‘Peace talks to go on despite challenges’ – PM

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 March 2003, 13:46 GMT]
"The ethnic problem in this country can be solved only by talks, and there is no other way; hence, whatever the challenges and road blocks the peace talks will face, we cannot abandon the talks," said Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe, addressing the general meeting of the United National Party (UNP) held in Kandy Wednesday evening.
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Vavuniya hartal condemns SLA sinking of merchant vessel

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 March 2003, 12:44 GMT]
Shops were closed, transportation came to a stand still and black flags were seen flying across the town as Vavuniya district observed hartal (general shut down) Thursday to mourn the eleven cadres of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam who died when a merchant vessel belonging to LTTE was sunk by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and to express protest against the SLN's action, sources in Vavuniya said.
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Norway's Deputy FM holds talks with LTTE leaders

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 March 2003, 12:10 GMT]
Talks between the Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Vidar Helgessen and the leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam began Thursday afternoon at Killinochchi, sources said.


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'Destruction of LTTE ship is a grave ceasefire violation' - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 March 2003, 19:40 GMT]
The interception and destruction of the Liberation Tigers' merchant cargo vessel in international waters by the Sri Lankan Navy is a grave violation of the ceasefire agreement and contravenes international law, Mr. Anton Balasingham, the LTTE's political advisor and chief negotiator, told a delegation of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Kilinochchi on Wednesday, according to Mr. Balasingham, who spoke to journalists after the meeting.
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SLMM head holds talks with senior LTTE leaders

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 March 2003, 17:35 GMT]
The new head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Mr.Triggve Teleffsen Wednesday arrived in Killinochchi to hold discussions with senior leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) regarding the attack by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) on a LTTE merchant vessel off Mullaitivu Monday, sources in Vanni said. The LTTE had earlier condemned the attack as "a grave violation of the ceasefire agreement,” and warned that “this grave incident will have far reaching implications for the peace process.”


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Jaffna mourns death of eleven LTTE cadres

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 March 2003, 17:29 GMT]
Black flags were hoisted on public buildings, business houses and educational institutions and a day of mourning was observed in Jaffna district Wednesday for the death of eleven senior cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), civil sources said.


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'We are committed to peace' - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 March 2003, 00:22 GMT]
The political advisor of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Mr.Anton Balasingham said that the LTTE will not allow the peace process to become a trap to weaken the Liberation Tigers. "Despite provocations and attacks on us we are determined to participate constructively in the peace process. We want to convince the world, particularly the Sinhala people, that we are committed to peace," said Mr.Balasingham addressing a gathering, which followed the opening of the main court complex of the Thamileelam judiciary in Killinochchi Tuesday morning, sources said.


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CTTU holds strike, demonstrations in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 March 2003, 18:03 GMT]
The Ceylon Tamil Union Teachers’ Union Tuesday held a one-day token strike in the North-East and claimed that their strike was a success as almost all Tamil medium schools in the North-East province did not function as teachers struck work and students did not attend classes.
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US Ambassador visits Jaffna, meets civil group leaders

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 March 2003, 17:02 GMT]
The Ambassador for United States of America in Colombo, Mr.Ashely Wills, paid a one-day visit to Jaffna Tuesday and held discussions with representatives of Jaffna civil groups and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians, sources said.
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Batticaloa schools function without course books

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 March 2003, 12:45 GMT]
Government schools in Batticaloa district are functioning without the necessary school books and students are being severely impacted by this shortage, education officials in Batticaloa said.


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Teachers protest against army occupation in Northeast

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 March 2003, 11:50 GMT]
Tamil and Muslim Teachers in Northeast organized a symbolic strike by calling in sick demanding the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) vacate the schools, places of worship, private residences and public buildings which have been converted to SLA camps, sources in Batticaloa said.


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Jaffna Consortium demands release of PTA suspects

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 March 2003, 17:35 GMT]
The Consortium of Peoples' Associations of Jaffna (CPAF) in a memorandum has blamed the United National Front government for acting irresponsibly in delaying the release of Tamil political prisoners who are at present languishing in prisons in the south for several years under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) without being brought to trial in courts of law, civil sources said.
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Picketing in Jaffna demanding release of PTA suspects

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 March 2003, 17:21 GMT]
Hundreds of people and civil activists participated in a one-hour picketing conducted in front of the Jaffna district secretariat Monday morning from 10.30 demanding the immediate release of all Tamil political prisoners from prisons at Kalutara and elsewhere in the south of the country. Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians Messrs Mavai Senathirajah, G.G.Gajendrakumar, A.Vinayagamoorthy, M.K.Sivajilingam, N.Raviraj participated in the campaign, sources said.
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LTTE vehemently condemns sinking of merchant vessel in International Waters

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 March 2003, 14:23 GMT]
The leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam condemned the sinking by the Sri Lanka Navy of an LTTE merchant vessel in international waters, 220 nautical miles off Trincomalee, today. In a letter to Sri Lankan Defence Minister Tilak Marapane, the head of the LTTE’s Political Wing, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, condemned the attack in which eleven LTTE cadres were killed as “a grave violation of the ceasefire agreement.”


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Mannar fishermen protest

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 March 2003, 12:33 GMT]
Members of Parliaments (MPs) Selvam Adaikalanathan, N. Sivasakthi Anandan and K. Rajakuganeswaran joined members of the Federation of Mannar fishing coopertive in a protest march today against South Indian fishermen poaching in SriLankan seas, said sources from Mannar.
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Opposition holds peaceful demonstration against peace process

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 March 2003, 11:51 GMT]
The joint opposition demonstration with hundreds of thousands of people wearing red caps, buddhist monks, and front line leaders of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) and the National Unity Alliance (NUA) participating, commenced around two p.m. from Campbell place in Colombo and arrived at the Town Hall by five p.m. without any incidents. The Police provided tight security along the route of the demonstration, sources said.
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Appeal Court releases six LTTE cadres on bail

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 March 2003, 11:43 GMT]
The Court of Appeals comprising of judges Rajah Fernando (President) and E.W. Edusuriya Monday ordered bail for the six cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who are now in remand in connection with the alleged transporting of landmines by sea, legal sources said.


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Commission to investigate attacks on Tamil Journalists

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 March 2003, 01:57 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has ordered to form a Commission consisting of retired judges to investigate into incidents in the NorthEast of attacks against Tamil journalists by the police and security forces, Government Information Department said in Colombo according to sources.
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Colombo put on red alert to face opposition demonstration

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 March 2003, 18:22 GMT]
The city of Colombo has been put on red alert from Sunday and more than two thousand armed police personnel have been deployed at strategic junctions and near key buildings to thwart any disturbances when the joint opposition procession comprising the Sri Lanka freedom party (SLFP), Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) and, National Unity Alliance (NUA) is scheduled to commence Monday around 1 p.m., sources in Colombo said.
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Tamil leader Kumar Ponnambalam remembered

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 March 2003, 18:07 GMT]
Tamils should join hands irrespective of party politics to defeat the forces that are now rallying round in the south against the peace process, said a political activist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Mr.Vennilavan addressing the third death anniversary of late All Ceylon Tamil Congress leader Mr. Kumar Ponnambalam at Nelliyady Rajaledchumi Theatre Sunday.
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