SEDB provides loan facilities for small businesses

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 June 2005, 02:06 GMT]
Socio-Economic Development Bank (SEDB) headquartered in Killinochchi through its Trincomalee district branch Saturday started providing loan facilities to farmers and fisheries federations to develop agriculture and fisheries in Trincomalee and Muttur. It also provided loans to persons to start income generative activities. SEDB sources said.
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Colombo's transport refusal endangers CFA- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 June 2005, 08:52 GMT]
"Serious crisis has developed over Sri Lanka Government's continuing refusal to provide travel security to our military commanders across Government controlled areas forcing us to plan our own armed escort. We have pointed out to the Norwegian facilitators to urgently seek the response from Colombo on this matter. Failure to resolve this issue will call into question the continued observation of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA)," said Thamilchelvan in a press briefing to reporters in Kilinochchi, after meeting with Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar and Mr. Wagn Winkel, acting Head of the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Kilinochchi Tuesday morning.
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Hartal paralyzes NorthEast

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 June 2005, 11:06 GMT]
Normal life in the northeast province was disrupted Friday following the one-day general shut down condemning the failure by the Sri Lanka Government to withdraw troops from Trincomalee town in large numbers. More than fifteen hundred troops are deployed in the east port town following the controversy over the erection of a Buddha statue in a land located close to the central bus stand.
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Colombo holds key to restore normalcy, says LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 June 2005, 14:51 GMT]
Government of Sri Lanka has a moral responsibility to demonstrate its serious commitment to the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) and its will to maintain the integrity of the CFA by delivering on it in terms of its obligation to restore normalcy, Mr. Thamilchelvan, LTTE's Head of Political Division, told Swiss Ambassador Mr.Bernadino Reggazzoni on Thursday in a meeting in Kilinochchi. LTTE's Political Head expressed fear over the state of the CFA in the context of "fanatical elements" trying to cash in on a volatile situation in Trincomalee and Vavuniya, the LTTE Peace Secretariat website reported.


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LTTE invites donors to Kilinochchi - paper

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 June 2005, 06:24 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers have invited the four major donor agencies - World Bank, ADB JBIC and IMF - to Kilinochchi to discuss the outcome of the international aid conference held in Kandy last month and how future tsunami reconstruction and rehabilitation work could be carried out, the Daily Mirror reported Thursday.
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NorthEast rural hospitals receive ambulances from NECORD

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 May 2005, 02:56 GMT]
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded North East Community Restoration Development (NECORD) donated nine ambulances worth about 30 million rupees to the North East Provincial Council (NEPC) to strengthen the health and medical services in rural hospitals. The handing over event took place at the NEPC Chief Secretariat premises Monday afternoon, sources said.
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Jaffna officials discuss district development

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 May 2005, 14:25 GMT]
A conference on Jaffna develpment was held at the Jaffna Secretariat between 10 am and 12 noon Monday presided by Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) senior parliamentarian Maavia Senathirajah, TNA sources in Jaffna said.
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Military blocks LTTE commanders’ return

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 May 2005, 14:17 GMT]
Amid the continuing cycle of violence in Sri Lanka’s eastern province, hopes of improving trust between the Sri Lankan military and the Liberation Tigers are being undermined by Colombo’s refusal to provide safe passage to senior LTTE commanders and other cadres across Army-controlled areas, officials said. In the wake of the massacre of an LTTE political leader and his team when travelling by road through Army-controlled roads, there are accusations the use of helicopters is being denied to expose LTTE officials to paramilitary attack.
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Coercive Airpower in the Eelam Conflict- Taraki

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 May 2005, 00:11 GMT]
The article on the use of airpower in Eelam conflict written by late Dharmeratnam Sivaram that appeared in the 19 May 1991 issue of the Island gains added significance in view of recent controversy over Liberation Tigers’ alleged possession of Czech made Zlin type Z-143 aircraft. Full text of the article is reproduced in this feature.


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UNICEF says underage recruitment "very low"

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 May 2005, 13:43 GMT]
Saying UNICEF had seen a "very low level" of underage recruitment by the Liberation Tigers in recent months, the organisation’s outgoing top official in Sri Lanka, Ted Chaiban, Sunday welcomed the development and urged the continuation of "this positive trend." Mr. Chaiban met Sunday LTTE's Head of Political Division, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, his deputy, Mr. S. Thangan and the Director General of the Peace Secretariat, Mr. S. Pulidevan at LTTE's Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi and discussed the improvement of the lives of people, particularly children, in Sri Lanka's former warzones.
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JVP proposals ‘do not reflect ground realities’

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 May 2005, 10:46 GMT]
The ultra-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Perumana (JVP)’s proposals for an alternative to a joint mechanism with the Liberation Tigers to distributed international tsunami-related aid were not acceptable to Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga, as they did not reflect the ground realities in the Northeast, the Daily Mirror reported Friday.
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LTTE urges UNHCR over refugees in India

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 May 2005, 20:31 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Wednesday urged the UN's Refugee Agency to take steps to ensure the safe passage of Tamil refugees in India seeking repatriation to their homes in Sri Lanka. The matter was discussed when the Head of the LTTE Political Wing, Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan, met with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Sri Lanka, Mr. Rajiv Kapur, in Kilinochchi on Wednesday.
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LTTE officer’s funeral in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 May 2005, 14:42 GMT]
The body of Tamil Tiger officer killed in an accident in Vanni on Sunday was brought for funeral rites to his home village in Jaffna on Wednesday , the Sri Lanka Army said. The remains of Lt. Senthalan (Thurairajah Selvakumar) were taken to Arugalmadam at Lotus Road in Jaffna through the frontline checkpoint at Muhamalai.
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NorthEast Housing Project workshop to be held in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 May 2005, 16:06 GMT]
The Project Launching Workshop of the World Bank funded North East Housing Reconstruction Programme (NEHRP) is to be held on May 19 at Mahaweli Centre in Colombo under the patronage of the Provincial Governor Mr.Tyronne Fernando, Sources said. The purpose of the workshop is to create awareness of the project's mission and objectives among all those who are involved in the project implementation, NEHRP sources said.
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Foundation laid for Thamileelam National hospital

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 May 2005, 10:13 GMT]
Foundation stone for the Tamil Eelam National Hospital was laid at Iranaimadu in Kilinochchi, Sunday morning. Dr.Gangatharan laid the first foundation stone followed by Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan, the Head of the Political Wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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Breakdown in JM negotiations will be a major blow- Akashi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 May 2005, 21:15 GMT]
Expressing Japan's frustration in the delay in forging permanent peace in Sri Lanka, Japanese peace envoy Yakushi Akashi, turning his attention the aid deal for post-tsunami development said, "The breakdown of negotiations on the Joint Mechanism will be a major blow to all concerned specially to Sri Lankan people who have every right to expect...assistance from abroad...but we must find alternative means for aid delivery." Mr Akashi talked to the reporter in Colombo after meeting S P Thamilchelvan, Head of LTTE political wing Saturday morning.
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Akashi meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 May 2005, 10:01 GMT]
The Japanese special peace envoy Mr.Yasushi Akashi met with the Head of the Political Wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) S.P. Thamilchelvan at LTTE's Peace Secretariat building in Kilinochchi, Saturday.
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Lack of normalcy eclipsed by joint mechanism debate - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 May 2005, 13:26 GMT]
The serious lack of normalcy in the Tamil areas due to continuing military occupation and restrictions on civilians’ livelihoods, even three years after the mutual ceasefire agreement was signed, is leading to severe frustrations amongst the people, the head of the Liberation Tiger’s political wing, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan told Norwegian diplomats Friday. The extraordinary focus on a post-tsunami aid management mechanism is masking the severity of the obstructions to rehabilitation work and the day-to-day difficulties faced by ordinary people, Mr. Thamilchelvan told Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Hans Brattskar, when they met in Kilinochchi.
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Brattskar visits Norwegian projects in Jaffna, Mullaitivu

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 May 2005, 12:39 GMT]
Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar is visiting Tsunami affected areas in Jaffna and Mullaitivu districts Thursday to see some of the Norwegian supported boat and engine repair stations in Point Pedro, Munai and Aaliawalay, an embassy press release said. During his visit, Mr. Brattskar will also have discussions with LTTE in Killinochchi, it said.
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Jaffna protesters urge SLMM action on Santhiveli

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 May 2005, 10:38 GMT]
A demonstration was held in Jaffna town Thursday condemning the firing protesting civilians at Santhiveli by Sri Lankan security forces on Monday. An elderly person was killed and several others, including schoolchildren were wounded.
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