Remand for Indian fishermen extended

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 March 2003, 00:05 GMT]
The Mannar district judge, Mr. M. A. Mohideen, ordered Thursday that the remand for twenty-six Indian fishermen, who were arrested by local fishermen and handed over to the police on March 5 for trespassing into Sri Lankan waters, be extended until April 3, sources said.
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'Destruction of LTTE ship is a grave ceasefire violation' - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 March 2003, 19:40 GMT]
The interception and destruction of the Liberation Tigers' merchant cargo vessel in international waters by the Sri Lankan Navy is a grave violation of the ceasefire agreement and contravenes international law, Mr. Anton Balasingham, the LTTE's political advisor and chief negotiator, told a delegation of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Kilinochchi on Wednesday, according to Mr. Balasingham, who spoke to journalists after the meeting.
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Mannar fishermen protest

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 March 2003, 12:33 GMT]
Members of Parliaments (MPs) Selvam Adaikalanathan, N. Sivasakthi Anandan and K. Rajakuganeswaran joined members of the Federation of Mannar fishing coopertive in a protest march today against South Indian fishermen poaching in SriLankan seas, said sources from Mannar.
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17 Indian fishermen injured

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 March 2003, 11:51 GMT]
Seventeen Indian fishermen who tresspassed into Sri Lankan waters 7 pm Monday were injured during clashes with fishermen from Pesalai, Mannar district when the local fisherfolks rounded up Indian fishermen and brought them to Pesalai shores, sources in Mannar said.


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Eastern Media Associations condemn SLA attack on Northern journalists

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 16:40 GMT]
District Media Associations in Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara in the eastern province have issued statements condemning the attack on two Tamil journalists, Mr.S.Sivabalan (Thinakural) and Mr.S.Manoharan (Eelanadu) at Manipay in Jaffna district by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in which LTTE women cadres and members of public were also assaulted, sources said.


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Jaffna journalists to conduct black band demonstration

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 February 2003, 12:01 GMT]
The Jaffna Journalists Association (JJA) Thursday informed the Media Minister by a letter that a non-violent black band demonstration will be held in front of the office of the Information Department in Jaffna on February 17 at about ten o'clock in the morning, sources said.


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SLTMA Condemns SLA attacks on Tamil journalists

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 February 2003, 16:30 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance has condemned the attack on two Tamil journalists while on duty by the security forces today at Manipay in Jaffna. It has pointed out to the government that the Tamil journalists being attacked by the security forces is on the increase.
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Music, Dance, Drama festival to be held in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 February 2003, 17:32 GMT]
A five day North East Tamil music, dance and drama festival is to be held in Trincomalee commencing from March 3rd to March 7th to create awareness among Tamils and to promote peace when the next round of talks takes place between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Japan, according to a decision taken at the discussion held Sunday evening at Trincomalee Town Hall under the auspices of Art and Literature Committee, sources said.
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SLN eastern commander ordered to appear in court

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 January 2003, 18:47 GMT]
Notice has been served on the Eastern Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy based in Trincomalee to appear in the Muttur Magistrate's Court on January 27 in connection with the death of a Muslim fisherman, Yakub Jawad of Nadutheivu in Muttur, when his fishing boat was rammed by an SLN speedboat on 31st December last year, legal sources said.
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UN, GOSL, LTTE discuss refugee return from India

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 January 2003, 18:53 GMT]
Representatives of the UNHCR, Liberation Tigers (LTTE) and the government of Sri Lankan (GOSL) who took part in a workshop on 'Preparations for Voluntary Repatriation of Sri Lankan Refugees from India' held in Kilinochchi Tuesday stressed that further investments in the northeast remains necessary to create conditions conducive to the "safe and dignified organised voluntary repatriation of refugees from India to Sri Lanka."


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Fisherman dies as navy rams boat

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 December 2002, 14:32 GMT]
A Muslim fisherman was killed and another seriously wounded when a Sri Lanka Navy craft rammed their fishing boat near Mutur jetty, south of Trincomalee, Tuesday morning. "The navy rammed our plastic boat deliberately, destroying it," the wounded fisherman, Mr.Razik, of Thaha Nagar now warded in the Mutur hospital told journalists.
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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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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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State power said necessary for uplifting Tamil

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 October 2002, 17:20 GMT]
"Tamil language and culture can never prosper as long as Tamils do not have state power. The Tamil language is demeaned by Tamils themselves in Tamilnadu. One cannot even engage in peaceful protest for Tamil rights in Tamilnadu. Tamilians and the Tamil language cannot survive until the Hindutva ideology is extirpated from Tamil society," said Mr. R. Thirumavalavan, member of the Tamilnadu legislative assembly, addressing a meeting in the University of Jaffna Wednesday.
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Arts, literature conference opens in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 October 2002, 14:30 GMT]
“The Tamil language is now in the process of renewing itself for the 21st century. What we need today is Tamil for the Internet age. We need rational Tamil, not emotive Tamil,” said Mr. Nilanthan, a well known writer and poet from the Vanni in a special speech on the opening of the four day conference organized by the Arts and Culture Division of the Liberation Tigers in Jaffna Saturday. Hundreds of Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim writers, poets, artists and journalists from all parts of the island and from south India are taking part in the event.
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Nimalarajan remembered

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 October 2002, 17:10 GMT]
The second death anniversary of journalist Mr. Mylvaganam Nimalarajan was observed in Jaffna Friday under the auspices of International Thamileelam Students Forum ( ITSF ) and Jaffna district Media Association.
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New Tamil daily launched in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 October 2002, 14:52 GMT]
A new Tamil daily newspaper, Namathu Eelanadu, hit the stands in Jaffna Tuesday. With the arrival of Eelanadu, readers in the northern peninsula will have four daily papers to provide them news and views. The paper’s editor Mr. Sivasubramaniam Raguram, said that Eelanadu will be published on the web too. Jaffna has one of the oldest and richest regional newspaper publishing traditions in South Asia.
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Tigers’ armed struggle for justice - MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 July 2002, 00:17 GMT]
The armed struggle of the Liberation Tigers has just objectives, Mr. R. Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader said Tuesday addressing a gathering at the conclusion of one day token fast held in Trincomalee Monday evening in protest at the continued detention of Tamil Nadu politician Mr. V. Gopalasamy.
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TNA requests India to release 'VAIKO'

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 July 2002, 17:22 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance has appealed to the Indian government and the Tamil Nadu state government to release Vaiko Y.Gopalasamy, leader of the Makkal DMK and others who have been arrested. "The arrest of 'VAIKO' on the ground that he was supportive of the LTTE and his being remanded causes deep anguish to the Tamil people in Sri Lanka," said in a statement issued by the TNA Friday.
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Four returning refugees drown

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 June 2002, 12:21 GMT]
Four Tamil refugees coming home from India drowned in the seas off Mannar on 23 May when the boat up to seventeen people were travelling in capsized in strong winds, press reports said. The dead included a five-month-old baby and her mother. Two other women also drowned.
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