Thiriyai prepares for resettlement amid navy harassment

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 March 2003, 00:30 GMT]
As the first paddy harvest after nearly twenty years is nearing completion at Thiriyai, the displaced Tamil families who returned from Vanni and residing currently in welfare camps at Nilaveli pleaded Tuesday at a mobile service held in Thiriyai, that authorities should make immediate arrangements to resettle them in their own lands, sources in Trincomalee said.
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NE volunteer teachers to continue sit-in protest

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 March 2003, 18:49 GMT]
The sit-in-protest by several hundred Tamil medium volunteer teachers from the districts of Batticaloa and Amparai in front of the provincial education ministry in Trincomalee continued for the third day on Wednesday.
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SLA soldier, Constable, in LTTE custody released

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 March 2003, 11:54 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier, Lance Corporal Nimal Kumara and Reserve Police Constable Philip Anandasekara who were in Liberation Tigers' (LTTE's) custody were released today in Kilinochchi to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission(SLMM) following a meeting with the LTTE leaders and the members of the SLMM, sources in Kilinochchi said.
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PM urged to solve Tamil medium teacher shortage in NE

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 March 2003, 07:05 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Wednesday requested the United National Front government to grant permanent appointments to around one thousand volunteer teachers without any further delay as per the Cabinet approval already granted by the previous government “ This would only to some extent reduce the existing shortage of around 5500 Tamil medium teachers in the northeast province,” said TNA parliamentary group leader and the Trincomalee district parliament Mr.R.Sampanthan in a three page letter faxed to the Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe.
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CTTU to protest against army presence near schools

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 March 2003, 01:58 GMT]
The twenty thousand member strong Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union (CTTU) Tuesday decided to hold a one day token strike on March 11 in the northeast province demanding the removal of the presence of government troops in the vicinity of schools. The protest will also highlight the delay in providing permanent appointment to about one thousand volunteer teachers in the northeast schools, said its general secretary Mr.T.Mahasivam.
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UNICEF, LTTE agree on action plan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 March 2003, 20:35 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the UNICEF Tuesday agreed on the development of an action plan on children affected by war in the North-East, including children involved in child labor, civilian or military, sources said.
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MP demands removal of Periyaneelavanai checkpoint

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 March 2003, 17:00 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Member of Parliament (MP) from the Ampara district, Mr. A. Chandraneru, has requested in a letter to the Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe, that the police checkpoint operating from the Cultivation Services Office at Periyaneelavanai in the Ampara district should be removed, sources said.
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17 Indian fishermen injured

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 March 2003, 11:51 GMT]
Seventeen Indian fishermen who tresspassed into Sri Lankan waters 7 pm Monday were injured during clashes with fishermen from Pesalai, Mannar district when the local fisherfolks rounded up Indian fishermen and brought them to Pesalai shores, sources in Mannar said.


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MSF to wind up operations in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 March 2003, 00:40 GMT]
MEDICINS SANS FRONTIERS (MSF), an international non-governmental medical and humanitarian organisation which is providing medical assistance to people in the northeast province Monday expressed confidence that the ceasefire agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) will lead to permanent peace in the island and that their permanent presence is not required beyond 2003, sources in Jaffna said.
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Three-day Konesar procession commences in Trincomalee town

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 March 2003, 00:31 GMT]
The annual procession of the chief deity Lord Konesar and his consort Maathumai Ambal (Parvati) of the historic Trincomalee Koneswaram temple, which is located inside the Fort Frederick in the east port town, commenced Sunday evening, the day after the Holy Maha Sivarathiri Day. This year a new chariot built at a cost of about two hundred thousand rupees will carry deities Lord Konesar and Maathumai Ambal, sources said.
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Thai delegation meets Thamilselvan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2003, 20:02 GMT]
A special delegation of Thailand government, lead by the Commissioner of the Economic section of the Thailand ministry of Foreign Affairs met with the Head of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) political section, S.P. Thamilselvan and communicated the desire of the Thai government to provide help and to participate in the development of the war affected North East region, sources in Vanni said.
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Busy schedule awaits Balasingham in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2003, 19:34 GMT]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) theoretician and leader of the LTTE negotiating team in the current peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the LTTE, Mr. Anton Balasingham, arrived in Kilinochchi 4 pm Sunday with his wife and Secretary to LTTE peace delegation Adele Balasingham, sources in Vanni said.


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HRC special committee visits Jaffna HSZ

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2003, 16:55 GMT]
The special committee of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) of Sri Lanka, which is inquiring into the complaints in regard to the disappearance of more than six hundred Tamil civilians between 1996 and 1997 in the Jaffna district arrived Saturday, to conduct further investigation, sources said.
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Army occupation still prevails after a year of peace - Ramesh

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2003, 14:02 GMT]
"Twelve months have passed after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), but vast numbers of Tamil people are still living under Sri Lanka Army (SLA) occupation. Army camps are still being maintained in Tamils' homes and public buildings creating a sense of mistrust and skepticism on the strength of the MoU in Tamil peoples' mind. Only by the SLA fully complying with the provisions of the MoU can the faith on MoU be restored," said Ramesh, Batticaloa-Ampara special commander of the LTTE, addressing a meeting in Batticaloa Sunday, sources said.
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SLN claims Thampalakamam pastureland as HSZ

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 March 2003, 23:09 GMT]
Hundreds of cattle farmers in the predominantly Tamil village, Thampalakamam, in the Trincomalee district have almost lost their livelihood following a ban by the Sri Lanka Navy to use pastureland allocated close to the Attavanaikulam tank for their cattle to graze. The Sri Lanka Navy has imposed the ban stating that about one thousand acres of pastureland in Attavanaikulam comes under the high security zone, agricultural sources said.
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Impact and Issues of Forestry on Northeast Coastal Resources

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 March 2003, 23:00 GMT]
There is an urgent need for protection of mangroves, estuarine and swamp forest/vegetation as important components of the northeast coastal resources of Sri Lanka together with fisheries, coral reefs, seagrass, beaches and sand dunes, amongst others if we are to preserve the environment of Northeast for future generations. An examination of forestry issues that impact the conservation and management of North East coastal resources follows.
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MPGA to sue army, civil officials

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 March 2003, 16:38 GMT]
The Missing Persons Guardians' Association (MPGA) in Jaffna has decided to file a case in the High Court against some Sri Lanka Army officials and government civil administrators regarding dozens of Tamil civilians who have been reported missing after being arrested by Sri Lankan government troops during the period between 1996 and 1997 in the Jaffna peninsula.
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Trinco Methodist College holds prize giving

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 February 2003, 21:00 GMT]
One hundred and eighty three years old Trincomalee Methodist Girls College, popularly known as the Vembadi school, held its annual prize giving celebration Thursday with the Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Education and Cultural Affairs, Mr.S.Thillainadarajah, as the chief guest.
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Fourth SIHRN meeting in Kilinochichi

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 February 2003, 17:41 GMT]
Fourth meeting of the SIHRN took place in Kilinochchi at the premises of SIHRN secretariat. Mr. Bernard Gunatillake headed the Government delegation and S.P Thamilchelvan lead the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) delegation. Ambassador Jon Westborg facilitated the meeting on behalf of the Norwegian Government. Ambassador Seichro Otsuka of Japan participated on behalf of Mr. Yasushi Akashi, principal advisor to the Sub-Committee.
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Treasury refusal delays NE volunteer teacher appointments

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 February 2003, 17:12 GMT]
The appointment of one thousand Tamil medium volunteer teachers on permanent basis in schools in the northeast province is to be further delayed due to the refusal by the government treasury to allocate necessary funds for that purpose, education sources said Friday.
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