GOSL-LTTE leaders brief diplomats in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 January 2003, 19:16 GMT]
Representatives of the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) met in Colombo at a well-guarded five star hotel for the first time in twelve years Thursday morning, and briefed the international donor countries on the immediate humanitarian needs.
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Jaffna undergrads suspend protest campaign

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 January 2003, 19:04 GMT]
Jaffna university students Thursday suspended their campaign of boycotting classes that began Monday to protest the publication of a letter carried by the Uthayan, a leading regional Tamil daily, alleging that senior students were involved in ragging freshers.
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Shortened fifth round of talks in Europe

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 January 2003, 11:59 GMT]
The fifth round of direct talks between the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lankan government will be held in Europe on 7-8 February, the Norwegian government said Thursday. The duration of the round has been shortened to enable the LTTE to complete internal consultations before the next stage of the peace process, the statement said. Heavy flooding and the risk of virulent infectious diseases had prevented the LTTE Chief Negotiator, Mr. Anton Balasingham, from travelling to the Vanni, it added.
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DRC discusses participation in NE relief efforts

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 January 2003, 02:42 GMT]
Representatives of Danish Refugee Council (DRC), led by Nelson Benderson from the Asia-Africa Head Office, met with Thamilchelvan, Head of the political section of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in Kilinochchi Tuesday, sources in Vanni said.
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Downward trend in ceasefire violations seen - SLMM

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 January 2003, 13:02 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Commission (SLMM) in a press release issued today observed that the positive and ongoing development in the ceasefire during the last several months has been the decrease in the number of ceasefire violations. Most number of violations occurred in December was in Batticaloa(61) followed by Jaffna(46), Vavuniya(16), Ampara(7) and Trincomalee(1), the release said.
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LTTE returns five Batticaloa youths to their parents

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 January 2003, 03:54 GMT]
Five youths under 16 years who approached the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) political offices in Batticaloa expressing their wish to join the movement were returned to their parents Tuesday in the presence of members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), sources in Batticaloa said.
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Student boycott cripples Jaffna University

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 January 2003, 22:06 GMT]
More than five thousand undergraduates boycotted classes Monday demanding that the management of the Jaffna University take immediate steps to exert pressure on the Jaffna-based Tamil daily, Uthayan, to tender an apology for having published a false news story on alleged ragging of freshers by senior students, sources said.
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SIHRN meets to discuss project implementation strategies

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 January 2003, 04:37 GMT]
Discussions involving several Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) functioning in the North East on defining strategies to implement projects to be supported by funds from the Sub Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN), led by the Director of SIHRN secretariat, Selvin Iranius, took place in Kilinochchi, Monday, sources in Vanni said.


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Uthayan's ragging coverage earns students' ire

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 January 2003, 03:44 GMT]
Jaffna University students protested against story alleging involvement of students in ragging activities published in Uthayan, a leading Tamil news paper in Jaffna, by a campus wide boycott of lectures on Monday, sources in Jaffna said.
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Opposition leader supports UNF-LTTE peace talks

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 January 2003, 13:29 GMT]
Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse, Leader of the Opposition Monday said in Jaffna that he would not oppose the present peace talks now being held between the United National Front government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), sources in Jaffna said. On his first official visit to Jaffna as the leader of the opposition Mr Mahinda Rajapakse declared open the Hindu Vedic Teaching School constructed by the Ministry of Hindu Cultural Affairs.


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Japanese peace envoy praises LTTE's sincerity

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 January 2003, 18:49 GMT]
Mr.Yasushi Akashi, Japanese special peace envoy said Saturday that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) participates in the peace talks with dedication, sincerity and with open heart.
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'Federalism will unite divided Sri Lanka' – Jaffna don

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 January 2003, 12:48 GMT]
“This country is already divided. This is the ground reality. The Sinhalese people have to be told this. There is no point in talking about history now. The Indo-Lanka Accord, the Banda-Chelva Pact and the Dudley Chelva Pact have recognized the separate distinct identity of the Tamils in the past. The Sinhalese have to be told that the divided country can be united by granting a federal solution," said Prof. S. K Sittampalam, a senior historian, speaking at a seminar on ‘Federalizing the Sri Lankan State’ in the University of Jaffna Sunday.


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TULF urges govt. to expedite displaced resettlement

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 January 2003, 20:42 GMT]
The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), main constituent of the Tamil National Alliance Saturday urged the United National Front government to expeditiously take steps to enable the displaced people to recommence normal life in their original places of residence. A resolution this effect was adopted at the central working committee meeting of the Tamil United Liberation Front held in Vavuniya Saturday.
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WHO signs agreement to improve NorthEast health sector

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 January 2003, 13:24 GMT]
The World Health Organization (WHO) Saturday signed a service agreement with the North East Provincial Council (NEPC) to establish its first regional office in the island in Trincomalee to improve the health sector in the Tamil dominated province. Dr.Kan Tun, Sri Lanka resident representative of WHO Sri and Mr.S.Rangaraja, chief secretary of the NEPC signed the agreement at 12 noon Saturday, sources said.


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'We want our land' - Second Pongu Thamil theme

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 January 2003, 12:25 GMT]
The first year anniversary celebrations of Pongu Thamil (Tamil Resurgence) movement in northeast province which was held at the Jaffna University grounds Friday concluded with the declaration of the theme "We want our land," sources in Jaffna said.


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World Bank vice president visits Chavakachcheri

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 January 2003, 17:45 GMT]
Ms Mieko Nishimizu, Vice President of the World Bank for South Asia Friday toured the war ravaged Chavakachcheri and other parts of Thenmaradchchi areas in Jaffna district. She earlier held discussion with the Government Agent and other heads of local government departments at Jaffna district secretariat, sources said.


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Pirapaharan welcomes Japanese envoy, President cancels meeting

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 January 2003, 12:07 GMT]
Leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Velupillai Pirapaharan, sent his greetings through LTTE's political head, ThamilChelvan, to the visiting World bank Vice president, Ms Meiko Nishimizu, Special peace envoy of the Government of Japan, Mr.Yasushi Akashi, World Bank Country Director Mr. Peter Harold and other delegates to the meeting of the Sub Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation (SIHRN) which met in Kilinochchi, Voice of Tigers (VoT), reported in its late night broadcast yesterday.


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Colonel Kittu's tenth anniversary commemorated

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 January 2003, 22:54 GMT]
The tenth death anniversary of Colonel Kittu, a senior commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was observed in northeastern province Thursday. Colonel Kittu and nine other LTTE members committed suicide when the Indian Navy cordoned off the boat in which they were sailing to Sri Lanka. Kittu was the head of the LTTE's International Secretariat at the time of his death.
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Sinhala opposition to Sri Lanka peace effort mounts

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 January 2003, 15:32 GMT]
Opposition to Sri Lanka’s peace process gathered further momentum as a new Sinhala nationalist organisation comprising powerful opposition politicians and Buddhist monks wowed Wednesday to agitate for separating the northeast into two provinces. Agitation by Sinhala nationalists to de-merge the northeast would be another spanner in the works for Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s effort to negotiate peace with the Liberation Tigers to end two decades of armed conflict that has ravaged the island.


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Committee to activate Trincomalee university campus

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 January 2003, 15:31 GMT]
The Prime Minister has appointed a high level committee to activate the functions of the Trincomalee campus of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka following request made by the Trincomalee district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Mr.R.Sampanthan. Mr. Sampanthan requested the PM to take immediate steps to develop the Trincomalee campus providing all facilities as it has been ignored by the authorities, sources said.
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