UNHCR help sought to resettle refugees in TamilNadu

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 November 2002, 02:10 GMT]
When officials of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Commission on Human Security met Mr. S. P. Thamilselvan, head of the Liberation Tiger's (LTTE's) Political wing in Kilinochchi Friday, Thamilselvan requested the UNHCR to take action as soon as possible to resettle Tamil refugees from NorthEast currently living in refugee camps in Tamil Nadu, India, sources said.
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Historic meeting between LTTE and Sri Lankan PM

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 November 2002, 19:27 GMT]
The historic hour long discussion between Anton Balasingham, Chief Negotiator of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, took place today at the Holmenkollen Park hotel situated in Oslo. The discussion was arranged by Norwegian facilitators ahead of the 19 country Donor meeting in Oslo Monday being convened as part of the Norway-led peace process to find a negotiated solution to Sri Lanka's civil war.
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First Heroes' Day Celebrations in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 November 2002, 19:00 GMT]
The 'Maaveerar Naal' (Heroes Day) celebrations to occur for the first time in the eastern port town of Trincomalee will commence Monday 25, November morning at the Cultural Hall venue, with the hoisting of Tamil Eelam national flag and the lighting the flame of sacrifice remembering the LTTE martyrs, sources said.
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Mylanthanai massacre case verdict on Monday

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 November 2002, 18:59 GMT]
The verdict in the Mylanthanai massacre case is to be delivered after the High Court Judge Mr.Sriskandarajah concludes his charge to the Sinhala speaking Jury Monday (25.11.2002). The case is being heard in the Colombo High Court since October 2 daily excluding weekend and public holidays, court sources said.
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Wickremesinghe and Balasingam to meet Sunday

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 November 2002, 01:43 GMT]
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Chief Negotiator of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Mr. Anton Balasingam, will meet for the first time at Holmenkollen Park Hotel in Oslo Sunday 24, said Royal ministry of Foreign Affairs of Government of Norway in a press release.
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Joint appeal for funds before Oslo Donor meeting

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 November 2002, 19:16 GMT]
The Sub-Committee for Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs in the North and East (SIHRN) formed after the second round of peace talks in Thailand sent out an appeal to the international community for support to rebuild NorthEast.


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Tamil Eelam Courts opened in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 November 2002, 18:03 GMT]
"We open our police stations and law courts in our areas only and not in areas held by the government to maintain law and order as mandated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leadership," said the head of the Tamil Eelam Judicial Service Mr.Para addressing gathering after he declared open the law courts for the Batticaloa-Ampara district in Arasadithivu Saturday.
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PM's meeting with TNA, EPDP, and PLOTE fail to reach consensus

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 November 2002, 16:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe Friday evening held a one hour discussion with delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the leaders of the para military Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) and the Peoples Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) to diffuse the tension now prevails in the Jaffna peninsula following picketing campaign against EPDP presence in Neduntheivu.
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Maveerar Day celebrations for the first time in Batticaloa town

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 November 2002, 16:12 GMT]
The ‘Maveerar Naal’ (Heroes Day) will be observed in Batticaloa town for the first time this year. The Mahajana College, where the LTTE leader V. Pirapaharan had his primary education (1960-63), has been chosen as the venue for the observance, LTTE sources said.
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De-escalation, normalisation district committee meets in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 November 2002, 19:27 GMT]
The first meeting of the Trincomalee District Sub Committee on De-escalation and Normalisation (TDCSDN) was held Thursday at the office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in the eastern port town. The three hour discussion, observed by the head of the SLMM in Trincomalee, Mr. Jan Ledang, centred on high security zones, resettlement of displaced people and opening of roads now closed for security reasons, sources said.
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Swedish Ambassador meets Thamilselvan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 November 2002, 18:52 GMT]
Ambassador to Sri Lanka from Sweden, Ms. Ann Marie Fallenius, met with Thamilselvan, Head of Political Section of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), on Wednesday morning in Kilinochchi and held discussions regarding rehabilitation and development activities of North East, sources said.


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Peace brigades proposed to defeat saboteurs

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 November 2002, 19:32 GMT]
A senior minister in the United National Front government said Tuesday that peace brigades should be formed to defeat some elements that are actively engaged in sabotaging the peace initiatives commenced in 1994 and 2001.
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TRO assesses Kumburupiddy resettlement needs

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 November 2002, 16:55 GMT]
The Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) Tuesday conducted a need assessment programme in Kumburupiddy, 22 km north of Trincomalee district where hundreds of displaced Tamil families who have returned from Vanni after the signing of the ceasefire agreement struggle for survival with little rehabilitation assistance.
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TNA wants EPDP disarmed

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 November 2002, 07:49 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Wednesday appealed to the United National Front government to take immediate steps to ensure that no one engaged in political activity in Neduntheivu and Kayts in Jaffna district is armed. "The UNF government should take appropriate action to diffuse the situation and to assure the people of Neduntheivu and Kayts that they will not be subjected in the future to the violent and undemocratic actions of the Eelam Peoples Democratic party (EPDP)," said in a press release issued by the parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance Wednesday.
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Movie on Sri Lanka war premieres at Oslo Film Festival

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 November 2002, 02:33 GMT]
“In the name of Buddha,” a movie based on the war in Sri Lanka, centering on the experiences of a Tamil youth and his family, premiered at the 12th Oslo Film Festival on 17 November. The film shot in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and United Kingdom was well attended and received wide acclaim, attendees to the film festival said.
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Palugamam police records 135 complaints

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 November 2002, 15:25 GMT]
Recently opened Police station by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Palugamam has recorded 135 complaints from the residentsof the surrounding villages in the last two weeks, sources close the security division of the LTTE said.
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TNA meets PM over EPDP cadres in Delft

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 November 2002, 19:41 GMT]
A Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary delegation Monday brought to the notice of the Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe that members of Eelam Democratic party (EPDP) now in Delft island in Jaffna district are armed and are also moving about in naval uniform. The TNA delegation requested the Prime Minister to take stern steps to prevent incidents similar to those that had taken place at Kanchirankuda and Trincomalee last month, in the Delft Island.
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TNA abstains from voting to register protest

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 November 2002, 17:54 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians Monday refrained from voting when the Interior Ministry financial allocation in the 2003 budget was put to vote during the committee stage debate. "The TNA parliamentary group decided not to vote for the Interior Ministry financial allocation to register our dissatisfaction to the government for its inaction regarding Kanchirankuda and Trincomalee incidents in which several Tamils were killed," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, TNA parliamentary group leader.


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Secretariat formed to manage NE development

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 November 2002, 17:46 GMT]
Setting up of a Secretariat to manage the rehabilitation and development to start functioning on 15 December was discussed at the first meeting of the Sub-Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs of North East (SIHRN) comprising delegations of the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held Monday, 18 November, at the Killinochchi District Secretariat auditorium.
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'Military readiness vital for self defence' - Ramesh

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 November 2002, 13:57 GMT]
"Sri Lankan governments of the past, under the cloak of peace talks, have been deceiving the Tamil people. We firmly believe that Sri Lankan politicians in power will not make the same mistake this time. If the State attempts to oppress our people again with the use of military force we will be ready to defend," said Ramesh, head of Liberation Tigers Batticaloa-Ampara military section, at the passing out ceremony of a commando unit in Ampara, Sunday.
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