Alleged abductors in Akkaraipattu allowed bail

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 October 2002, 20:35 GMT]
Akkaraipattu magistrate M.I.M. Issadeen, released on bail, two suspects arrested for abducting a Muslim youth, S.M.Abdul Wajeed (24), from his home on 15 October. The youth was later found at his home three days after he disappeared. The alleged abduction, initially blamed on Liberation Tigers, provoked widespread protests and hartal in Trincomalee town and nearly precipitated Tamil Muslim clashes in the eastern province.
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Curfew re-imposed in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 October 2002, 18:12 GMT]
Colombo north and central areas were again placed under curfew to quell further violence between the Sinhalese and Muslims, which has left one killed and at least a dozen wounded, police sources said. Muslims who took part in the funeral of the Muslim person who was killed in Thursday's clashes, attacked a Buddhist monk Friday. Another Muslim man was wounded when the Police opened fire to disperse the crowd.
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Protesters demand removal of SLA camps

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 October 2002, 16:32 GMT]
Hundreds of displaced Tamil civilians Thursday morning around 7.30 launched a sit-in-protest in front of the Chavakacheri Divisional Secretary (DS) office, demanding the immediate removal of the Sri Lanka Army camp located between Puttur junction and Kanaganpuliyadi junction in Thenmaradchi area in Jaffna district.
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Tamil shops close to STF camp burnt down

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 October 2002, 18:47 GMT]
Two shops owned by Tamils at Pottuvil, about five hundred meters from Kanchirankuda Special Task Force camp in Ampara district, were burnt down by unidentified persons, around 12.30 a.m. Wednesday morning, sources in Ampara said.
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'We are firmly behind peace process' - Kausalyan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 October 2002, 13:46 GMT]
"Several forces are attempting to sabotage the current peace process, assisted by some members of the news media. But we are firmly committed to the peace process as repeatedly articulated and directed by our national leader V. Pirapaharan," said Kausalyan, head of the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) political section, Batticaloa-Ampara district in a press conference held in Kokadichcholai District Secretariat on 30 October morning.
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LTTE, government delegations in Thailand

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 October 2002, 10:35 GMT]
The delegations of the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Wednesday flew in the same plane from Colombo to Thailand to attend the second round of four day peace talks scheduled to commence on October 31, airport sources said.
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Hakim meets with PM before leaving for Thailand

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 October 2002, 08:42 GMT]
Rauf Hakim, a member of the Sri Lankan Government's delegation participating in the second round of peace talks to be held in Thailand on 31 October, postponed his departure till the 30 October (today) to consult with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe this morning, sources in Colombo said.
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Mental health unit opened at Trincomalee general hospital

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 October 2002, 21:36 GMT]
"At least thirty patients who come daily for treatment are diagnosed mentally ill. We do not know how many mentally affected people are living in villages in the district without getting treatment," said the Medical Superintendent Dr. P.Ganekabahu at the opening event of a mental health unit in Trincomalee general hospital Tuesday.
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Trinco 'hartal' killing inquest continues

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 October 2002, 21:17 GMT]
The inquest into the killing of three Tamil civilians in a grenade attack and gun fire on October 11 in Trincomalee town resumed Tuesday afternoon before the Trincomalee Magistrate Mr.S.Thiagendran.
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SLN, SLA reject requests to fish, resettle

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 October 2002, 17:41 GMT]
The Sri Lanka army and Navy Tuesday refused to open the main road along the peninsula’s southeastern coast, refused to allow free access to the lagoon within the limits of the Jaffna town and rejected a request by an MP to relocate defence positions at the Tellipalai Junction to facilitate refugee resettlement.
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Negotiators depart for Thailand Peace Talks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 October 2002, 11:12 GMT]
Representatives of the Sri Lankan Government, Director of Peace Secretariat Bernard Gunatillake, Major General Shantha Kotegoda, John Gunaratne and Janaka Jeyasekara of the Peace Secrtariat, departed Katunayake airport today, 29 October morning to participate in the second round of peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to be held on the 31st in the city of Nakhon Pathom, 35 miles west of Bangkok, sources said.
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Trinco DCC reviews resettling displaced

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 October 2002, 20:54 GMT]
Each displaced family is to be given one hundred thousand rupees as resettlement package under the rehabilitation programme which is to be implemented shortly, it was announced at the meeting of the Trincomalee District Co-ordinating Committee (DCC) held Monday.
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WFP denies report as more spoilt rice arrives

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 October 2002, 14:55 GMT]
As the World Food Program (WFP) this week denied a TamilNet report of October 8 that rice the UN agency had supplied and the Trincomalee Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society (MPCS) says it is being forced to distribute is unfit for consumption, reports from the eastern port town said further supplies of spoilt rice, infected with insects and weevils, had arrived this week.
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Trincomalee displaced youngsters in child labour

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 October 2002, 22:14 GMT]
Over half the children staying at welfare centres and refugee camps in Trincomalee do not attend schools and instead work as child labour, according to a government official who has been involved in rehabilitation of displaced people in the district.
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Left PA government because Kumaratunga was bent on war - Minister

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 October 2002, 17:10 GMT]
“Prof. G.L Pieris, Mr. S. B Dissanayaka and I left People’s Alliance government last year because President Chandrika Kumaratunga was bent on war and detested peace. We could have been ministers in the PA government until 2005. But had we remained in the PA regime for the full term of the Parliament elected in 2000, war would have continued in this country. It is in this context that we left the PA and helped form a new government. The war came to an end because of this government,” said Sri Lanka’s Minister for Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Mr. Mahinda Wijesekera.
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JVP leader to appear before Bribery Commission

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 October 2002, 16:11 GMT]
The parliamentary group leader of the Sinhala nationalist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (Peoples Liberation Front-JVP) Mr.Wimal Weerawanse has been ordered to appear before the Bribery and Corruption Commission of Sri Lanka Monday. Commission officials are to question Mr.Wimal Weerawanse regarding the bank account maintained by the JVP, sources in Colombo said Sunday.
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SLA requested to vacate Hospital, Cultural Center

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 October 2002, 15:31 GMT]
The Head of Vavuniya branch political section of Liberation Tigers (LTTE),C. Elilan, andthe District Secretary of Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Moorthy, have requested the Head of Security forces that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Police vacate the Cultural Center in Vavuniya settlement and the Neriyakulam-Mankulum hospital for use of these facilities by the area residents.
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300,000 NorthEast children immunized against Polio

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 October 2002, 08:29 GMT]
"Sri Lanka is in the verge of being certified a polio free nation by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2003 depending on the successful implementation of the immunization campaign held in the northeast province this year," said Dr Mrs. S. Weeraman, member of the National Polio Eradication Committee of the Ministry of Health participating in the immunization programme event held at the office of the Medical Officer of Health, Trincomalee Saturday.
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75 PTA Detainees to be released

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 October 2002, 17:02 GMT]
Tamil detainees arrested under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) languishing in jails, some for several years, are to be released gradually said Attorney General (AG), K.C. Kanagasabeyson. The Government will soon drop the charges on seventy five of the detainees and release them, the Attorney General added.
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'Second round peace talks on firm foundation'- Peiris

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 October 2002, 14:33 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government Friday said a firm foundation has been laid for the second round of peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. A Sri Lanka Army Major General will be among the three advisors to the government delegation for the talks scheduled to commence on October 31 at Thailand.
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Workers demonstrate against privatization

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 October 2002, 10:55 GMT]
Thousands of workers belonging to state and private sector establishments Thursday afternoon held a large demonstration for about an hour in front of the Fort Railway station in the heart of Colombo protesting against the United National Front government's (UNF's) privatization policy. They shouted slogans and carried placards condemning the wholesale sell out of the country's remaining resources to the transnational companies.
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'Absence of war is not peace'- Chandrika

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 October 2002, 10:32 GMT]
President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge Thursday in her televised speech said that the country is in turmoil although the government is doing maximum possible to implement its part of the ceasefire agreement signed by the Prime Minister and the LTTE leader. She reminded that the absence of war is not peace. She said one party is violating the agreement and that addressing the core issues to the conflict must be made part of the agenda for talks.
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TNA objects to CEB Office relocation

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 October 2002, 08:22 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has protested to the government proposal of shifting the eastern regional office of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) from Trincomalee in the northeast province to Anuradhapura in the North-western province.
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Kanjirankuda inquiry in Tirukovil completed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 October 2002, 19:13 GMT]
The three-member committee appointed to investigate the October 9 killings of eight Tamil civilians at Kanjirankuda completed its sittings at Thirukovil divisional secretariat auditorium today. The committee will have further two days of hearings at the Bandaranaike Memorial Hall in Colombo.
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Opposition holds rally in Nugegoda

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 October 2002, 01:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and other constituent parties of People Alliance (PA) today held a public rally in the Nugegoda Juntion, protesting against the United National Front Government (UNF) and to celebrate the rejection by the Supreme Court of the 19th Amendement through which the UNF sought to clip the powers of President Chandrika Kumaratunge.
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Karuna, Thamilselvan in LTTE team for Thailand - paper

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 October 2002, 01:41 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers have finalised their negotiating team for the second round of direct talks between the movement and the Sri Lankan government scheduled to be held in Thailand next week, the Tamil Guardian newspaper reported this week.
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Trincomalee hartal killing inquest begins

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 October 2002, 17:25 GMT]
The inquest into the killing of three Tamil civilians on October 11 at Abeyapura in the east port town in a gun and grenade attack commenced Wednesday before the Trincomalee Magistrate Mr.S.Thiagendran.
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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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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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Death anniversary of Lt. Col Santhosham observed

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 October 2002, 10:55 GMT]
The fifteenth death anniversary of Lt.Colonel Santhosham, one of the senior commanders of the Liberation Tigers who was killed on 21st October, 1987 at Kondavil in Jaffna in a battle with the Indian army, was observed at Santhosapuram at Sampoor in Muttur east area and Trincomalee town Monday.
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Residents urge removal of Kanchirankuda, Thirukovil STF camps

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 October 2002, 10:45 GMT]
Several residents of Thirukovil and adjacent villages pleaded before the Committee of Inquiry that is probing into the killing of eight Tamil civilians at Kanchirankuda recently that the Special Task Force camps in the area should be removed to ensure their freedom of movement and normalize their day-to-day lives.
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Special police team to investigate Trincomalee attack

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 October 2002, 10:35 GMT]
A special team comprising senior police officers will be sent to Trincomalee to conduct full scale investigation into the gun and grenade attack on Tamil civilians on October 11 that killed three Tamil civilians and injuring about fifty. Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe took this decision after meeting with Mr. Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA)parliamentarian for the Trincomalee district, Tuesday, said sources. Interior Minister Mr. John Amaratunge also participated in the talks.
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Norway, LTTE discuss talks agenda

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 October 2002, 09:40 GMT]
The Norwegian delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Vidar Helgesen met with the leadership of the Liberation Tigers Wednesday and held two and a half hours of discussions on "crucial issues pertaining to the formation of the joint task force" for economic development and reconstruction of the northeast, sources in Vanni said. Issues underlying the high security zones (HSZ) and the security situation in the northeast were also discussed, they said.
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Norway delegation visits Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 October 2002, 09:59 GMT]
A Norwegian delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Vidar Helgesen, visited the northern Jaffna peninsula Tuesday ahead of meetings in the Vanni with the Liberation Tigers scheduled for Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.
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Speaker informs decision of SC on constitutional amendments

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 October 2002, 09:12 GMT]
The Speaker of the Sri Lanka's parliament Tuesday morning announced the decision of the Supreme Court on the eighteenth and nineteenth constitutional amendments tabled by the United National Front government.
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Committee begins Kanchirankuda probe

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 October 2002, 20:15 GMT]
The three-member committee of inquiry into the killings of eight Tamil civilians at Kanchirankuda began its sittings at Thirukovil divisional secretariat auditorium in southeast Ampara district Monday morning. Eight civilians were killed and at least 20 others were wounded when the Special Task Force (STF) opened fire on protestors.
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AG transfers PTA cases to special HC in Welikada jail

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 October 2002, 17:48 GMT]
The Attorney General has transferred about 150 cases filed in the Colombo High Court (HC) under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to a special court. The special High Court has been set up in Welikada jail to expedite the disposal of cases filed under the PTA.
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Norwegian government team meets Opposition leader

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 October 2002, 16:51 GMT]
The Norwegian government delegation Monday morning held wide ranging discussions with the Leader of the Opposition Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse regarding the second round of peace talks between the United National Front (UNF) government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which is scheduled to commence on October 31 at Sattahip in Thailand. In the afternoon the Norwegian team met with the leader of government's peace delegation, Professor G.L. Peiris, ruling party sources said.
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Heavy rain triggers Nochchikulam dam breach

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 October 2002, 20:10 GMT]
Torrential rains in the catchment area of Nochchikulam in the Palamoddai Grama Sevaka district have caused failure of earth bunds 100 feet wide causing flooding of surrounding area, said sources. Seventy acres of fertile land close to the irrigation tank cannot be used for cultivation, according to these sources.
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All island karate contest-2002 concludes in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 October 2002, 19:27 GMT]
The all island martial arts -karate tournament-2002 was held Saturday and Sunday at St Joseph’s College auditorium in Trincomalee, organised by the district branch of the Sri Lanka Martial Arts-Do-Association and sponsored by the UNICEF.
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Pulithevan spells out realities of a solution

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 October 2002, 18:13 GMT]
“Any solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka has to be based on the reality that we have an army, navy and police and an administrative and judicial system,” said S. Pulithevan, an official from the headquarters of the political division of the Liberation Tigers, addressing the second day sessions of the conference organised by the Arts and Culture Division of the LTTE in Jaffna Sunday.
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STF refuses to vacate homes

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 October 2002, 18:06 GMT]
Five Tamil refugee families of Kittanki at Kalmunai in the southeastern Amparai district have appealed to the authorities to return their houses now being occupied by the Commandos of the Special Task Force. The STF earlier promised to leave these houses on 16 October. The STA now has gone back on its promise, said refugees in a complaint to the district parliamentarian.
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Sri Lanka Army recruits, eyes UN role

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 October 2002, 07:13 GMT]
(News Feature) Sri Lanka’s United National Front government is exploring plans to allow its armed forces to participate in United Nations peacekeeping missions, the Sunday Times newspaper reported this week. A new recruitment drive for the Army has also been launched.
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CTTU workshop on formulating Tamil medium education policy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 October 2002, 18:43 GMT]
The two-day residential workshop for Tamil educationists and teachers began Saturday in Colombo organised by the Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union (CTTU), sponsored by the Education International (EI) and the Friedrch Ebert Stiftung (FES). At the end of the workshop, proposals for the development of Tamil medium education will be submitted to the government to incorporate in its national policy on general education, CTTU officials said.
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Morogoda visits Akkaraipattu, confers with local leaders

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 October 2002, 16:19 GMT]
Minister of Science, Technology and Economic Reforms Mr.Milinda Morogoda Saturday visited Akkaraipattu in the southeast and conferred with local community leaders the future course of action to be taken to maintain peace in the area. It was decided at a conference held at Akkaraipattu cultural hall Saturday to form a peace committee, which would facilitate reconciliation between communities whenever problems arise.
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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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Tigers escorted SLA troops

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 October 2002, 08:55 GMT]
(News Feature) In a reciprocal gesture to earlier actions by the Sri Lanka Army, cadres of the Liberation Tigers in Batticaloa last Sunday escorted SLA soldiers through areas in which angry Tamil demonstrators had set up road blocks protesting the earlier killings of several civilians by Special Task Force (STF) commandos.
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Evidence of dead witness read out in Mylanthanai massacre

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 October 2002, 19:08 GMT]
The Colombo High Court Judge Mr.S.Sriskandarajah Friday allowed an application in the Mylanthanai massacre case by the prosecution to read out the evidence of two witnesses given in the lower court to the Jury, as these witnesses could not attend court. One of the two witnesses Thavarajah Rajmohan is dead and the other witness Nallammah Nallasekaram has gone abroad and working in Kuwait.
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SLA soldier assaults Vadamaradchy fishermen

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 October 2002, 19:03 GMT]
Two young Tamil fishermen were assaulted by a Sri Lanka Army soldier manning a sentry in the coastal village of Katkovalam in Vadamaradchi, Wednesday night, fisheries co-operative sources said. SLA officials at the 52-4 Brigade apologized to the injured, saying that the said soldier was mentally deranged.
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Trinco Tamils urged to nurture entrepreneurism

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 October 2002, 19:01 GMT]
"The economy and the life style of Tamil population in the east port town will get a positive change if they adopted business oriented thinking," said Mr.K.Thurairajah, Chairman of the Trincomalee District Chamber of Commerce (TDCC) Thursday. "Even now Tamils in Trincomalee depend on job oriented economy. With the formation of the TDCC Tamils have been given a golden opportunity to enter business-oriented economy," said Mr.Thurairajah who was recently elected President of the newly formed TDCC when addressing the Trincomalee Rotary Club weekly meeting Thursday as guest speaker.
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AG indicts five SLA soldiers in Mirusuvil massacre case

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 October 2002, 17:30 GMT]
The Attorney General Friday filed indictments in the Colombo High Court against five Sri Lanka Army soldiers for murdering eight Tamil civilians, including a five year old child, in Mirusuvil in Jaffna district two years ago.
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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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‘Unmask political forces behind staged abduction’- Nehru

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 October 2002, 16:22 GMT]
The Amparai district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Mr. A. Chandra Nehru asked the secretary to Sri Lanka’s Interior Ministry to take all possible steps unravel the mystery and identify the political forces behind the alleged ‘abduction’ of the Muslim youth who was found in his home Friday.
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Buddhist monk warns of disruptive forces in Trinco

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 October 2002, 13:26 GMT]
Venerable Dodantuwe Thammanatha Thero of Mahamayapura Buddhist temple in Trincomalee town said that miscreants are bent on instigating clashes in the eastern district by portraying the Liberation Tigers as anti- Singhalese. He was addressing a peace conference at the Trincomalee Police Headquarters to promote reconciliation between all communities in the eastern port town Thursday evening. The Buddhist monk showed the audience a leaflet printed in Sinhala stating that LTTE leader Mr. Pirapaharan considers the Singhalese as his enemies.
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Helgesen to visit Jaffna, Vanni, South

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 October 2002, 11:37 GMT]
A Norwegian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen will visit Sri Lanka next week and holding meetings with the government and the leadership of the Liberation Tigers. In a statement issued Friday, the Norwegian embassy in Colombo said the delegation would also meet President Chandrika Kumaratunga, the Parliamentary opposition, international ceasefire monitors and representatives from the civil society and the business community.
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Abducted Akkaraipattu Muslim youth returns home, police interrogate

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 October 2002, 06:11 GMT]
Akkaraipattu police Friday morning arrested S.M.Abdul Wajeed (24), the Muslim youth who was reported abducted, at his home. He was immediately taken to the Akkaraipattu police station for interrogation.
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'Douglas Devananda not questioned over journalist’s murder' - RSF

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 October 2002, 03:50 GMT]
The international media watchdog, Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF) Friday slammed Police investigators inquiring into the murder of Jaffna journalist Mayilvaganam Nimalarajan for never questioning persons who might have been behind the murder. Gunmen suspected to be members of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) murdered Nimalarajan at his residence on October 19 2000.
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Muslim leaders call to abandon 'hartal', curfew re-imposed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 October 2002, 21:38 GMT]
The Federation of Mosques in Akkaraipattu Thursday evening issued an appeal to Muslims of the area to abandon their 'hartal' (general shut down) from today. Meanwhile the Police re-imposed a fifteen-hour curfew in Akkaraipattu, a Muslim dominated town in the eastern province Thursday afternoon from three p.m. to diffuse tension between the Tamil and Muslim communities following the abduction of a Muslim youth.
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Tigers say Akkaraipattu incidents instigated

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 October 2002, 12:50 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Thursday called on Muslims and Tamils identify divisive forces bent on creating chaos in Akkaraipattu. The Tigers issued a leaflet Thursday in the south-eastern town stating that the problem was instigated by evil elements for profit. “We will never disrupt the peace. This is certain. Some interested parties have hidden Abdul Wajid to achieve their selfish motives. Tamils and Muslims should resolve to live as brothers. We should always resolve our differences through negotiation”, the leaflet states.
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Sri Lanka heads for elections – reports

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 October 2002, 12:49 GMT]
(News Feature) Sri Lanka’s cabinet Wednesday unanimously endorsed a proposal by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to go for a general election instead of a referendum on the 19th Amendment to the constitution that the Supreme Court is expected to demand, newspapers reported Thursday.
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TNA writes to PM on Trinco violence

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 October 2002, 21:11 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance MP, Mr.R.Sampanthan Tuesday said that the lives of three Tamil civilians who died in the grenade attack last week in Trincomalee, might have been saved had the attackers not prevented two ambulances, one bringing medical officers and the other dispatched from Muttur, from reaching the injured. In a fax sent to the Prime Minister the MP said, "the deliberate inaction of the Police contributed to this tragedy."
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Diplomatic delegation meets Balasingham

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 October 2002, 19:52 GMT]
An eight-member diplomatic delegation from Denmark, Greece and Italy held discussions with the Mr.Anton Balasingham, LTTE's chief negotiator, in Killinochchi, Wednesday. The diplomats expressed their fullest support to the current peace process and assured their readiness to provide funds for Northeast development and de-mining in the province, LTTE sources in Vanni said.
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Landmark SC judgment in PTA case

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 October 2002, 17:41 GMT]
The Supreme Court Wednesday set aside the conviction by a High Court and acquitted the accused in a Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) case. The three-member bench of the SC, which heard the appeal of the accused, held that "it is contrary to law to punish a person only on his confession without any corroborative evidence against him." The SC bench comprised Justices C.V.Vigneswaran, Mark Fernando and Ameer Ismail.
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Medical evidence continues in Mylanthanai massacre case

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 October 2002, 17:40 GMT]
“ When I was holding postmortem on a body of a male person at Mylanthanai I saw an axe near the scene. The Police then took that axe as a production in this case,” said Dr.Sinnathurai Thadchchanamoorthy, presently District Medical Officer of Valaichchenai government hospital continuing his evidence in the Mylanthanai massacre case before the High Court Judge Mr.S.Sriskandarajah Wednesday.
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Jaffna Media Research Centre opened with Danish aid

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 October 2002, 17:38 GMT]
The High Commissioner of Demark for India who is also accredited to Sri Lanka, Wednesday, declared open the Media Research and Training Centre in the Jaffna University. " Eleven member countries in the European Union (EU) are wholeheartedly supporting the peace process now being taken forward with the sole intention of finding a lasting political solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka," said Mr. Michael Steraberg, High Commissioner of Denmark when addressing a gathering following the opening of the centre.
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Norwegians to meet Pirapaharan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 October 2002, 12:26 GMT]
A Norwegian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgessen will meet the leader of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. V. Pirapaharan, in Vanni, next week, the Voice of Tigers Radio announced Wednesday, quoting Mr. Anton Balasingham, the LTTE’s chief negotiator. Mr.Balasingham arrived in Vanni Tuesday from London.
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Furuhovde calls for ‘patience, justice and courage’

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 October 2002, 11:34 GMT]
Whilst the recent violence in Ampara and Trincomalee has shown how "fragile and sensitive the situation is at this time in the peace process," the leadership of the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers "are are determined to promote the peaceful situation in Sri Lanka so that the peace talks can succeed," the head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Major General Trond Furuhovde said Wednesday.
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Medical officers give evidence in Mylanthanai massacre

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 October 2002, 09:37 GMT]
"One year old Latha, a girl who was rushed to the Colombo general hospital in critical condition the day after the Mylanthanai massacre succumbed to cut and chop wounds caused by pointed weapons such as axe and knives on admission," said Dr.K.Niranjan, Assistant Judicial Medical Officer before the Colombo High Court Judge Mr.S.Sriskandarajah Tuesday.
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British MPs tour Jaffna, Vanni

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 October 2002, 04:52 GMT]
Progress in peace talks will largely determine if Britain will lift the ban on the LTTE or not, said Mr.Gareth Thomas, British Member of Parliament, Tuesday after visiting Jaffna and Vanni areas accompanied by Mr.Robert Evans, Member of European Parliament.
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Sinhala nationalists step up campaign against talks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 October 2002, 20:21 GMT]
The Sinhala Nationalist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP, People’s Liberation Front) vowed Tuesday to bring down Prime Minister Ranil Wicremesinghe’s government and defeat its peace negotiations with the Liberation Tigers. The JVP launched a campaign last week to convince Sinhalese that the peace process is a ruse to divide the island.
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Hindus celebrate "Kumbam" festival

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 October 2002, 20:19 GMT]
Annual 'Kumbam' festival was held in Trincomalee Tuesday evening at the end of the nine-day 'Navarathiri' (nine nights) celebrations. 'Navarathiri' is an annual festival celebrated by Hindus across the world, especially in India and Sri Lanka, where prayers are held for first three nights for Goddess ‘Thurgai’ (bravery), second three nights for Goddess ‘Lakshmi’ (wealth) and the final three nights for Goddess ‘Saraswathy’ (education).
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Balasinghams arrive in Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 October 2002, 09:56 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers’ chief negotiator and political advisor, Mr.Anton Balasingham, and his wife, Adele, arrived in Vanni around 10.15 a.m. Tuesday, LTTE sources in Kilinochchi said. Mr. Balasingham arrived by a Sri Lanka Air Force helicopter from Colombo.
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SLA blocks displaced fishermen's return

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 October 2002, 17:38 GMT]
Thirty two displaced fishermen who were returning Monday morning from Vanni to resettle in Valvettithurai (VVT) town in the Jaffna peninsula were not allowed to land and ordered to turn back to Vanni by Sri Lanka Army soldiers, said sources. The fishermen have been living in Vanni for the past seven years.
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Thirukkovil resentful, STF said concocting evidence

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 October 2002, 13:02 GMT]
“The Special Task Force will pose a dire threat to our lives as long it remains in this region. There is no security now for farmers who have to pass the Kanjirankudah STF camp to cultivate their fields. The sole access to more than twelve thousand acres of our people’s fields is controlled by the STF which has no qualms about killing us like animals,” said Mr. Ariyanayagam Chandra Nehru, the sole Tamil MP for the Amparai District, Monday.
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Trincomalee hospital protest strike

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 October 2002, 10:53 GMT]
Medical officers, nurses, attendants, drivers and minor employees working in government hospitals and dispensaries in the Trincomalee district Monday staged a one hour strike in protest against the assault on a doctor and damage to an ambulance by the unruly crowd which caused the deaths of Tamil civilians on Friday, sources said.
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TNA calls for Tamil home guard

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 October 2002, 03:12 GMT]
The security of the Tamil people can no longer be left in the hands of Sinhala dominated Army and Police, the Trincomalee district parliamentarian of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Mr. R. Sampanthan, told Sri Lanka’s Interior Minister, Mr. John Amaratunge Sunday afternoon. Arguing “the security of Tamils should be entrusted to Tamil youths,” the TNA leader urged the Minister to take immediate steps to form home guards units comprising Tamils.
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Wounded blame Sinhala police, home guards

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 October 2002, 03:10 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Interior Minister Mr. John Amaratunge Sunday visited Trincomalee to review the situation in the east port town following the killings of three Tamil civilians and wounding of up to sixty others by Sinhala paramilitaries and security forces.
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Buddhist monks slam Tigers, Tamils at Trinco review

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 October 2002, 03:09 GMT]
The conference convened Sunday morning at Trincomalee district secretariat and presided over by Sri Lanka's Interior Minister Mr. John Amaratunge was apparently meant to review the security situation in the eastern port town. But there was no Tamil or Muslim representation – because the authorities didn’t even notify local representatives. Instead, Buddhist monks dominated the conference – which was conducted entirely in Sinhalese - hurling allegations against the Liberation Tigers and the Tamil community.
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Thousands attend funerals in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 October 2002, 14:15 GMT]
Thousands attended the funerals in Trincomalee of three civilians killed in Friday's grenade attack blamed on Sri Lanka Police and Sinhala paramilitaries. The funerals were held Sunday at the Hindu cemetery in Trincomalee, following last respects at the Trincomalee Hindu Cultural Hall from 1 p.m. till around 3 p.m.
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Tamil Organisations condemn killings

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 October 2002, 20:47 GMT]
"Judicial investigation should be held into the killings of innocent Tamils at Kanchirankuda in Ampara district and at Abeyapura in Trincomalee and culprits should be brought to book without delay," said the Humanitarian Agencies Consortium in Killinochchi in memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister and Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Saturday.
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Civilians’ funerals to be held Sunday

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 October 2002, 20:33 GMT]
The bodies of the three Tamil civilians killed in Friday’s gun and grenade attacks in Abeypura will be kept at the Trincomalee Hindu Cultural Hall in front of Trincomalee harbour from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to allow people to pay their respects, sources said Saturday. Parliamentarians from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) are expected to deliver eulogies. The funeral procession will commence at 3 p.m. to the Hindu cemetery.
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LTTE, Sri Lanka military meet over civilian deaths

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 October 2002, 20:17 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Saturday requested international ceasefire monitors to take immediate action against those responsible for Friday's gun and grenade attack on Tamil civilians in Trincomalee and demanded Sri Lankan military commanders take steps to prevent future attacks on civilians.
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STF atrocities intended to scuttle peace – Karuna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 October 2002, 11:16 GMT]
“The peace talks in Thailand have created confidence among our fighters and our people. In this context, the actions of the STF are aimed at scuttling the peace talks. Our people have faith in future negotiations. But the STF’s atrocities are sowing doubts and confusion in their minds. However, we are observing the ceasefire with vigilance according to the instructions of our national leader,” Col. Karuna, senior commander of the Liberation Tigers in charge of the Batticaloa Ampara districts, told Maj. Gen. (ret) Trond Furhovde, the head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission.
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Hartal in northeast

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 October 2002, 09:03 GMT]
Shops remained closed and streets were deserted in all the towns in the northeast as a general shut down ('hartal') was observed in protest at the attacks on Tamil civilians in Trincomalee and Kanchirankuda. Black flags were hoisted on shops, houses and at public places. Burning tyres were seen on main roads, sources in several north-eastern towns said.
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Research Farm charts region's agricultural future

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 October 2002, 04:07 GMT]
A few miles east of Kilinochchi town lies Vattakkatchi which is the site of a sprawling Agricultural Research Farm covering hundreds of acres. Here, bright minds are at work charting the future of small scale industries and agricultural development of the North East region.
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Service Chiefs, SLMM visit Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 October 2002, 19:15 GMT]
The heads of three State armed forces and the Inspector General of Police are scheduled to visit Trincomalee Saturday to review the security situation in the wake of Friday violence in which three Tamil civilians were killed and thirty-eight others were wounded, defence ministry sources said. The Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Major General (retd) Trond Furuhovde also is expected to visit the east port town Saturday, SLMM sources said.
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TNA: Sri Lankan forces unwilling to protect Tamils

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 October 2002, 15:18 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance Friday blamed the gun and grenade attacks on Tamil civilians in Trincomalee which left three people dead and over thirty wounded on "lawless elements" from the Sinhala community. In a statement, the TNA said the Sri Lankan armed forces, which are predominately Sinhala, "lack the will and capacity to provide security to the Tamil people."
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Amparai hartal continues

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 October 2002, 09:20 GMT]
A general strike (hartal) is being observed in Ampara for the second day in protest against the killing of seven Tamil protestors by Special Task Force (STF) commandos on Wednesday at a violent demonstration at the STF camp in Kanjirankudah, sources said Friday.
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Premier to act after 3 Tamil civilian deaths

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 October 2002, 09:01 GMT]
Three Tamil civilians were killed and about twenty others were wounded, eight critically, in Trincomalee Friday in firing and grenade attacks blamed on Sri Lankan police and Sinhala paramilitaries. The killings occurred amid calls for a general shut down (hartal) in the east port town condemning the killings Wednesday of seven Tamil demonstrators by Special Task Force commandos in Ampara district.
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Curfew clamped down in Trincomalee town following violence

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 October 2002, 06:06 GMT]
Trincomalee town has been put under 18-hour curfew with immediate effect from Friday till Saturday morning 6 a.m. on reports of violence following a general shut down (Hartal) called by Tamil Organizations Federation (TOF).
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'Armed strength vital for our protection' - Soosai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 October 2002, 20:08 GMT]
More than hundred thousand people from Vavuniya, Jaffna and many parts of the Vanni thronged the Killinochchi grounds and its surroundings to see the military parade of the LTTE's women fighting forces. The parade was followed by series of floats depicting the women fighting units of the LTTE.
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NE observes fifteenth-death anniversary of 2nd Lt Malathi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 October 2002, 19:48 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Thursday observed the fifteenth death anniversary of 2nd. Lt.Malathi, the first LTTE woman fighter, as the Thamileelam Women Upsurge Day in the Northeast province with rallies, public meetings and other cultural activities.
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TNA condemns Kanchirankuda killings, demands STF withdrawal

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 October 2002, 14:02 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Thursday strongly condemned the attack by the Special Task Force (STF) on unarmed Tamil civilians at Kanchirankuda in Thirukovil area of the Amparai district . “We suspect that this was a deliberate attempt to disrupt the peace process,” said Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance parliamentary group in a statement issued to the press Thursday.
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Monitors urge public restraint after Kanjirankudah deaths

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 October 2002, 13:15 GMT]
International ceasefire monitors Thursday urged public restraint in the wake of a violent demonstration at the Special Task Force (STF) camp in Kanjirankudah at which the police commandos shot dead seven people and wounded fourteen others. Although the STF alleged Liberation Tigers were part of the 500-1000 strong crowd, the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) said it “has no evidence of this at this time and nothing indicates that the LTTE leadership knew of this attack beforehand.”
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Tigers say assaulted in custody

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 October 2002, 13:00 GMT]
Six Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers being held by the Liberation Tigers were Wednesday released to the International Committee of Red Cross in Trincomalee, while two LTTE members arrested by the SLA were released by the Trincomalee magistrate on as ordered by the Court of Appeal on Tuesday. The SLA soldiers said they had been treated well in custody, but the LTTE cadres said they had been beaten and manacled in police custody.
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STF fire on demonstration - 5 killed, 15 wounded

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 October 2002, 18:06 GMT]
Five civilians were killed and fifteen were wounded when commandos of the Special Task Force, an elite wing of the Sri Lankan armed forces, opened fire on a public protest at Kanjirankudah, 84 kilometres south of Batticaloa, around 6.30 p.m. Wednesday. The shooting followed tension in Tamil areas in Sri Lanka’s southeastern coast after word spread that two members of the Liberation Tigers were severely assaulted by the STF and had been admitted to hospital.
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Dysentery affected Eachilampathu without medical facilities

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 October 2002, 13:44 GMT]
More than ten thousand villagers in the Eachilampathu division in Mutur area face imminent danger due to the outbreak of dysentery following acute drought and the sudden closure of the reopened Eachilampathu government hospital after a lapse of twelve years.
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Jayawardene orders MPCS to distribute spoilt rice

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 October 2002, 19:51 GMT]
The management of the Trincomalee Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society is in a dilemma following instruction by the Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugees Minister Dr.Jayalath Jayawardene personally to distribute 950 bags of rice, which has been condemned as unfit for human consumption by the Government Agent and co-operative officials.
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NE protests in support of fasting PTA suspects

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 October 2002, 17:26 GMT]
Token hunger strikes, boycott of classes and rallies were held in Northeast province Tuesday in support of the fast unto death campaign by the Tamil political prisoners now under detention at Kalutara, Welikada and other prisons in the country.
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TNA presses PM for immediate action on prisoner release

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 October 2002, 17:24 GMT]
The adjournment motion moved by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in parliament regarding the hunger strike of Tamil political prisoners that has entered eighth day would be taken up for debate pending on the outcome of the top-level talks the TNA parliamentarians are scheduled to have Wednesday with the Prime Minister (PM) and the Attorney General, sources said. Tamil political prisoners detained at Welikada, Kalutara and other prisons are on hunger strike since October 1 demanding their immediate release.
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CA enlarges LTTE members on bail

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 October 2002, 13:22 GMT]
The Court of Appeal (CA) Tuesday ordered bail for two members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who were arrested by the Kantalai Police and remanded by the Trincomalee Magistrate.
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EPDP cadres, ammunition handed over to SLMM

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 October 2002, 11:36 GMT]
Six members of the paramilitary Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) whose camp in Delft was attacked Sunday by angry residents following the stabbing of a local shop keeper were handed over to international monitors Monday, local press reports said.
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Bishop pleads for Tamil political prisoners' release

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 October 2002, 20:33 GMT]
Rt. Rev. Dr. Rayappu Joseph Bishop of Mannar made an urgent appeal to Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe Monday immediate action is required to save fasting Tamil political prisoners from death. The Bishop said that he visited the Kalutara prison Sunday and that condition of the fasting prisoners is deteriorating rapidly. “Fourteen have become unconscious, forty seven have vomited blood and the rest I saw sitting or lying, most of them senseless”, the Mannar Bishop said.
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TNA calls for Hartal in NE

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 October 2002, 20:11 GMT]
Human rights lawyers, NGO activists and leaders of the Tamil National Alliance resolved in Colombo Monday evening to step up action on several fronts to persuade the Sri Lankan government to release Tamil political prisoners who have been languishing in the island’s jails for many years. Mr. N. Sri Kantha, speaking on behalf of the TNA after an urgent meeting convened Monday to discuss the fast deteriorating condition of the fasting prisoners, told Tamilnet that a general shut down all over the northeast would be called for on Friday 11 October.
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Detainees reject appeal to call off fast

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 October 2002, 17:35 GMT]
The Tamil political prisoners detained at Kalutara prison Monday rejected offers made by two cabinet ministers of the United National Front (UNF) government to call off their seven-day hunger strike, prison sources said.
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JVP denounces US action against Iraq

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 October 2002, 14:25 GMT]
The Janata Vimukthi Peramuna, the main Sinhala nationalist party in Sri Lanka’s Parliament, demonstrated Monday near the American Embassy in Colombo against US plans to attack Iraq. Police prevented the demonstrators from getting too close to the US Embassy premises. Sinhala and Muslim members of the JVP led by its MPs Mr. Bimal Ratnayaka, Ms. Anjaan Umma and Mr. Vijitha Herath carried placards and shouted slogans denouncing US actions against Iraq. The JVP has been closely linked to President Saddam Hussein’s Baath Socialist Party.
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SL Tamil refugees rescued at mid-sea

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 October 2002, 14:01 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Navy Sunday rescued twelve members of three displaced families at midsea west of Mannar and handed them over to the Talaimannar police, sources said. They were returning from Rameswaram in South India after spending twelve years in a refugee camp there. They had left in a boat Saturday midnight on the promise that they would be given safe passage to Talaimannar in Sri Lanka. They paid three thousand rupees per head to Indian boatmen as hire. But the boatmen left them on a sandbank in mid-sea around early morning Sunday, sources said.
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Minister Morogoda visits Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 October 2002, 11:31 GMT]
The Minister of Economic Reforms, Mr.Milinda Morogoda accompanied by the Commander of Sri Lanka Army Lt.General Lionel Balagalle and Peace Secretariat Secretary General Mr.Bernard Gunatilake visited Trincomalee Sunday morning and attended a top-level conference at the Police Headquarters. Later in the afternoon the party led by Minister Morogoda held talks with the Tamil National Alliance leader Mr.R.Sampanthan at latter's residence regarding the two LTTE members in remand and six SLA soldiers of the SLA in the custody of the LTTE.
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Islanders' woes addressed in LTTE-SLN discussions

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 October 2002, 11:24 GMT]
A three-hour discussion was held Sunday at Velanai office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission between the Sri Lanka Navy officials and area leaders of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to normalize the situation in Delft, Analaitivu, Nainativu and Eluvaitheivu in Jaffna district, sources said.
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EPDP knifes shopkeeper, Delft tense

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 October 2002, 12:04 GMT]
Tension prevailed in Delft (Neduntheevu) Sunday as locals prevented a paramilitary group working with the Sri Lanka army and Navy from landing on the island southwest of Jaffna. Angry islanders smashed the paramilitary’s office in Delft and set fire to office furniture after armed members of the group knifed a local shopkeeper during an altercation Saturday night. The islanders stoned a boat carrying the paramilitary’s cadres that had tried to go ashore Sunday morning.
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RDS building dismantled to strengthen SLA new camp

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 October 2002, 12:01 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has dismantled the Rural Development Society (RDS) building at Kayankerni village in the Vakarai divisional secretary division and strengthened its new camp in the area with material removed from roof and other structures, residents complained Saturday. Kayankerni is about 37 km north of Batticaloa town.
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NE observes 15th death anniversary of Pulendran and Kumarappa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 October 2002, 20:42 GMT]
The fifteen-death anniversary of senior commanders of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Lt. Colonel Pulendran and Lt. Colonel Kumarappa and ten other cadres was observed at several places in the northeast province Saturday. Remembrance meeting was held at the mausoleum at Theeruvil, Valvettithurai in Jaffna district where their bodies were buried and at LTTE political office in Trincomalee town.
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‘Punitha Boomi’ Celebrates 10th Anniversary

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 October 2002, 20:25 GMT]
'Punitha Boomi', a boys’ home operating from Oddusuddan in the Vanni region, Saturday celebrated its 10th anniversary. The occasion was also marked by the ceremonial opening of four new halls of residence, a cultural centre, a medical house and an administrative office.
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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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SLA deserter handed back

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 October 2002, 15:11 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army trooper who surrendered Thursday to the Liberation Tigers asking to be sent home was handed over to international ceasefire monitors Friday, officials said.
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Prosthetic rehabilitation in Vanni

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 October 2002, 00:37 GMT]
Land mines and aerial bombardment have made hundreds of Tamil civilians disabled. But help for the disabled wasn't immediately forthcoming. Fitting artificial limbs was costly and there was severe shortage of hospitals and medical equipment. The organization, Venpura (White Pigeon), was born to address this need. Following the opening of its first site in Kullapiddy Road, Jaffna in 1994, Venpura has been offering free prosthetic services to people in the NorthEast enabling many to become productive members of the society.
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Police blamed for inaction as Trinco protest turns unruly

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 October 2002, 20:27 GMT]
A general shut down ('hartal') organised by a group of Sinhalese youths setting up roadblocks and burning tyres disrupted the normal life in Trincomalee and its suburbs this Friday. The Hartal was held in support of a sit-in-protest campaign started by relatives of the six soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army now in the custody of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
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Women witnesses give evidence in Mylanthanai massacre case

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 October 2002, 20:21 GMT]
"About 50 Sri Lanka government troops entered our village with arms and started harassing the villagers. On seeing them I started running from my house towards jungle area. I fell on the ground. Some army personnel came to the spot and stabbed my hands with rifle bayonet. When I regained consciousness I saw 10 bodies of our villagers with gunshot and cut injuries," said Ms Sinnathurai Indrakala, 28, giving evidence before Judge Mr.S.Sriskandarajah, Friday, when Mylanthanai massacre case resumed in Colombo High Court.
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Hope for Children Director visits Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 October 2002, 16:36 GMT]
"The peace process has started. It is not the end. It will take several years to achieve a solution to the conflict and to establish permanent peace. Our partner organizations in Trincomalee should not remain idle. They must continue to cater to the needs of the children affected by the war," said Dr.Robert Parsons, Founder Director of the Hope for Children addressing staffers of several Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) in Trincomalee Thursday evening.
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Second LTTE convoy uses sea route

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 October 2002, 13:12 GMT]
A large number of Liberation Tigers, escorted by international ceasefire monitors, travelled Thursday from Mullaitivu to the eastern province along the sea route agreed by the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE two months ago. This is the second such convoy to use the route.
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LTTE slam new SLN camp

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 October 2002, 06:51 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers Friday lodged a protest with the international ceasefire monitors that the Sri Lanka Navy is preparing to set up a new camp on the coast near the Kuchchaveli divisional secretariat, 34 km. north of Trincomalee. The Navy has formally sought land from the local authorities, sources said.
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Prelates stress need for patience

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 October 2002, 18:05 GMT]
The prelates of Malwatte and Asgiriya chapters Thursday appealed that every one should act with patience at a time when the United National Front government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were seriously involved in negotiations to restore peace in the island.
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SC concludes constitutional amendments inquiry

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 October 2002, 18:05 GMT]
The inquiry into thirty-one petitions filed against the eighteenth and Nineteenth Constitutional amendments by the seven-member bench of the Supreme Court concluded Thursday. The Chief Justice Mr.Sarath N Silva, the chairman of the seven-member bench, said the order determining the constitutionality of the amendments would be forwarded to the President and the Speaker of parliament.
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SLA to be camped among resettlers

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 October 2002, 15:28 GMT]
Agrarian service officials in the Thenmaradchi Division of Jaffna Thursday said that the Sri Lanka army didn’t guarantee the safety of farmers whom it permitted this week to cultivate their lands in the Thanangkilappu area. The SLA had informed the officials that fields lying within thousand meters west of the Chavakachcheri Thanangkilappu Road and 300 meters south of the A9 Road in this sector are very heavily mined.
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Saddened that he didn’t join LTTE says PA MP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 October 2002, 15:04 GMT]
Mr. V. Puththirasihamani, a leading Tamil trade union leader and MP of President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s People’s Alliance said Wednesday that he was saddened that hadn’t joined the Liberation Tigers yet after seeing the violence perpetrated on Jaffna. He was addressing a meeting between the parents and relatives of missing persons in the peninsula and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Human Rights at the Jaffna District Secretariat, Thursday morning.
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LTTE demands release of Tamil political detainees

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 October 2002, 12:21 GMT]
The political wing of the Liberation Tigers Thursday called on the Sri Lankan government of Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe to “take urgent and immediate steps” to secure the release of Tamil political detainees who have undertaken a fast unto death since October 1 over their continued incarceration. In a statement issued by its political headquarters in Kilinochchi, the LTTE said the release of the detainees would boost the prevailing atmosphere of peace and goodwill and urged Tamil MPs and human rights groups to take measures to bring this about.
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Chamber of Commerce to strengthen Trinco entrepreneurs

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 October 2002, 20:29 GMT]
"The entrepreneurs in Trincomalee district suffered immensely for the last twenty years. Local industrialists were left to struggle on their own. Banks refused to give financial assistance. After the cease-fire agreement came into force for the first time in its 54 year old history, the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka has come forward to assist the local entrepreneurs of the district," said Mr.K.Thurairajah, the newly elected President of Trincomalee District Chamber of Commerce, addressing the inaugural meeting.
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Mylanthanai massacre accused remanded

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 October 2002, 18:00 GMT]
The inquiry into the Mylanthanai massacre case commenced before a Sinhala speaking Jury in the Colombo High Court Wednesday. In this case twenty-one Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers have been indicted by the Attorney General on several counts including the murder of thirty-five Tamil civilians. The High Court Judge Mr.S.Sriskandarajah ordered all the accused present in court be kept in remand till the trial is concluded.
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SLN personnel assault two fishermen

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 October 2002, 17:55 GMT]
Two fishermen were severely assaulted by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) personnel Tuesday night when rough sea forced them to drift towards the high security zone of the Kankesanthurai harbour. Anandasivam Sivakaran (24) and Gopalasingham Ravikumar (24) of Supparmadam, Point Pedro, Wednesday morning complained to the Fisheries Co-operative Federation and to Valvettithurai office of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) about the assault.
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LTTE releases one SLA soldier in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 October 2002, 15:11 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Wednesday evening released one of the seven soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army at Kumburupiddy, 22 km north of Trincomalee. The seven SLA soldiers were arrested by the LTTE inside the security zone between two LTTE camps in Kumburupitty last week.
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President alleges Premier is corrupt

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 October 2002, 09:31 GMT]
The acrimony between Sri Lanka’s President and Prime Minister, who are bitter political rivals from opposing parties, deepened this week as the former accused the latter of taking bribes when he was education minister. The United National Front (UNF) cabinet is to hold a special meeting to discuss the practicalities of working with her amid repeated accusations against the Premier and several ministers, press reports said.
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Special body to rehabilitate NE children urged

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 October 2002, 21:07 GMT]
"In the northeast of the island more than 900,000 children have been affected by the war. At least 350,000 children have been displaced. About 2000 children have been deprived of their basic education. A special body comprising provincial council and other connected state and non-governmental organisations is urgently needed to rehabilitate these children under the present peaceful environment," said Mr S.M. Cross, Deputy Project Director of the North East Community Reconstruction Development (NECORD) addressing the International Children's Day in Trincomalee Tuesday.
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Action committee demands release of PTA suspects

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 October 2002, 18:47 GMT]
The Action Committee for the Immediate Release of all Political Prisoners (ACIRPP) Tuesday appealed to the Tamil National Alliance to announce its strategy on using its parliamentary strength to expedite the release of all political prisoners.
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Rape case reported to UN official

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 October 2002, 18:43 GMT]
The United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women has been informed of the brutal sexual assault and torture on twenty three year old Sathasivam Rathykala, a Batticaloa Tamil woman, by a group of policemen at the Polonaruwa police station on 24.11.2001. A human rights activist and an Attorney-at-Law, Mr.K.Sivapalan, Tuesday sent a copy of the medical report of the Batticaloa Judicial Medical Officer Dr.S.Chandrapalan in this regard to UN Rapporteur Ms Radhika Kumarasamy for further action.
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SC commences inquiry into constitutional amendment petitions

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 October 2002, 17:02 GMT]
Thirty-two petitions filed against the eighteenth and nineteenth constitutional amendments tabled by the United National Front government were taken up for inquiry before a seven-member bench of the Supreme Court, Tuesday. The Chief Justice earlier named a five-member bench to hear the petitions filed by opposition parties, civil groups and individuals.
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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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Demonstrators seek free access to Valaichenai intersection

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 October 2002, 11:20 GMT]
More than a thousand protestors demanding the opening of the Valaichenai junction on the Batticaloa-Colombo highway Tuesday smashed road barriers and damaged a Police jeep when Sri Lankan security forces occupying the key intersection declined to accede to their request.
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