Gopalapuram War memorial case dismissed

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 February 2003, 14:49 GMT]
The Trincomalee Magistrate Mr.S.Thiagendran Monday dismissed the action filed by the Kuchchaveli Police under Section 81 of the Criminal Procedure Code against the construction and opening of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) war memorial at Gopalapuram junction in Nilaveli, sixteen km off north of east port town. The Magistrate also recalled the warrant issued on the respondent Mr.Thooyavan, Nilaveli area political leader of the LTTE, legal sources said.


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LTTE cadres released, hartal called off in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 February 2003, 11:58 GMT]
The Trincomalee Magistrate Mr.S.Thiagendran Monday released the two women cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on surety bail and the hartal (general shut down) which was being observed in the east port town Monday demanding the release of them from morning was called off by noon, sources in Trincomalee said.


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CTTU to launch trade union action to win demands

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 February 2003, 18:53 GMT]
The Ceylon Tamil Teachers’ Union (CTTU) Sunday alerted its branches in the northeast province to be prepared to launch a concerted trade union action from March 3rd if the Minister of Human Resources Development, Education and Cultural Affairs, Dr.Karunasena Kodituwakku, failed to find solution to several longstanding demands put forward by the CTTU in July last year, sources said.
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LTTE hands over soldier's body to ICRC

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 February 2003, 14:31 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Sunday afternoon handed over the body of the soldier of the Sri Lanka Army L. Dharmadasa (24) of Matale who was killed Saturday in gunfire at Kilali area held by the LTTE, to the Jaffna delegate of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), sources said.
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Police should replace military, LTTE women cadres can wear civilian belts - SLMM

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 February 2003, 13:42 GMT]
To prevent future clashes, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) agreed to allow women LTTE cadres to wear any civilian type of belts when entering and staying in GOSL controlled areas, a press release issued Sunday by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) said.
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Kilinochchi protesters condemn SLA assault in Manipay

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 19:58 GMT]
Hundreds of residents of Kilinochchi and surrounding areas marched through Kilinochchi Saturday protesting the attack on Wednesday 12 February on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) unarmed female cadres in Manipay, Jaffna, by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and by the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) members. The march was organized by the Tamil National Uprising Front in Vanni, sources said.


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SLA soldier killed near Kilali

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 19:11 GMT]
Around 2.15pm Saturday near the Forward Defense Line (FDL) of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Kilali in Jaffna district , a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier who trespassed into LTTE controlled area was killed in gunfire, said sources in Jaffna.


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'Gopalapuram memorial, not a ceasefire violation'- SLMM

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 17:43 GMT]
Construction of the LTTE war memorial at Gopalapuram junction in Nilaveli village about 16km north of Trincomalee town cannot be cnsidered a ceasefire violation, four local members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee decided at their meeting held recently. The SLMM officials decided not to participate in the war memorial dispute in the future between the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) and the local security forces, sources in Colombo said.
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Eastern Media Associations condemn SLA attack on Northern journalists

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 16:40 GMT]
District Media Associations in Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara in the eastern province have issued statements condemning the attack on two Tamil journalists, Mr.S.Sivabalan (Thinakural) and Mr.S.Manoharan (Eelanadu) at Manipay in Jaffna district by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in which LTTE women cadres and members of public were also assaulted, sources said.


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Muhamalai soldiers interrogate Tamil student leader

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 15:25 GMT]
The President of the International Thamileelam Students' Forum, Mr.S.Gajendran, is alleged to have been subjected to intimidation and rigorous interrogation for more than two hours by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Saturday at the Muhamalai SLA checkpoint, sources in Jaffna said.


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Hartal in Trincomalee called over arrest of LTTE women cadres

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 14:36 GMT]
The Consortium of the Peoples' Organizations in Trincomalee (CPOT) Saturday called for a hartal (general shut down) in the east port town on Monday protesting the arrest of two women cadres of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) when they were engaged in political activities in Sampalthivu, a village about 10 km north of Trincomalee, sources said.
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Protest in Vavuniya condemns Manipay SLA assault

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 12:24 GMT]
More than thousand residents of Vavuniya and surrounding areas marched in Vavuniya Saturday wearing black belts in their waists protesting the attack on Wednesday 12 February on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) unarmed female cadres in Manipay, Jaffna, by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers. The marchers handed over a memorandum to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), sources in Vavuniya said.


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US to announce significant assistance in Japan meet - Armitage

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 02:59 GMT]
In a conference on "Srilanka: Prospects for Peace," held at the Center of Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C Friday, Richard Armitage, Deputy U.S Secretary of State, in his Keynote address said that, "..it is my intention to return to the follow-on meeting [to Oslo] of donors" in June in Japan and "I will be able to announce significant further assistance to Sri Lanka for both humanitarian and economic aid," sources said.
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'Government troops are not for peace' - Trinco Tamils tell Akashi

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 February 2003, 18:43 GMT]
A Tamil delegation comprising of leading citizens of Trincomalee Friday told the visiting Japanese peace envoy Mr.Yasushi Akashi that Tamils of the east port district have lost confidence on the present peace process as they think the government troops are only preparing for war and not for peace, sources in eastern province said.
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Protesters in Jaffna burn effigies, condemn Manipay attack

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 February 2003, 17:24 GMT]
Protest demonstrations were held Friday condemning the attack on LTTE women cadres, members of public and journalists at Manipay by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA), aided by members of the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP). Effigies of President Chandrika Kumaratunge and the Jaffna area commander of the SLA, Major General Sarath Fonseka, were taken in processions and burnt down in Jaffna town, Udupiddy junction, Malisanthai junction and Methaikadai junction, sources said.
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Trincomalee Orr's Hill Vivekananda College celebrates its silver jubilee

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 February 2003, 06:46 GMT]
The silver jubilee celebrations of the Orr's Hill Vivekandanda College, a leading educational institution in Trincomalee town are underway with the swearing ceremony of the prefects of the school and the College Day held at the newly built auditorium named Vivekandanda Kalai Arangam.
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Sole survivor in Mirusuvil massacre identifies army accused

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 February 2003, 21:54 GMT]
The sole survivor in the Mirusuvil massacre, Mr. Ponnuthurai Maheswaran, Thursday identified at the Colombo High Court all five soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) indicted for the murder of eight Tamil civilians when they returned to their Mirusuvil homes to look for belongings on 19th December 2000, legal sources said.
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"Focus will be on political issues at Tokyo talks"-Peiris

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 February 2003, 21:52 GMT]
The ruling United National Front Thursday announced that the devolution of power would be the key issue at the next round of peace talks between the GOSL and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
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Jaffna library opening put off as Mayor, councilors resign

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 February 2003, 21:25 GMT]
All twenty one members of the Jaffna Municipal Council led by Mayor Mr.Sellan Kandian Thursday tendered their resignation in protest to the pressure exerted on them by some organizations to put off the opening of the renovated Jaffna public library scheduled to be held on February 14, Friday, sources said.
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Rising from the shambles of a counter insurgency campaign

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 February 2003, 18:01 GMT]
The large Vadamunai-Tharavai region, northwest of Batticaloa, is struggling to rise out of the havoc wreaked by one of the most sustained text book counter insurgency campaigns waged by the Sri Lanka army. A few hundred of the thousands of families which were driven out of their villages by the SLA more than 12 years ago have begun venturing back to their homesteads and lands here. But there are no schools for their children, no medical facilities for the sick, no transport, no sanitation and no basic amenities in any of the villages in the region.
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