast of Trincomalee was sunk by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) craft, sources said.


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TRO organizes social mobilization training seminar

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 March 2003, 17:57 GMT]
A five-day social mobilization training seminar for volunteers engaged in resettlement and rehabilitation works of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) in the Trincomalee district commenced Thursday at the Anpuvallipuram Agricultural Extension Office, sources said.
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Trinco pays homage to 11 LTTE cadres died in sea

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 March 2003, 13:26 GMT]
A day of mourning was observed Friday morning in Trincomalee for the deaths of eleven senior cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at a function organized at the LTTE town political office. Photographs of eleven LTTE cadres were kept in specially erected hall, sources said.
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Hakone talks focus on federalism, security concerns at sea

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 March 2003, 12:02 GMT]
The Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) delegations in their sixth session of peace talks agreed to have their senior naval and political personnel meet to 'workout effective arrangements for the operation of naval units.' The parties also agreed to present a complete plan at the seventh session on the steps to be taken towards negotiating a federal solution for Sri Lanka.


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Sea Tigers deny involvement in trawler sinking

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 March 2003, 11:09 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Friday denied accusations by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) that they were involved in the sinking of a Taiwanese trawler about 40km off the Mullaitivu coast. International monitors were investigating the incident in which seventeen Taiwanese sailors are said to have died. The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) said information was sketchy and investigations were continuing.
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Remand for Indian fishermen extended

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 March 2003, 00:05 GMT]
The Mannar district judge, Mr. M. A. Mohideen, ordered Thursday that the remand for twenty-six Indian fishermen, who were arrested by local fishermen and handed over to the police on March 5 for trespassing into Sri Lankan waters, be extended until April 3, sources said.
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Akashi hosts Tiger delegation to traditional meal

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 March 2003, 10:57 GMT]
Japan’s Special Peace Envoy to Sri Lanka, Mr. Yasushi Akashi, Thursday hosted a lunch for the Liberation Tigers’ delegation at the sixth round of direct talks between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government, officials said. Japanese diplomats and LTTE officials sat down to a traditional Japanese meal at a top restaurant in the hot spring resort of Hakone where the talks are being held.
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Annai Poopathi anniversary celebrated in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 March 2003, 04:03 GMT]
"Today represents a historic day in our freedom struggle. The fifteenth year anniversay of the day Annai (mother) Poopathi sacrificed her life waging non-violent struggle against the might of the Indian Army. She demonstrated that no force can suppress the determination of the Tamils to fight for their rights," said Batticaloa-Amparai special commander of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), T. Ramesh, addressing the anniversary celebrations held in Navalady, Batticaloa, sources said.


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Volunteer teachers threaten hunger strike

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 March 2003, 03:16 GMT]
The North East Province Volunteer Teachers' Consortium (NEPVTC) Wednesday issued a statement that it would extend its present sit-in protest in front of the provincial ministry of education in Trincomalee to a hunger strike from March 28 if the United National Front (UNF) government fails to grant permanent status to them before March 27, sources said.
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Names of Sea tigers killed in merchant vessel announced

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 March 2003, 01:18 GMT]
The names of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) sea tigers killed in international waters 220 miles from Trincomalee shores when the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) fired on their merchant vessel on March 10 were announced by the LTTE Wednesday, sources in Vanni said.
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Trinco St. Joseph's celebrates 136th annual college day

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 March 2003, 22:49 GMT]
The St. Josephs' College in Trincomalee, one of the leading educational institutions in the eastern port town, Wednesday celebrated its 136th annual college day with religious observances and sports activities among teachers and students, sources said.
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Trincomalee Koneswaram temple festival begins

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 March 2003, 22:29 GMT]
The annual twenty two-day festival (’Mahotsavam’) of the historic Koneswaram Temple in the east port town of Trincomalee began Tuesday with the flag hoisting ceremony. The water cutting festival will be held on April 4 at "Papanasa Theertham" (sin destruction holy well), which is located inside the Fort Frederick where Koneswaram temple is also situated. The "Boat Festival"(Theppath Thiruvizah) will be held on April 6, temple sources said.
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Japan deepens Sri Lanka peace role

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 March 2003, 11:55 GMT]
Along with hosting the sixth round of direct talks between the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lankan government, Japan this week signaled its determination to play a leading role in bringing peace to the strife-torn island when one of its top diplomats joined Norwegian officials at the negotiating table. Japan’s deepening involvement in the peace process was this week welcomed by the Liberation Tigers.
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