SLA-TNA garrison talks fail to reach consensus

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2003, 19:00 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance’s talks with the defense ministry officials at the Jaffna district secretariat Wednesday afternoon failed to arrive at a consensus on the question of finding an alternative site for the SLA’s Jaffna town brigade headquarters, and the TNA is to hold further discussions with the Prime Minister Thursday morning in Colombo, TNA parliamentary group leader, Mr.R.Sampanthan, told TamilNet on his return to Colombo Wednesday.
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Sri Lanka Government team arrives for Jaffna garrison talks

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2003, 12:12 GMT]
Commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Lieutenant General Lionel Balagalle, and Additional Secretary to Ministry of Defence, Karaliyadde, are arriving in Jaffna Wednesday afternoon for discussions with Tamil Officials related to identifying a suitable location to move the existing SLA garrison, sources in Jaffna said.
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Tamil MPs object to new Jaffna garrison

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2003, 10:31 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) raised strong objections to the construction of a new Sri Lanka Army (SLA) garrison on Jaffna Municipal Council grounds when it met Prime Minister Ranil Wicremesinghe at his office in Parliament Tuesday morning. The 12 TNA MPs who met the Prime Minister told him that the military has begun work on permanent structures for the garrison.


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'We are committed to peace' - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 March 2003, 00:22 GMT]
The political advisor of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Mr.Anton Balasingham said that the LTTE will not allow the peace process to become a trap to weaken the Liberation Tigers. "Despite provocations and attacks on us we are determined to participate constructively in the peace process. We want to convince the world, particularly the Sinhala people, that we are committed to peace," said Mr.Balasingham addressing a gathering, which followed the opening of the main court complex of the Thamileelam judiciary in Killinochchi Tuesday morning, sources said.


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US Ambassador visits Jaffna, meets civil group leaders

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 March 2003, 17:02 GMT]
The Ambassador for United States of America in Colombo, Mr.Ashely Wills, paid a one-day visit to Jaffna Tuesday and held discussions with representatives of Jaffna civil groups and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians, sources said.
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Picketing in Jaffna demanding release of PTA suspects

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 March 2003, 17:21 GMT]
Hundreds of people and civil activists participated in a one-hour picketing conducted in front of the Jaffna district secretariat Monday morning from 10.30 demanding the immediate release of all Tamil political prisoners from prisons at Kalutara and elsewhere in the south of the country. Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians Messrs Mavai Senathirajah, G.G.Gajendrakumar, A.Vinayagamoorthy, M.K.Sivajilingam, N.Raviraj participated in the campaign, sources said.
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‘Humanitarian, Security issues demand gradual approach to HSZ’ – Nambiar

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 February 2003, 15:31 GMT]
Speaking at a conference held at the Jaffna district secretariat Wednesday evening, Lieutenant General Satish Nambiar, retired Deputy Chief of Staff of the Indian Army, said that the humanitarian issue of the high security zone (HSZ) is very important, but the security aspect should not be ignored, and a gradual approach to the issue is warranted, said sources in Jaffna.
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SLA cannot deny the rights of IDPs to resettle in HSZ - TNA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 January 2003, 12:50 GMT]
The United National Front (UNF) government Tuesday gave assurances to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) that it would take steps to resettle displaced inside the high security zone (HSZ) in Jaffna once the Indian defence expert submits a report on that issue, sources said. TNA stressed that although SLA is empowered by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to prevent Liberation Tigers (LTTE) from entering the HSZ, SLA cannot deny the rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from resettling in their own homes in their own land, sources said.
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Picketing in Tellipallai continues

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 January 2003, 12:11 GMT]
Several hundred people displaced from high security zone (HSZ) in Jaffna peninsula continued their fast and picketing third day Tuesday in front of the office of the additional government agent in Tellipalai. They launched this campaign Friday demanding that they should be allowed to resettle in their villages, which have been declared high security zone by the State armed forces, Valigamam Peoples Forum (VPF) sources said.
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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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Nedunthivu residents reject TNA plea to suspend picketing

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 December 2002, 18:01 GMT]
Residents of Nedunthivu island in Jaffna district Tuesday rejected a plea made by Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians to suspend their month long picketing against the presence of members of the para military group Eelam Peoples Democratic party (EPDP) in their village on the basis of the assurance given by the Prime Minister, TNA sources said.


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Minister, journalists meet Nedunthivu residents

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 November 2002, 07:43 GMT]
Hundreds of residents of Nedunthivu (Delft island) in Jaffna district fasting for the thirteenth day against the presence of para military Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) told a group of visiting journalists Thursday that they would continue their campaign until the EPDP cadres left their village.
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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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JVP debates NE security, TNA stages walkout

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 October 2002, 14:53 GMT]
Members of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) staged a walk out in parliament Wednesday evening protesting at not being allocated time to speak on the adjournment motion moved by the Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) censuring the United National Front (UNF) government for failing to provide security to the people of eastern province.


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Jaffna DCC wants North-East governor removed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 October 2002, 20:07 GMT]
The Jaffna District Co-ordinating Committee (JDCC) Saturday unanimously adopted a resolution that the northeast provincial governor Major General (retd) Asoka Jayawardene be removed from the office for failing to co-operate with the local officials in their effort towards development of the district.


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TNA meets Armitage

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 August 2002, 09:35 GMT]
"The United States of America should help the Tamils to find an alternate and just political solution to their longstanding problems while reiterating its stand against the division of the country," the delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) told the visiting US Deputy Secretary of State Mr. Richard Armitage when it met the latter at the official residence of the US ambassador in Colombo Thursday evening.
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Relatives of disappeared persons demonstrate in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 August 2002, 22:09 GMT]
Hundreds of relatives of the disappeared persons in Jaffna district Monday held a demonstration in front of the Jaffna district secretariat, demanding that Colombo investigate the fate of more than 600 youth who went missing after being arrested by the Sri Lanka army in Jaffna in 1997-96. The demonstration was organised by the Missing Person's Guardian Association (MPGA).
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Morogoda visits Valikaamam-north, Thenmaradchi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 August 2002, 13:51 GMT]
A senior minister of the United National Front government Saturday evening said in Jaffna that the resettlement of the displaced in Valikaamam north and Nagarkovil area will take place after the commencement of peace talks between the government and the Liberation Tigers (LTTE). Minister of Economic Reforms Mr.Milinda Morogoda told this to Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians during his visit to Jaffna Saturday to look into the prospects of allowing resettlement in high security zones in the peninsula, Tamil sources said.
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Moragoda to visit Thenmaradchchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 August 2002, 17:50 GMT]
A senior minister in the United National Front government is to visit Thenmaradchchi area in Jaffna district Saturday to inquire into complaints that members of state armed forces are removing palmyra trees cut down in the north to south of the country.
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Meetings as troop relocation deadline is missed

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 August 2002, 00:32 GMT]
(News Feature) As the last of the stipulated deadlines for the Sri Lanka military to withdraw from civilian properties passed Thursday without the related terms of the government’s ceasefire agreement with the Liberation Tigers being implemented, international monitors met with senior LTTE officers to discuss the truce while Tamil parliamentarians protested to the Prime Minister.
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