LTTE criticises SLA over search in political office

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 January 2003, 17:45 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers (LTTE) in Batticaloa Saturday protested against a search operation by the Sri Lanka army (SLA) in the premises of their political office in Kallady, an outer suburb of the eastern town. A stand-off developed when LTTE officials refused to allow heavily armed SLA troops that had surrounded the political office around 8 p.m. Friday night to enter and search the premises, VoT nightly broadcast said today.
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Tellipalai displaced fast demanding resettlement

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 January 2003, 15:21 GMT]
Hundreds of displaced people from villages surrounding the Sri Lanka Army HQ in Palaly Friday launched a fasting campaign in front of the office of the divisional secretariat at Tellipalai demanding that they should be allowed to resettle in their villages. The Valigaamam People's Forum (VPF) organised the fasting, sources said.
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LTTE slams SLA Commander, says "decommissioning is non-negotiable"

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 January 2003, 14:28 GMT]
Responding to the Sri Lanka Army's reiterated demand that the Liberation Tigers must decommission their heavy weapons before Tamil civilians would be permitted to resettle in their villages now within High Security Zones, the LTTE Friday said the issue was non-negotiable and expressed "deep disappointment" over the Army's "confrontational" position.
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Hakeem slammed for 'political grandstanding at its worst'

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 January 2003, 08:36 GMT]
(News Feature) As the crisis gripping Sri Lanka's largest Muslim party deepened this week, its leader came under heavy criticism for seeking to enhance his domestic political standing through the Norwegian peace process. Fending off a challenge to his leadership of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) from two factions within the party, Mr. Rauf Hakeem, was lambasted by the Tamil press for undermining efforts to resolve the island's protracted ethnic conflict by claiming the peace process was inimical to Muslim interests.
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VoT expands broadcast to mark Kittu memorial day

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 January 2003, 20:07 GMT]
Voice of Tigers (VoT) announced in its daily nightly broadcast today that it will increase its broadcast time and distance from 16 January marking the tenth memorial anniversary of Colonel Kittu, said sources in Vanni.
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Permanent peace must become reality - Bishop Swampillai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 January 2003, 07:39 GMT]
"We are witnessing the dawn of New Year with renewed hope. My fervent hope is that all sides will work with a sense of reconciliation and understanding to resolve issues affecting all communities and work towards establishing permanent peace in this country," said Batticaloa-Trincomalee district bishop Rev. Father Kingsley Swampillai in his new year message.


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HSZ seriously affects displaced Tamils - Bishop

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 January 2003, 00:05 GMT]
The Bishop of Jaffna Tuesday told a government delegation led by a senior minister that the continuance of the high security zones (HSZ) in Jaffna peninsula will not affect the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) but would seriously affect the large number of displaced families living elsewhere under difficult conditions, sources said.
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Film release celebrates Sea Tigers' tenth anniversary

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 December 2002, 17:43 GMT]
“Nitharsanam” TV unit of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Tuesday released the film “ Kadaloorakatru” (A wind along the coast) produced after the ceasefire agreement between the government and LTTE came into force, simultaneously in six districts in the northeast province celebrating the tenth anniversary of Sea Tigers, sources said.
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HSZ issue draws Sri Lanka government team to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 December 2002, 13:37 GMT]
A high level team of Sri Lanka government officials led by Minister Mr.Milinda Morogoda Tuesday flew to Jaffna to hold crucial discussions regarding the dispute that has arisen between the hierarchy of the Sri Lanka Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the question of resettling displaced families in villages of the high security zone (HSZ), sources said.


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NE Tamil festival concludes with awards to Tamil scholars

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 December 2002, 08:19 GMT]
The three-day Tamil Literary Festival of the North East provincial Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs concluded Monday evening with conferring of Governor's Awards to eight Tamil scholars and Literary Awards to seventeen Tamil authors.
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NE official applauds women's contribution to struggle

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 December 2002, 23:30 GMT]
"Tamil leadership is currently engaged in political negotiations from a position of strength. Tamil women's contribution to all aspects of our struggle is equal to those from our men", said Mr.S.Rangaraja, Chief Secretary of the Tamil dominated North East Provincial Council (NEPC), addressing as the chief guest on the second day Sunday evening session of the Provincial Tamil Literary Festival held in Trincomalee.
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Ponnalai IDPs picket demanding resettlement

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 December 2002, 17:04 GMT]
Several hundred internally displaced people from Ponnalai in Jaffna district Monday launched a protest campaign picketing in front of the office of the Chankanai Divisional Secretariat (DS), demanding that they should be allowed to resettle in their lands, sources said.
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Staff shortage cripples NE universities - Tamil Don

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 December 2002, 17:33 GMT]
"Shortage of academic and non-academic staff in Universities in the northeast province has a crippling effect on the academic growth of students and the general progress of the campuses. Quite often the lecturers and other academic staff are forced to carry out clerical tasks," said Mr.S. Yogarajah, senior lecturer in the Tamil department of the East University of Sri Lanka (EUSL) Sunday.
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Resettlement and normalisation ‘main issues’ for Thailand talks - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 December 2002, 12:26 GMT]
The resettlement of displaced Tamil people and the normalisation of conditions in their areas of residence will be the main issues to be taken up at the negotiations in Thailand next month between the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lankan government, the LTTE’s chief negotiator, Mr. Anton Balasingham, said Sunday.
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Festival focusses on revival of Cultural, Literary values

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 December 2002, 02:18 GMT]
"After twenty years of brutal war, with the dawn of peace, Tamils in northeast province have now got an opportunity to work for the revival of their lost literary and cultural values," said Mr S.Sivanandan, Director of Education of the Provincial Ministry of Education, presiding over the first day evening session of the Tamil Literary Festival held in Trincomalee.
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Public urged to safeguard Jaffna's antiques

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 December 2002, 16:33 GMT]
The Head of Tamil Department of the Jaffna University, Professor K.Shanmugathas, Saturday made an appeal to all citizens to take immediate measures to safeguard antiques found in Hindu temples and other public places from being smuggled out of Jaffna peninsula, sources in Jaffna said.
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LTTE's help sought to trace Jaffna missing

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 December 2002, 16:24 GMT]
The Jaffna Missing Persons Guardian Association (MPGA) Saturday appealed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) seeking its assistance to trace their loved ones disappeared during 1996 and 1997 after arrest by Sri Lanka's State armed forces, sources said.
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LTTE lauds writers, artists contribution to struggle

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 December 2002, 15:07 GMT]
Creative writers and artists played a vital role in successfully supporting the progress of Tamil freedom struggle, said Ms T.Karoonja, LTTE Trincomalee district student head addressing a oriental dance programme organized by Bramashetrya Spiritual Centre, held Thursday evening at Trincomalee Sri Koneswara Hindu College hall. Kanniya is located eight km off Trincomalee town.


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Pomp and Pageantry mark start of NE Tamil Festival

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 December 2002, 12:22 GMT]
The three-day North East Provincial Tamil Literary Festival commenced in Trincomalee Saturday with pomp and pageantry with a two km long cultural pageant depicting Tamil literary values progressed from the office of the provincial ministry of education to the venue of the festival Trincomalee St.Joseph's College through main street and Thirugnanasampanthar Street. A statue of Tamil Annai (Mother Tamil) lead the cultural pageant, sources said.
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'Terrorist intentions will totally terminate resettlement' – Maj. Gen. Fonseka

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 December 2002, 08:53 GMT]
The furore over the Sri Lanka Army's High Security Zones (HSZs) in Jaffna orginated this week with a letter sent by its Jaffna commander to the Liberation Tigers, demanding the 'total disarmament' of the movement before Tamil civilians would be allowed back into occupied villages. In his hostile and belligerent letter, littered with grammatical and spelling errors, Maj. Gen. Fonseka addressed the Tigers as 'terrorists' and protested that easing the difficulties of the people of Jaffna would enhance the LTTE's image.
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