Jaffna court inquires Habeas Corpus applications

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 March 2005, 21:08 GMT]
Habeas Corpus Applications filed by relatives of four Tamil youths of Ariyalai in Jaffna town who were reported missing after being arrested by the Sri Lanka Army during 1996-1997 period came up for inquiry before the Jaffna Additional Magistrate Ms Srinithi Nanthasekaran Thursday, legal sources said.
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Sea Tigers aid Amparai fisheries societies development

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 March 2005, 15:52 GMT]
The political divsion of the Sea Tigers Thursday donated eight hundred thousand rupees to the Federation Amparai District Fisheries Co-operative Socieites. The money was handed over to the President of the Federation, Mr. Ilayathamby. Thurairasah, by Ms. Thangeswary Kadiraman, Tamil National Alliance MP for Batticaloa at the political office of the Liberation Tigers in Thirukkovil. "The money is from our leader's special national fund. The donation is for building and strengthening fisheries societies on the southeast coast", said Mr. S. Ilakkiyan, head of the Sea Tigers' political division for Amparai, speaking at the brief function to present the money.
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Mannar court remands six suspects in heroin case

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 March 2005, 13:39 GMT]
Mr.N.M.M.Abdullah Mannar Magistrate Thursday ordered remand till April 12 for six suspects, four Indians and two Sri Lankan Tamils on a report filed by Talaimannar Police that they were allegedly transporting heroin from India by boat, legal sources said.
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Health volunteers protest, demand permanency

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 March 2005, 10:55 GMT]
Fifty-five health volunteers, fifty three women and two men Wednesday began hunger strike in front of the office of the North East Provincial Ministry of Health in Trincomalee demanding that they should be made permanent. These volunteers from Kalkuda electorate in the Batticaloa district are out of about two thousand who have been working in medical institutions in the northeast province for more than two decades without any remuneration, health department sources said.
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LTTE delegation in Finland, meets with Foreign Minister and Åland representative

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 March 2005, 23:54 GMT]
"The Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) was supposed to bring normalcy. But, under the pretext of High Security Zones (HSZ), Tamil people were denied of access to their homes. The war-displaced people were then heavily struck by the tsunami that multiplied the hardships. The delay in institutionalising a Joint Mechanism and the continued Sri Lankan military support to paramilitary operatives in violation to the CFA clause 1.8 have created a collective sense of frustration in the minds of the Tamil People," Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, LTTE's Political Head explained to Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Erkki Tuomioja, who received the LTTE delegation in Helsinki on Wednesday.
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TECH Official departs for European tour

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 March 2005, 12:00 GMT]
Sivalingam Suhunan, Executive Director of the Economic Consultancy House (TECH), a Sri Lanka Government registered NGO which works exclusively in NorthEast, left for a 4-week tour of European Countries Wednesday morning, sources from Kilinochchi said. The iterinery for the privately funded visit includes Norway, Denmark, France and Germany, sources added.
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Gunmen fire on EPDP van, Policeman injured

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 March 2005, 11:59 GMT]
A Police sergeant was wounded when unidentified gunmen opened fire on the van in which he was traveling with a group of EPDP cadres Wednesday afternoon in Aarumuhaththaan Kudiyiruppu, 12 kilomertres north of Batticaloa. The van was damaged in the firing but the six EPDP cadres in the vehicle escaped unhurt, Police said. EPDP is a close ally of President Chandrika Kumaratunga and operates as a paramilitary with the Sri Lankan armed forces in the northeast. The EPDP cadres were returning from Batticaloa to their camp in the Kommathurai Sri Lanka army garrison.
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USS Courageous will increase SLN naval power by 75 percent, says Daya Sandagiri

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 March 2005, 08:30 GMT]
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Vice Admiral Daya Sandagiri, said on Tuesday in Colombo that the inclusion of a 210 foot US Coastguard Vessel, USS Courageous, into the fleet of coastguard ship would greatly enhance‚ the deep sea operations of the Sri Lankan navy. "The new vessel will increase our naval power by 75 percent," Vice Admiral Sandagiri said on Wednesday while speaking at the ceremony to officially commission the USS Courageous, which is renamed as P-621 into the Sri Lankan naval fleet. The ship is manned by 89 sailors and 13 officers led by Captain S.S. Ranasinghe.
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Equitable distribution of aid stressed in Helsinki meet

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 March 2005, 05:31 GMT]
“Post-tsunami aid should be equitably distributed in proportion to the damage," said Ambassador Mikko Pyhala, Asia and Oceania, when he met the Liberation Tigers' delegation led by Head of the LTTE Political Wing, S.P Thamilchelvan, at the Finland Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tuesday, LTTE sources in Helsinki said. Ambassador Pyhala also encouraged the parties, the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL), to arrive at a decision without further delay to institutionalize the joint mechanism for post tsunami management, sources further said.
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Historic Trincomalee Koneswaram temple annual festival begins

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 March 2005, 18:16 GMT]
The twenty two-day annual festival of the historic Trincomalee Koneswaram Temple located on the Swami Rock inside the Fort Frederick, which began Friday with flag hoisting ritual entered the fifth day Tuesday.
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UNICEF assists tsunami affected Trinco children

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 March 2005, 13:31 GMT]
Sixty children who lost their parents in the tsunami deadly waves in the Trincomalee district and are maintained by their close relatives under the supervision of the North East Provincial Department of Probation and Child Care Services (PCCS) have been provided with relief assistance donated by the UNICEF.
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Kavadapaddi residents receive self-employment assistance

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 March 2005, 11:40 GMT]
Tsunami affected residents of Kavadapaddi village in Amparai district received assistance in the form of sewing machines, boats and fishing nets for self-employment from Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) working exclusively in the NorthEast, sources in Amparai said.
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Amparai observes hartal over STF assault

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 March 2005, 10:54 GMT]
A hartal was organized Tuesday by Amparai residents protesting the violent incident at the Mandaanai Tsunami refugee camp where the Special Task Force (STF) personnel from Kanjiranguda camp attacked nine cadres of Liberation Tigers including Mr. S Kuyilinban, head of LTTE's political division for Amparai, Monday, severely injuring them, sources said. Transportation came to a standstill and the markets in the district were closed, according to sources.
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Thamilchelvan expresses serious concern over CFA violations

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 March 2005, 05:32 GMT]
"Norwegian facilitators should take serious note of the deteriorating situation which tends to have adverse effects on the CFA, the peace process and most importantly, post-tsunami management", Mr. S.P. Thamilchelvan, LTTE's Political Head told Norwegian Special Envoy Mr. Erik Solheim who met him in Vienna on Monday. Thamilchelvan expressed serious concern over attacks on Liberation Tigers political officials and unarmed cadres in Amparai and Batticaloa in Sri Lankan military controlled areas. In the meantime, situation is tense in Amparai on Tuesday as protestors called for a Hartal condemning the STF attack on LTTE's Political Head for Amparai, Mr. Kuyilinpan.
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Coal at Trinco harbor poses health risk, Environmentalists warn

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 March 2005, 03:50 GMT]
Unloaded coal piled up near the Ashraff Jetty of the Trincomalee harbour, before transported for use at Puttalam cement factory is endangering the health of the people of the area, Trincomalee civil leaders complained. The coal is then moved to a private land at Tampalakamam located 22 km off the east port town and then transported to Puttalam cement factory about 200 km off Trincomalee, in the northwestern province, sources said.
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Fizzled tsunami leaves two dead during evacuation

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2005, 20:08 GMT]
So far, there is no indication of unusual wave activity in the sea said TamilNet correspondent for Batticaloa who visited a coastal part of the eastern town around 3 AM Tuesday. A boy was killed in a an accident involving a lorry in Mavadippalli and an old women died while fleeing in Kalmunai, according to initial casuality reports from Amparai. First "Tsunami" wave reached Colombo at about 1am (local time) and is less than one foot (10") in height according to information received by US NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency) measured at location with coordinates 6-59N 79-51E in Colombo.
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Evacuation underway in NorthEast coastal areas

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2005, 18:49 GMT]
As a precautionary measure to avoid a possible tsunami from a 8.2 richter scale aftershock near Sumatra, LTTE units are evacuating coastal village residents and refugees in transit camps to higher grounds, sources said. FM radio and TV stations continued to provide updates on the quake that hit Sumatra Monday at 16.10 hrs GMT. Temple bells in almost all villages were rung alerting people to evacuate.
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Tsunami warning issued: Earth quake in Sumatra with 8.5 magnitude

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2005, 16:58 GMT]
An earthquake near Sumatra at nearly 240km SE of the previous quake with a magnitude of 8.5 with the "potential to generate a widely destructive tsuami in the ocean or seas near the earthquake is reported by the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC). Authorities in those regions should be aware of this possibility and take immediate action. This action should include evacuation of coasts within a thousand kilometers of the epicenter and close monitoring to determine the need for evacuation further away," according to PTWC's alert message. If a tsunami is generated it is likely to hit Sri Lanka around 12.30 am according to TamilNet's calculations.
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NEHRP to reconstruct 7,000 houses in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2005, 15:57 GMT]
The World Bank (WB) funded North East Housing Reconstruction Programme (NEHRP) is to reconstruct 4000 houses destroyed in the war and 3000 houses destroyed by the tsunami in the coastal areas, sources said.
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Austrian academics, LTTE discuss peace building in Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2005, 11:59 GMT]
“LTTE’s concern for the Tamil people is demonstrated by its flexibility,” said Professor Johan Galtung after the LTTE Political Team led by Mr.S.P.Tamilselvan met with Austrian academics in Stadtschlaining, Austria in the Institute for Integrative Conflict Transformation and Peace-building (IICP) Sunday 27 March 2005.
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STF assaults, injures LTTE political head for Amparai

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2005, 11:32 GMT]
Mr. S Kuyilinban, head of LTTE's political division for Amparai was admitted to Kalmunai Hospital with serious injuries after he was severely assaulted by Special Task Force commandos at a Tsunami refugee camp 76 kilometres south of Batticaloa Monday. Two LTTE political workers were also seriously injured when the STF assaulted brutally at the Mandaanai Tsunami refugee camp in the Thirukkovil area. The injured LTTE political officer and his colleagues were transferred from Amparai Hospital to Kalmunai for fear of their safety, the LTTE media spokesman for Batticaloa said.
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Big demo, march in Pt. Pedro

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2005, 10:08 GMT]
More than two thousand Internally displaced persons (IDP) and fisherman of Jaffna's Vadamaradchi region marched and demonstrated in Pt. Pedro Monday demanding that the Sri Lanka army (SLA) leave schools, villages and farm lands it has garrisioned and that the SLA should lift restrictions on fishing. The march was organised by the Federation of Vadamaradchi Public Organisations.
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UK medical team concludes tsunami mission

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2005, 04:57 GMT]
London medical team comprising 152 members and sponsored by London Sai Samithi after completing its humanitarian mission in tsunami affected coastal areas in the northeast and south, left Colombo Friday, sources said. London medical team conducted clinics in Mullaitivu, Killinochchi, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Kalmunai in the northeast and in Kamburupitya, Matara and Galle in the south lasting fourteen days since its arrival, one of its three co-ordinators Mr.Anis Patel said.
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SEDB distributes solar power units to Mulankavil villagers

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2005, 03:52 GMT]
The Socio Economic Development Bank (SEDB) headquartered in Killinochchi Friday evening distributed eleven solar power units on a loan scheme to its customers to provide electricity to Mulankavil, a village which is located about 45 km west of Killincochi along Poonagari-Mannar road, under its first phase of rural electrification project, sources said.
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LTTE's Vavuniya political office bombed

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2005, 02:14 GMT]
Three persons were injured in grenade attack on the political office of the Liberation Tigers in Vavuniya town Monday morning around 5.30. Police said. The wounded were a security guard at an adjacent weaving centre and two civilian employees at the LTTE political office. The unidentified assailants got away, Police said.
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Suspected paramilitary cadres kill pedestrian

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 March 2005, 16:48 GMT]
Gunmen suspected to be members of a paramilitary group shot dead a man Sunday evening around 4.45 in Chenkalady, 16 kilometres north of Batticaloa, Police said. The gunmen riding a motorbike opened fire on Mr. Nadarajah Supenthiran, 26 of Kannankudah, an LTTE held village 6 kilometres west of Batticaloa town, at point blank range when he was walking down Kanapathipillai Road in Chenkalady, Eravur Police said.
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Sri Lanka army SF suspected in murder of civilians – LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 March 2005, 15:23 GMT]
Two civilians were knifed to death Saturday night in the Kudumbimalai area, about forty kilometres northwest of Batticaloa, a spokesman for the Liberation Tigers said. “We strongly suspect the hand of Sri Lanka army Special Forces in the murder. Evidence points in that direction. The two men were persons who had volunteered from the Sithaandy village to help us stop the plunder of sand and timber from their area”, he said. Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) claimed Sunday that six were killed in clashes between LTTE troopers and a paramilitary group in Batticaloa on Saturday.
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Greek floating hospital concludes its mission in Trinco

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 March 2005, 17:26 GMT]
The Greek floating hospital OCEAN MONARCH that arrived in the east port and berthed in Ashraff Jetty since February 05, has completed its humanitarian mission in Trincomalee. About two thousand patients from Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Jaffna and Matale obtained treatment from the floating hospital. The vessel is to leave Trincomalee port on Monday morning, health sources said.
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Kantalai hospital should be developed on par with Trinco - Health Minister

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 March 2005, 17:19 GMT]
Mr.Nimal Sripala de Silva, Health Minister in the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government said Saturday that the Kantalai base hospital should be developed on par with the Trincomalee general hospital. "Please do not forget about the development of Kantalai hospital," said the Minister when addressing a conference in the Trincomalee general hospital especially summoned to discuss about the development of the century old Trincomalee general hospital built under the British rule.
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War memorial declared open in Ithathavil, Pallai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 March 2005, 12:39 GMT]
A memorial hall housing a destroyed SLA tank in Ithavil, a village along the A9, 3 km north of Pallai, was declared open Saturday morning 9.30 AM by LTTE's commander for northern front forces, Col. Theepan. The SLA tank which was destroyed in LTTE offensive "Unceasing Waves III" symbolises the landmark Ithavil battle that breached the Main Supply Route (MSR) life-line to the Elephant Pass (EPS) garrison, said LTTE's commander for northern front forces, Col. Theepan, who declared the memorial hall opened.
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Thamil Eelam satellite TV channel launched

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 March 2005, 11:40 GMT]
A satellite TV station called National Television of Thamil Eelam (NTT) will begin beaming news to Europe from an undisclosed location in Sri Lanka’s northeast from Saturday night, an official of the NTT said. "The satellite channel will start today at 17.30 GMT time. We will beam only fifteen minutes of news everyday for the next two weeks. Thereafter our telecast time would be increased to half an hour”, he said. The NTT official added that the Paris based Tamil Television Network (TTN) will relay the broadcast to their audiences in Europe at 18.00 GMT.
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Jaffna IDPs reject alternate land proposal by Supreme Court

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 March 2005, 19:09 GMT]
The Consortium of Welfare Centres for Internally Displaced Persons in Jaffna District Friday said that it would not accept alternate lands for their own lands now occupied by the government forces and declared as high security zones in the district. The Consortium said this in response to a report that the Supreme Court has queried the Jaffna Government Agent whether he could find alternate lands for the IDPs as their lands and houses are located within the HSZ and occupied by the State armed forces in the district, sources said.
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Poverty alleviation woes highlighted

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 March 2005, 18:23 GMT]
An organisation for the 'Samurdhi' poverty alleviation program officers in Sri Lanka's northeast and in the Nuwara Eliya District was inaugurated Friday in Vavuniya. Thousands of people living in poverty in several districts of the northeast do not receive any benefit under this program, according to the governers of the new organisation. The Samurdhi program is also affected by a shortage of field officers in the north.
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Thousands of Hindu devotees dip in Trincomalee Sea after tsunami

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 March 2005, 14:29 GMT]
Several thousand devotees participated in the water-cutting festival of the historic Trincomalee Pathirakali Amman Temple held in the Back Bay Sea in the east port town Friday early morning. Devotees- men, women and children irrespective of age dipped in the sea and performed religious rites amid announcement by Meteorological Department that sea would become rough in the afternoon and the waves would reach the shore beyond one hundred metre, sources said.
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LTTE committed to CFA and Flexible in Joint Mechanism, says Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 March 2005, 06:55 GMT]
LTTE’s commitment to maintain the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) with integrity and exercising flexibility in the matter of formulating proposals for a Joint Mechanism, remains undiluted, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan who heads the LTTE's top-delegation on the European mission, was quoted as saying by the LTTE website to the Austrian Government officials in Vienna on Thursday.
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Bid to convert French humanitarian fishing boat into SL Navy vessel exposed

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 March 2005, 04:19 GMT]
A concerted move bid by the Sri Lankan Navy to convert a French deep sea fishing trawler, SIMON KEGHIAN, which was gifted on humanitarian ground by a French Subsidiary company to help tsunami-devastated Sri Lankan fishermen in the South, has been widely exposed in French media. A leading French news site, Lorient Maville, reported on Thursday that the Sri Lankan Admiral-Commodore who inspected the ship was "very much impressed by the boat", which was later joined in the Sri Lanka Navy's boat squadron fleet for deep sea naval training and related exercises.
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Vadamaradchchi fishermen to hold protest march

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 March 2005, 03:04 GMT]
Vadamaradchchi North Fisheries Societies Federation Wednesday decided to conduct a protest march on March 28 demanding the removal of 100 meter buffer zone, condemning the reintroduction of pass system by the security establishment for fishing and requesting the government to allow resettlement in high security zones, civil sources said.
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65 million rupee ice plant to be constructed in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 March 2005, 02:16 GMT]
The Business Development Centre (BDC) network Wednesday signed an agreement with K.Thurairajah and Sons Private Limited headquartered in Trincomalee to establish a modern ice plant with the Chinese technology with a capacity to produce seventy tones of ice per day. The ice plant will be constructed at a cost of 65 million rupees in Nilaveli about sixteen km north of Trincomalee with machinery and technology imported from Dalian Group, China. The project is to commence production in January 2006, BDC sources said.
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Historic Trincomalee Pathirakali Ambal chariot festival held

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 March 2005, 20:20 GMT]
Large number of devotees thronged at the historic Trincomalee Pathirakali Amman Temple to witness the annual chariot festival held Thursday morning. Three chariots one for Pillaiyar, other for Murugan and the third big one for Goddess Pathirakali Amman began their annual procession around the temple with devotees singing hymns. According to historians, Pathirakali Ambal Temple was built during the reign of King Rajendra Cholan, the First in the 11th Century A.D.
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Shooting in garrisoned village north of Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 March 2005, 18:19 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot a person believed to have links with a paramilitary group in Kommathurai, 17 kilometres north of Batticaloa Thursday night around 8.20. The man escaped with gunshot injuries. His assailants had gone his house and shot him with a 9 mm pistol, according to Police. Most of Kommathurai is garrisoned by the Sri Lanka army.
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Shut down call by Sinhala association fizzles in Trinco

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 March 2005, 18:18 GMT]
The call made by the North East Sinhala Association (NESA) for a shut down of business establishments in Trincomalee town in support of a Buddhist priest and his five disciples who is performing a satyagraha campaign since March 12 Thursday fizzled out as majority of Sinhalese in the town did not respond favourably. Venerable Mahamaduluwewe Nandaretna, Viharathipathi of Mahadiulwewa Sri Pabatharama Vihare began his satyagraha with his disciples demanding that the government should expedite providing relief to tsunami victims, five hundred thousand cash for all people who lost their houses in the natural disaster, sources said.
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JVP supports Cuba, China’s anti secession law

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 March 2005, 16:16 GMT]
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the main coalition partner of President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s government, said Thursday that Sri Lankan should oppose the US resolution against Cuba at the UN Human Rights Commission. “It is the internationalist duty of this government to oppose the US resolution and support of Cuba”, said Mr. Wimal Weerawansa MP, the powerful propaganda secretary of the JVP in Parliament Thursday. Meanwhile, the JVP sent a message to China’s President Hu Jintao Thursday expressing support for the anti session law he promulgated on 14 March to prevent Taiwan from declaring independence.
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Army circular creates stir in Jaffna education circle

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 March 2005, 14:39 GMT]
Major General Sunil Tennekon, Jaffna area commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Wednesday instructed all Zonal Directors of Education in the Jaffna district in writing to submit their explanation in regard to the participation of students in school uniform during public agitations held so far. In response Jaffna education establishment has said that the army has no right to call for explanation from education officials except the education ministry, education sources said.
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NPC urges Colombo to disprove Government support to Karuna group

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 March 2005, 09:36 GMT]
Pointing out the existence of a camp manned by militants of the Karuna group in Government-controlled territory that borders the north east, the National Peace Council (NPC), a Colombo based Sri Lankan peace group, in a media release issued on Thursday, called on the Government to disprove the allegations regarding its support for the Karuna group immediately and ensure that no such camps are permitted to exist in the territory it controls. Cease Fire Agreement between the GoSL and the LTTE in its clause 1.8 prohibits armed paramilitaries in the NorthEast. The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has been accused of collaborating with paramilitaries to promote internecine violence in the east.
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NESOHR Deputy refutes Kadirgamar's statement at the UN

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 March 2005, 23:56 GMT]
Mr. K. Sivapalan, Attorney-at-Law and Deputy Chairperson of the North East Secretariat on Human Rights, on Wednesday refuted the recent statement made by Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar at the 61st Sessions of the UN Commission on Human Rights. There were several misleading and wrong facts in Kadirgamar's address, Mr. Sivapalan, told the UN Commission.
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Foundation laid for Trinco campus new building complex

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 March 2005, 18:10 GMT]
Foundation stone was laid Wednesday morning for the 91 million rupee-project to construct a building complex to house the Trincomalee campus of the Eastern University in 250 acre-land allocated in Konesapuri, 16 km north of Trincomalee town along Trincomalee-Pulmoddai road. Trincomalee campus is currently functioning in rented buildings in the east port town without adequate space for its academic activities and lack of hostel facilities for students, sources said.
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LTTE delegation in Bern, meets with Foreign Affairs officials

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 March 2005, 12:09 GMT]
The delegation led by Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, the head of political section of the LTTE, on Wednesday, met with Ambassador Thomas Greminger, Head of Political Affairs Division IV (Human Security), Switzerlands Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and discussed the post-tsunami joint mechanism and the current state of peace process.
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German support helps restore rhythm of regular life amongst school children

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 March 2005, 11:18 GMT]
As part of its response to assist in the rehabilitation of coastal area schools affected by the tsunami, the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) on behalf of the German Government, recently donated learning and teaching material to more than 27,000 students in the eastern Trincomalee district and in the southern Hambantota district, according to a press release issued by GTZ Wednesday.
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Tension in Akkaraipattu over Police shooting

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 March 2005, 11:14 GMT]
Tension prevailed in Akkaraipattu Wednesday after a Muslim youth was shot by Sri Lanka Police in the town around 2 in the afternoon. The youth was riding a motorbike with a colleague when Police opened fire on him at Fiscal Junction in Akkaraipattu town, 64 kilometres south of Batticaloa. A large number of Special Task Force commandos and Police were deployed as tension mounted in the town over the shooting. A Police officer in the town told TamilNet that his men had stopped the youth at a checkpoint and were compelled to open fire as he did not heed them.
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Tsunami hit Trinco women demand 200-meter buffer zone removed

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 March 2005, 02:43 GMT]
Hundreds of women mainly from Sinhala community Tuesday held a demonstration in front of the Clock Tower junction in the heart of Trincomalee town demanding that the 200 meter buffer zone should be removed and to expedite the rehabilitation of tsunami hit fishing industry, sources said.
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No identification parade in Mannar alleged rape incident

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 March 2005, 13:55 GMT]
Mr.N.M.M.Abdullah Tuesday decided not to hold an identification parade into the allegation of rape and assault on refugees by unidentified men on the sandbank in Mannar Sea during the first week of March. The Magistrate made his order in this regard when three victim men and a women told in reply to court Tuesday that they cannot identify the culprits in an identification parade, legal sources said.
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Refugee woman, children stranded on Adam’s Bridge

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 March 2005, 12:06 GMT]
A refugee woman abandoned on a sandbank in the seas off Mannar with her two children was reported missing Tuesday. Fishermen from Thalaimannar who had given food to the woman and her children informed the parish priest of the area about her plight. “They told me that the woman and her daughters were stranded without food or water since Saturday morning. Sri Lanka navy searched the sandbanks in the area when I brought it to their notice”, Fr. Antonydas Christopher Daleema, parish priest for Thalaimannar told TamilNet Tuesday. Local fishermen do not rescue refugees from mid sea, fearing arrest.
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Media report of British pressure false -Balasingham

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 March 2005, 10:52 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers' Chief Negotiator and Political Advisor, Mr. Anton Balasingham Tuesday dismissed claims in a Sri Lankan newspaper that British authorities had pressured him to secure the release of a Tamil resident of the UK which the paper also claimed had been detained by the LTTE in northern Sri Lanka. A columnist in The Sunday Leader claimed this week that British intelligence officials had threatened Mr. Balasingham on behalf of Mr. Rajasingham Jeyadevan after the latter was detained by the LTTE.
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Tamil journalists still feel insecure - SLTMA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 March 2005, 10:28 GMT]
"Tamil media journalists still feel insecure in the ceasefire situation and also they are facing discrimination language wise", said Mr.R.Barathi, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance (SLTMA) in his annual report tabled at the annual general meeting of the SLTMA held during the weekend in Colombo.
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Jeweler shot dead in Oddamavadi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 March 2005, 07:15 GMT]
An owner of a jewellery shop was shot dead Monday night at his home in Meeravodai, a Muslim village 34 kilometres north of Batticaloa, by three men with a T – 56 assault rifle, Police said. The jeweler’s daughter was critically injured in the shooting. “We are investigating the motive for the murder”, a Police officer in Valaichenai said. Meeravodai is an out suburb of Oddamavadi town.
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Injured Karuna Group cadres transferred to Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 March 2005, 06:17 GMT]
Three Karuna Group cadres injured in an attack on their camp in the early hours of Monday morning have been transfaerred to Colombo national hospital for treatment under tight security, Police said. Meanwhile, bodies of two persons killed during the predawn raid are yet to be identified and are lying at Polannaruwa hospital, Police said Tuesday. The assistance of the ICRC has been sought to identify the bodies.
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Workshop on NE housing reconstruction begins in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 March 2005, 15:05 GMT]
Four-day workshop to find solution to problems preventing several thousands of people who lost their houses in the northeast province in the two-decade-old war, from obtaining financial assistance from World Bank (WB) funded North East Housing Reconstruction Programme (NEHRP) began Monday. The workshop, which is held with the support of the Asia Foundation, is to conclude Thursday.
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Resettled families urge not to stop issue of dry ration

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 March 2005, 15:05 GMT]
Hundreds of residents of Islets in the Jaffna district Monday held a demonstration in front of the Velanai divisional secretariat demanding that they should be provided with dry ration without interruption instead of taking steps to suspend it, civil sources said.
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Three injured in predawn attack on paramilitary camp

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 March 2005, 05:12 GMT]
Three paramilitary cadres of the Karuna Group were wounded in a predawn attack by gunmen suspected to be Liberation Tigers Monday in Theevuchenai, an interior hamlet near the Batticaloa-Polannaruwa district border, Police said. The wounded paramilitary cadres, including a man identified as ‘Mangalam Master’, were admitted to Polannaruwa Base Hospital Monday morning, Welikanda Police sources said. On Sunday, Sri Lanka army (SLA) spokesman denied a report in a Colombo weekend paper that the Karuna Group was running a camp in Theevuchenai, an area controlled by the SLA.
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SLA assures protection to Jaffna journalists

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 March 2005, 17:41 GMT]
Major General Sunil Tennekon, Jaffna area commander of the Sri Lanka Army Sunday assured the Jaffna media personnel that his command is prepared to provide security to them and their equipments when they discharge their duties on the ground. He held a wide-ranging discussion, which lasted for about an hour with a delegation of Jaffna District Media Association (JDMA) at the office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) following allegations that soldiers had attacked journalists in Jaffna in recent times when they were performing their duties.
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"War and Peace" released in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 March 2005, 12:26 GMT]
The book "War and Peace" authored by LTTE political strategist Mr.Anton Balasingham was released Saturday evening at an event held at the Kailasapathi auditorium of the Jaffna University. Mr.E.Puviraj, President of the International Federation of Tamil Eelam Students presided. Professor C.Mohanathas, Vice Chancellor of the Jaffna University lit the common flame of sacrifice followed by the Chief Librarian. LTTE deputy political head Mr.S.Thangan hoisted the Thamileelam National Flag, sources said.
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Colombo paper exposes paramilitary camp

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 March 2005, 10:55 GMT]
Colombo-based English newspaper, the Sunday Leader, in its latest edition, has exposed the presence of a paramilitary camp at Theevuchenai in the SLA-held area of the Polonnaruwa district. The paper said its reporters visited last week the village lying about 10 km north of the Harabarana-Valaichenai highway from Sevenapitiya.
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Tilak Karunaratne withdraws petition against MoU

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 March 2005, 08:27 GMT]
One of the three petitions filed in the Court of Appeal challenging the constitutional validity of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the then Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe and Mr.V.Pirapaharan leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was withdrawn last week, legal sources said.
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MBA students assist tsunami-hit Veloor villagers

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 March 2005, 06:50 GMT]
Students following Management and Business Administration (MBA) course in the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) of the University of Sri Jayawardenapura have provided assistance to tsunami-affected villagers of Veloor, Adambodai and Kuchchaveli to restore livelihood. They also helped to improve the management of tsunami shelters located in these areas, sources said.
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Tamil MPs boycot NE governor's visit to Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 March 2005, 17:45 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance MPs Saturday boycotted the first official visit of Northeast Governor Mr. Tyronne Fernandao to Batticaloa. The Minister for Batticaloa Development, Mr. M.S.M Ameer Ali, was also not present for the Governor's visit to the troubled eastern town.
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Tamils risk turning violence inwards- Prof Uyangoda

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 March 2005, 11:20 GMT]
Although the three years of relative peace after the signing of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) between the United National Party (UNP) and the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) has demonstrated that violence and war is not necessary to mediate relations between warring parties, the same period has "also proved that Tamil society ran the risk of turning violence inwards, against itself," writes Prof Uyangoda in an article appearing in the Saturday edition of Daily Mirror.
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Workshop held for pre-school officials

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 March 2005, 11:10 GMT]
Mr. Tramz-Josepf Kuhn of German ABC Foundation held a one-day workshop Saturday morning for the district, zonal and divisional co-ordinators of pre-schools in Jaffna, Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar and Vavuniya on new learning techniques at the International Children School auditorium in Kilinochchi. Mr.S.Rajagopal, Director of the International Children School presided.
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WB funded E-Sri Lanka project ignores Tamil journalists-SLTMA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 March 2005, 11:08 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance (SLTMA) said the Tamil media journalists are ignored in the computer-training programme of the E- Sri Lanka Project of the Government's Information Technology Institute, which is funded by the World Bank (WB). SLTMA General Secretary Mr.R.Barathi in a statement appealed to the World Bank and the office of the Prime Minister to intervene in this matter and to take corrective steps to include Tamil media personnel in the training programme, SLTMA sources said.
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"No hope for Tamils within a united Sri Lanka" - Verena Graf tells UN Commission

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 March 2005, 21:28 GMT]
"The developments during the last three years compounded by the post-tsunami experiences raise the specter that time is running out; that there is no hope for the Tamils within a united Sri Lanka, that their only chance lies in fighting for external self-determination," Ms. Verena Graf, Secretary General of the International League for the Rights and Liberation of Peoples, a Geneva based NGO with Special Consultative Status at the United Nations, said in her oral statement on Friday at UN Commission's 61st session on Human Rights.
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Football coaching camp for tsunami-victims begins in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 March 2005, 18:51 GMT]
Three-day football coaching camp for school students and physical training teachers (PTI) in Trincomalee town sponsored by Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) and conducted by the Trincomalee Football League began Friday morning. FIFA headquartered in Geneva has sent Mr.Holger Obaman, German coach to conduct the camp, TFL sources said.
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Jaffna SLN misdemeanors laid bare

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 March 2005, 16:59 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldiers were caught by officials of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) near Crow Island in Jaffna Thursday with fish forcibly seized from local fishermen, sources said.
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Paramilitary cadre shot in Batticaloa high security zone

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 March 2005, 15:42 GMT]
A paramilitary cadre was shot by an unidentified gunman in a high security neighbourhood of Batticaloa town Friday evening. The injured man, Mr. Jeyarajah Raju, 25, was rushed to Batticaloa Hospital, Police said. He is resident of Veechchukalmunai, a high security zone by the Sri Lanka Air Force base in Batticaloa. .
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100 member UK medical volunteer team to work in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 March 2005, 15:17 GMT]
A group of about one hundred medical officers and volunteers from United Kingdom comprising Indian, Sri Lankan and European nationals belonging to Satya Sai Samithi Society, arrived this week in Sri Lanka to conduct medical camps in the NorthEast, sources in Trincomalee said.
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Lanka customs confiscates relief medical supplies

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 March 2005, 10:37 GMT]
After delaying two weeks in providing clearance to a container sent from North Carolina, the Sri Lanka customs confiscated 54 boxes of medical supplies and transferred the items for delivery through their own Social Services Ministry, and charged $1000 for the rest of the 168 boxes of other relief supplies, officals of the North Carolinians for Peace (NCFP) told TamilNet. The Clearing agent, Capitol Area Lions Club has been instructed to deliver the cleared relief material to "cleared areas," (Government controlled areas) only, NCFP officials added.
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Riot Police stop IDPs entering Jaffna HSZ

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 March 2005, 07:06 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police special riot squads Friday blocked more than a thousand Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) from forcibly entering the military high security zone (HSZ) in Thellipalai, Jaffna. The HSZ covers most of Jaffna’s northwestern sector. Protestors and Tamil National Alliance MPs argued with the Police riot squads. About thousand five hundred IDPs staged a protest march Friday from Mallakam Junction to the Thellipalai Divisional Secretary’s office demanding that they be allowed to resettle in their villages that have been garrisoned by the Sri Lanka army for more than fifteen years.
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LTTE delegation meets EU's Deputy Director for External Relations

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 March 2005, 05:23 GMT]
The delegation led by Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, the head of political section of the LTTE, on Thursday, met with Mr. Hervé Jouanjean, the Deputy Director for External Relations for the European Union and discussed the post-tsunami joint mechanism and the current state of peace process.
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Canadian delegation visits Trincomalee, sees WUSC activities

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 March 2005, 19:16 GMT]
A Canadian parliamentarian delegation led by Ms Maria Minna arrived in Trincomalee Thursday around noon on a fact-finding mission accompanied by Mr.Jean-Philippe Linteau, Political Officer of the Canadian High Commission in Colombo. Other members of the Canadian delegation were Mr.Derek Lee, Mr.Joe Comartin, both parliamentarians and a Senator Mr.Jospeh Day.
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Japanese hazard management team visits Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 March 2005, 18:23 GMT]
Issues related to establishing an Early Warning System (EWS) and Implementing Disaster Management methods in Sri Lanka were discussed when visiting Japanese experts met with Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunge and cabinet officials, a press release issued in Colombo Thursday by the Presidential Secretariat said.
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Canadian parliamentary team meets Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 March 2005, 18:07 GMT]
The Canadian parliamentary delegation, which is currently visiting Sri Lanka, held discussions with Mr.R.Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Thursday afternoon at Hotel Club Oceanic located three km off north of Trincomalee town, sources said.
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Mathakal fishermen protest against navy assault

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 March 2005, 16:10 GMT]
A group of fishermen from Mathakal, a coastal area in Jaffna district, Thursday morning held a protest in front of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp in the area against the assault on about fifteen fishermen while fishing in sea by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) personnel who were patrolling in a Dora boat. The assault took place Thursday early morning, fisheries sources said.
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Thousands of university students protest in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 March 2005, 11:49 GMT]
More than five thousand university students marched through downtown Colombo Thursday demanding that the Government of Sri Lanka drop plans for privatizing higher education. The massive protest march which winded through busy and traffic congested areas of the city to the University Grants Commission around Thursday noon was organized by the powerful Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF), an arm of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the main coalition partner of President Kumaratunga.
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Sri Lanka clamps restrictions on post-Tsunami coverage

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 March 2005, 11:09 GMT]
Free Media Movement (FMM), Sri Lanka’s media watchdog, Thursday slammed the Government of Sri Lanka for imposing unacceptable restrictions on foreign journalists covering post-tsunami rebuilding and recovery efforts in the island. In a statement issued Thursday FMM said a Canadian TV journalist has been asked by the Sri Lankan embassy in Ottawa to sign a letter of agreement accepting the restrictions as a condition for issuing him a visa. FMM said that conditions such as these “did not exist even during most of the period of armed conflict in Sri Lanka”.
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Thamilchelvan discusses post-tsunami reconstruction with German officials

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 March 2005, 04:25 GMT]
The LTTE delegation which is on an official visit to European countries arrived in Berlin on Wednesday and held talks with German Economic Cooperation and Development Minister Ms. Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul. The delegation led by Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, Head of the Political Section of the LTTE, also met Mr. Bernd Borchardt, South Asia Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Jürgen Weerth, German Ambassador to Sri Lanka. Germany is Sri Lanka's second-largest bilateral donor, next to Japan.
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Czech NGO donates tractors to Trinco UC

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 March 2005, 01:40 GMT]
"People In Need (PIN)," a non-governmental organization from Czech Republic, Wednesday donated three tractors with trailers worth Rs 2.6m to the Trincomalee Urban Council for garbage and tsunami debris removal, at an event held Wednesday evening in the UC premises, sources said.
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Another youth shot dead in east

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 March 2005, 15:46 GMT]
A youth was shot by unidentified gunmen in Maruthamunai, a Muslim town 35 kilometres south of Batticaloa Wednesday evening around 5. 45. He was rushed to Batticaloa hospital but died soon after admission, Police said. The youth, identified as Mr. Thambirasah Jegan, 22, is from ‘Farm Colony’ in Mankerni, about 50 kilometres north of Batticaloa. He was riding a motorbike when he was shot, according to Police.
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Sri Lanka Navy rape case refugees say threatened

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 March 2005, 14:05 GMT]
Representatives from the group of refugees that alleged it was beaten, robbed and raped by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) personnel on a sandbank off Thalaimannar on 5 February informed the Mannar Citizens Committee Wednesday that they want to withdraw their case from Mannar courts as they are facing threats. On Tuesday none of refugees turned up at the Mannar courts for the identification parade of twenty two sailors from Thalaimannar SLN base to point out the men who had allegedly robbed them and raped women in the group.
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Kumaratunga moves to clip JVP's strong media links

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 March 2005, 13:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga is reported to have taken over the administration of the Media Ministry, held by Minister Mangala Samaraweera, in a move widely seen as intended to limit the strong links the radical Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has with the State media institutions, especially the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Co-operation (SLRC), Independent Television Network (ITN) and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), political sources in Colombo said.
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Canadian parliamentarians meet LTTE, promise aid for NorthEast

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 March 2005, 11:41 GMT]
The Candian Government will provide assistance to the people of NorthEast to recover from the tsunami disaster, said Hon Ms Maria Minna, Member of Parliament from Canada, when a delegation of Canadian Parliamentarian met with Liberation Tigers officials led by Deputy Head of LTTE Political Wing, S. Thangan in the Planning and Development Secretariat (PDS) Wednesday 10.30 am, sources from Kilinochchi said.
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Suspected paramilitary cadre shot dead in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 March 2005, 02:10 GMT]
A person suspected to be a paramilitary cadre was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Kaluthaavalai, 27 kilometres south of Batticaloa Tuesday night, Police said. The dead person was from Chenkalady, 16 kilometres north of Batticaloa, according to Kaluwanchikudi Inspector of Police (IP), Mr. K. M Samarakon.
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LTTE showed maximum flexibility in accepting joint mechanism proposal - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 March 2005, 21:56 GMT]
Although the proposed joint mechanism for post-tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction did not fully meet the requirements necessary to facilitate recovery efforts in NorthEast to proceed unhindered, the LTTE accepted the proposal in view of the urgency demanded by the situation in NorthEast, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, LTTE's political head told Swedish Minister for Development Cooperation, Ms. Carin Jamtin, when he met with the Minister in Stockholm Tuesday, sources said.
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All Sinhala relief team to assist TAFOR in East

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 March 2005, 19:31 GMT]
None of the forty four relief co-ordinators hired by the Commissioner of General Essential Services and Chairman of the Task Force for Relief (TAFOR), Mr Tilak Ranaviraja, is Tamil speaking, attendees to a meeting called by the Commissioner held at the Ministry of Defense 14 March, said. Relief co-ordinators are recent graduates selected to assist TAFOR in finding land for transitional housing for the tsunami displaced, sources said.
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Swiss firefighting equipment held by Lanka customs

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 March 2005, 14:28 GMT]
Sri Lanka Customs on recommendation from Sri Lanka security forces have refused to release a container with fire fighting equipment sent to the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) from Switzerland, officials of TRO said. In a press release issued from Colombo Tuesday, TRO officials added that the equipments are neither banned nor illegal to import, and are intended for use during emergencies in refugee camps.
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Red Cross signs MoU to reconstruct tsunami hit medical institutions

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 March 2005, 13:19 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) and the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) have undertaken to reconstruct, renovate, repair and equip General Hospitals, Base Hospitals, District Hospitals, Rural Hospitals, Peripheral Units and Central Dispensaries in the tsunami affected areas throughout the island.
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Norway slams Colombo media report

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 March 2005, 12:00 GMT]
Norway Tuesday slammed a Colombo media report that it has conveyed a warning to the Government of Sri Lanka and international donors that it is considering a suspension of its role as facilitator to the Peace Process. The Norwegian embassy in Colombo categorically denied the report. Daily Mirror published from Colombo in a lead story Tuesday quoting "informed sources" said: "the LTTE may withdraw from the ceasefire agreement and Norway may suspend its role as facilitator if the government fails to set up a joint mechanism with the LTTE before the end of April to handle tsunami rebuilding in the northeast".
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Three model resettlement villages opened in Amparai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 March 2005, 03:05 GMT]
Three additional temporary model resettlement villages for tsunami affected coastal area residents in Amparai district was ceremonially opened Saturday, civil sources in Amparai said. A community of 30 houses in the 10th division of Karaitivu, a 30 house scheme in Aalaiyadivembu village, and another 70 house community model village in adjoining area of Karaitivu declared open and the ownership certificates awarded to residents at the inauguration events, sources said.
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Two killed in Karapola

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 March 2005, 02:30 GMT]
Two men were shot dead in Karapola, Welikanda, Monday night around 9.30, Police said. Karapola is a Tamil village in the Polannaruwa district near the Batticaloa border. Officer in Charge of Welikanda Police Mr. Saman Perera said an unidentified armed group was involved in the killing.
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Missing fishermen found in SLN custody

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 March 2005, 16:22 GMT]
Fishermen, Mr.Sivaraj Pirabu (24) and Mr.Joseph Iruthayathas (38), who went missing after going out fishing in Kankesanturai (KKS) sea were found in the custody of Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), civil sources said. The SLN said the fishermen were arrested for straying into the high security zone (HSZ) in Kankesanthurai Sea.
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LTTE political office in Batticaloa bombed

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 March 2005, 14:28 GMT]
Political office of the Liberation Tigers in Batticaloa town was bombed by unidentified persons around 7.25 Monday night Police said.The office was not damaged. A Sri Lanka Police camp is at the Arasady Junction. This is the fourth attack on the office in six months, Police said. LTTE said paramilitaries working with the Sri Lankan armed forces are behind the attacks on their political office in the eastern town.
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Commission on eastern killings to record evidence

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 March 2005, 12:32 GMT]
The commission appointed by Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga to inquire into attacks on the Liberation Tigers in the east will record evidence from 28 March to 8 April 2005, according to a media release by the President’s officer in Colombo Monday. The commission on “alleged attacks on LTTE” will record evidence “to ascertain the circumstances and/or the motive leading to the attacks on those alleged to be LTTE Cadres”, according to the release. Tigers dismissed the commission as “eyewash” last week, pointing to the fate of four Presidential commissions that inquired into massacres of Tamil civilians in the east by Sri Lankan armed forces.
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Woman MP leads Jaffna rape protest

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 March 2005, 12:24 GMT]
Ms Pathmini Sithamparanathan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) sole woman parliamentarian in the Jaffna district led protest march held in Jaffna town Monday condemning the attempt to rape a sixty three year old Tamil woman of Neerveli on Thursday by a soldier of the Sri Lanka Army on Thursday when she was alone in her home. The protest march began Monday morning from Nallur Kandasamy Temple area and concluded in front of the Jaffna office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), sources said.
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Woman identifies SLA soldier in attempted rape case

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 March 2005, 11:51 GMT]
A sixty three year old Tamil woman of Neerveli in Jaffna Monday identified the soldier of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) who attempted to rape her last Thursday at an identification parade held in the Jaffna Magistrate's Court.
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Trinco tsunami victims protest, demand proper shelters

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 March 2005, 11:05 GMT]
Hundreds of Tamil speaking people affected by tsunami disaster in the coastal areas of Trincomalee town and its suburbs Monday held protest in several places sitting across main roads bringing traffic to a halt, demanding that they should be moved out from tents and be located in temporary houses elsewhere, sources said.
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Two VVT fishermen missing

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 March 2005, 11:02 GMT]
Two fishermen who set out to sea from Valvettithurai (VVT) in Jaffna two days ago are missing, relatives said. The men went to fish on a catamaran. Search parties could not find the missing fishermen, a spokesman for the VVT fisheries co-operative society said.
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Trinco observes general shut down

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 March 2005, 09:54 GMT]
Normal life in the Trincomalee town and its suburbs was disrupted Monday in responding to the call of the Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples' Forum putting forward six demands including that discrimination in providing tsunami relief to Tamil speaking people should be stopped, ensure equal distribution of aid sent by the international community to Tamil speaking tsunami victims, condemning the government for exercising emergency regulations to crush minority rights and to stop setting up of illegal Sinhala settlements in Trincomalee, sources said.
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Japanese delegation to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 March 2005, 09:22 GMT]
A Japanese Government delegation on Tsunami disaster, Consisting of 32 experts from 12 ministries will visit Sri Lanka this week, according to a press release issued by Embassy of Japan in Colombo, Monday.
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Northern fishermen boycott demanding new gear

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 March 2005, 18:00 GMT]
Vadamaradchchi Fisheries Societies Sunday decided that their members will not fish for commercial purpose on a large scale until their tsunami destroyed fishing boats, engines and fishing gear are replaced by the Sri Lanka Government. Currently only a few fishermen go out fishing using catamarans and small boats repaired locally, fisheries sources said.
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SEDOT builds Homes for destitute Sambaltivu children

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 March 2005, 13:40 GMT]
Socio-Economic Development Organization in Trincomalee (SEDOT) funded by the Tamil Welfare Association in Canada has launched a project to run two homes in the Trincomalee district-one at Sambaltivu, north of east port town and other at Mallikaitheivu, south of Muttur division for destitute children affected by war and natural disaster, sources in Trincomalee said.
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Epidemic fears grow in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 March 2005, 13:12 GMT]
Dr.T.Thavakodirajah, Regional Epidemiologist, citing in a report to Colombo health authorities, of Dengue cases in the Ministry of Health (MOH) areas of Trincomalee and Kinniya, malaria cases in Trincomalee MOH area, viral hepatitis cases in Sampoor in Muttur MOH division and dysentery cases in Muttur town, added that immediate action needs to be taken to arrest the spread of infectious diseases, sources said.
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Trinco monk protests govt inaction in providing tsunami relief

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 March 2005, 11:35 GMT]
The sit-in-protest campaign began by Venerable Hamulugamuwa Nandaretna, Viharathipathi of Mahadiulwewa Sri Pabatharama Raja Maha Vihare with his five disciples in the heart of Trincomalee town, in front of Clock Tower junction Saturday morning condemning the Sri Lanka government's inaction in providing relief and reconstruction assistance to tsunami victims in the Trincomalee district entered second day Sunday, sources said.
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English language teaching project concludes in Trinco

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 March 2005, 21:11 GMT]
The training for English Language Teaching (TELT) Communities Project in Trincomalee conducted by the British Council and funded by the USAID concluded in Trincomalee during the weekend. The presentation of certificates to twenty trained senior teachers under this project was held at Lotus Park Hotel in Alles garden in Trincomalee, sources said.
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US Senator's office exposes Lanka customs clearance fraud

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 March 2005, 13:10 GMT]
An over-charge of nearly US$4000 on an NGO during clearance of relief supplies was discovered due to the intervention of Maryland Senator Paul Sarbanes office, sources said. The fraud was discovered when officials of a Baltimore Church and Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), approached the Congressman for help to pressure Sri Lanka Government to waive the nearly $7000 US taxes it imposed on five water purifiers sent by the Baltimore church to NorthEast victims of recent tsunami.
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Lord Konesar procession concludes in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 March 2005, 10:00 GMT]
Three-day procession of Lord Konesar, chief deity of historic Trincomalee Koneswaram Temple with his consort Mathumai Ambal concluded Saturday early morning. The procession commenced Wednesday evening from Koneswaram Temple following Maha Sivarathiri Day celebrations, sources said
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CONCERN WORLDWIDE assists tsunami hit Trinco fishermen

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 March 2005, 09:16 GMT]
CONCERN WORLDWIDE, an international non-governmental organization headquartered in Ireland has agreed to donate fishing boats, engines and fishing gear to fishermen of Veeranagar and Manayaveli-Sandycove suburbs in the Trincomalee town.
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Crowds block Sri Lanka army garrisons in Chavakachcheri

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 March 2005, 06:06 GMT]
Crowds blocked Sri Lanka army (SLA) camps in Chavakachcheri with burning tires and logs Saturday in protest against the military for tear gassing and damaging property in the northern peninsula’s second largest town. Protestors stopped military traffic on the A9 highway through Chavakachcheri. Some set fire to two military sentry points in the town. Troubles erupted in this key town when a civilian was hit and wounded by a speeding Sri Lanka army vehicle Friday afternoon. SLA troops and Police tear gassed to disperse a crowd that tried to set fire to the vehicle. Two civilians were wounded Saturday afternoon when riot Police charged a restive crowd in Chavakachcheri.
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UNICEF funds refurbishment of Muttur Children's ward

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 March 2005, 01:07 GMT]
Mr.Ted Chaiban, UNICEF resident representative in Sri Lanka, Thursday declared open the refurbished children'd ward in the Muttur district hospital which caters about sixty five thousand people in forty two (village level) Grama Niladhari divisions. Muttur is the third densely populated division in the Trincomalee district, after Trincomalee Town and Gravets, and Kinniya division, sources said.
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Soldiers harass civilians at Muhamalai army checkpoint

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 March 2005, 20:22 GMT]
Jaffna district Head of LTTE Political Wing, C.Ilamparithi, has complained to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that harassment and intimidation by soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) at Muhamalai check point on civilians is on the increase. He requested the SLMM to take immediate steps to stop this trend, sources said.
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LTTE delegation meets Norwegian facilitators in Oslo

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 March 2005, 16:45 GMT]
"We told the Norwegians that Sri Lanka Government should without delay extend co-operation to finalize the joint mechanism for aid distribution and should take immediate steps to end the targetting of LTTE political officials and cadres working in the East by paramilitary operatives operating with the backing of the Sri Lanka Army," said Head of LTTE Political Wing, S.P Thamilchelvan in Oslo Friday during a brief press conference held at the Hotel Continental in Norway's capital Oslo at 3 pm.
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Arrest rising chauvinism, extremism, TNA tells Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 March 2005, 12:15 GMT]
Accusing Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister of "inciting the forces of chauvinism and extremism" in Sri Lanka by rushing to describe World Bank official Mr Peter Harrold's statements on Liberation Tigers, without checking their veracity, as "provocative," Mr Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in his statement in Sri Lanka's parliament on the current political situation, urged the Sri Lanka Government to speak with one voice regarding taking the peace process forward, parliamentary sources in Colombo said.
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More civilians, SLA troubles erupt in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 March 2005, 10:25 GMT]
Restive crowds pelted Sri Lanka army (SLA) troops and blocked the Nelliyadi-Kodikamam main road with burning tires at Kalikai Junction, Thunnalai in Jaffna demanding the arrest of an SLA soldier who had allegedly attempted to molest a married woman in the area in the early hours of Friday morning. Crowds dispersed only after Police promised to bring the alleged offender to book. Later in the day, crowds tried to set fire to an SLA vehicle that knocked and wounded a man in Chavakachcheri town. The crowds also set fire to a Sri Lanka army sentry in Chavakachcheri town during the stand off that developed after the incident.
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Grenade attack on Batticaloa PLOTE camp

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 March 2005, 08:45 GMT]
Three PLOTE cadres were wounded when two unidentified men riding a motorbike lobbed a grenade on the group's camp in Batticaloa town Friday afternoon. The condition of two injured PLOTE cadres is serious, Police said. The PLOTE camp is in a high security sector of the eastern town.
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German couple assists Ilankaithurai fisher folk

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 March 2005, 02:26 GMT]
Dr Dedo Geinitz, former Team Leader of the Integrated Food Security Programme (IFSP) Trincomalee supported by GTZ and funded by the governments of Germany and Sri Lanka and Mrs Ruth Fode-Geinitz, their friends and family members from Germany have provided Rs 700,000 worth of fishing equipment to fishermen from Ilankaithurai, one of the poorest and most neglected villages in the Eachchilampathu division, south of the Trincomalee district, sources said.
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Indian ships to train SLN cadets

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 March 2005, 16:09 GMT]
Three Indian naval ships have arrived in Colombo to provide sea training for Sri Lanka naval (SLN)cadets exposing them to various naval operations at sea, under India-Sri Lanka "Training Exchange Programme," said a press release from Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka issued Thursday. The commanding officers of the ships are also scheduled to have formal meetings with Sri Lanka navy officers, the release added.
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JICA to give blackboards in Poonagari

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 March 2005, 15:54 GMT]
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will give Japanese Kokuban (Blackboards) to primary classes of small schools in Poonagari division of Kilinochchi Friday morning, JICA said in a statement. JICA Sri Lanka has planned to distribute 121 high quality blackboards among the primary classes from grade 1 to 5 in all Schools in Poonagari Division.
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Switzerland to reconstruct schools in Matara

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 March 2005, 15:27 GMT]
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation has decided to reconstruct seven schools in the Southern Matara district as a part of its effort to help tsunami victims in the worst-hit Sri Lanka. Swiss Ambassador, Bernardino Regazzoni signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Mr. P.B. Jayasundera in this regard on Thursday.
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Netherlands to assist lifting damaged dredger from Galle port

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 March 2005, 15:25 GMT]
The government of the Netherlands has come forward to finance the lifting a dredger, Diya Kowulla, of the Sri Lankan Ports Authorities from Galle quay. The dredger was stranded in the Galle quay when the tsunami waves hit the country on December 26. According to a statement from the embassy, Mrs. S. Th. Blankhart, Ambassador of the Netherlands and Mr. P.B. Jayasundera, Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Planning signed a contract on the lifting of the dredger.
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Sri Lanka army camp pelted over rape attempt

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 March 2005, 13:00 GMT]
Crowds blocked the Jaffna-Pt. Pedro main road Thursday afternoon and stoned the Sri Lanka army’s (SLA) Villu Mathavady camp at Neervely after four soldiers from the SLA unit allegedly attempted to molest a 63 year old woman in the area. Protesting residents alleged that the woman was alone when a solider from the Villu Mathavady camp in Neervely had entered her home, gagged her and attempted to molest her while three of his colleagues stood guard outside. Some civilians in the area were beaten up by troops from the camp as the unrest spread in the area.
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JVP's last card, churning up chauvinist cauldron- DLF

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 March 2005, 12:36 GMT]
"Desperate to retain its portfolios, having nothing to show for what it has so far achieved by being in government, haunted by the nightmare of 1970-1975 coalition politics that nearly destroyed the LSSP and CP, the JVP is now floundering, it is drowning in very shallow water...A democratic solution of the national question terrifies the JVP by cutting off its raison d’être. That’s what happens when you sacrifice your socialist responsibilities for chauvinist pandering," says Vasudeva Nanayakkara, veteran trade unionist and secretary, Democratic Left Front (DLF), in the newsletter issued in Colombo 5 March.
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Sinhala nationalists burn World Bank official’s effigy

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 March 2005, 10:58 GMT]
More than three thousand slogan chanting Sinhala nationalists Thursday burnt the effigy of World Bank’s resident representative for Sri Lanka, Mr. Peter Harrold in downtown Colombo, demanding that he be sent out for saying that there is an unofficial state in the island’s northeast. The demonstration against the World Bank was organized by the Patriotic National Movement, an alliance of Sinhala nationalists backed by Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s powerful coalition partner, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).
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SLMM, LTTE find 'murdered Muslims' alive

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 March 2005, 07:42 GMT]
Tension in Oddamavadi, 34 kilometres north of Batticaloa, Thursday morning over reports that three men who had gone from the Muslim town to chop firewood in the jungles two days ago were found murdered was resolved after Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and the Liberation Tigers who searched for their bodies found them staying in a village in the interior to ply their trade. Tension ran high in Oddamavadi, which shut down in protest against the murder of an auto rickshaw driver Wednesday, when Sri Lanka Police in Valaichenai told media Thursday morning that the three men were found murdered by the LTTE in the jungle near Omadiyamadhu, a village on the Batticaloa-Polannaruwa border.
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CFA cannot survive in 'No war No Talks' climate- Elilan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 March 2005, 04:27 GMT]
"It is meaningless to observe a ceasefire in the current situation where there is no peace and no peace talks. The deteriorating security climate in the east, and the chaotic political situation plagued by disunity within the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in the South that shows no signs of improving, can only hasten Tamils march towards the final solution," said Mr.S.Elilan in his address at the International Women's Day celebrations held Tuesday evening at Trincomalee Cultural hall, sources said.
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Another shot in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 March 2005, 03:30 GMT]
A man was shot and grievously injured in Batticaloa town Wednesday night around 8.30. Police in the eastern town said the person, a bar owner, appears to be a victim of the current "shadow war" that has claimed many lives in the troubled district. He was rushed to Batticaloa Hospital.
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Seven soldiers to appear in Jaffna court

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 20:55 GMT]
Ms Srinithi Nanthasekaran, Jaffna Additional Magistrate, Wednesday ordered the Jaffna Police to produce on March 14 all seven soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) who were on duty at Parameswara Junction on Friday where Mr Kathirgamu (65) was shot dead during a public protest against the death of school student Ms Nagendran Thulashika, legal sources said.
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Norway ‘optimistic on joint mechanism’

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 15:38 GMT]
Norwegian Peace Envoy, Mr. Erik Solheim, told the Liberation Tigers’ Political Strategist and Chief Negotiator, Mr. Anton Balasingham, whom he met Wednesday that Oslo was optimistic that a joint mechanism for aid distribution could be agreed “soon” between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government. Mr. Solheim also conveyed Colombo’s concerns over the LTTE’s airstrip in Vanni to Mr. Balasingham.
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Thamilchelvan, Nadesan bound for Europe

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 13:52 GMT]
A high level delegation of Liberation Tigers will begin an official visit to several European capitals from Friday. “Our meetings will focus on delivering aid to Tsunami affected people in northeast directly and efficiently”, Mr. S. Puleedevan, Secretary General of the LTTE peace secretariat in Kilinochchi, told TamilNet. The delegation led by Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, head of LTTE’s political division, leaves Colombo Thursday and will travel to Norway, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Ireland, and Switzerland. The Tigers will also visit the European Union headquarters in Brussels, Puleedevan said.
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International Women's Day celebrated across NorthEast

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 12:16 GMT]
Events celebrating International Women's day were held across the NorthEast including Thambiluvil Madhya Maha Vidyalayam in Thirukovil, Cultural Hall in Trincomalee, Town Hall in Vavuniya and in Jaffna district Tuesday, sources said. In Trincomalee Ms Kaaronja, LTTE Trincomalee district women political wing head hoisted the Thamileelam National Flag at the Trincomalee Cultural Hall at the commencement of the International Women's Day event amid protest by a member of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM).
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Refugees allege were raped, robbed by Sri Lanka Navy men

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 11:30 GMT]
A group of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees alleged in a complaint to the Mannar Citizens’ Committee Wednesday that they were beaten, robbed and molested on a sandbank in the seas off Mannar last Saturday by five men suspected to be Sri Lanka Navy personnel. They also alleged that several refugee women were raped by the sailors. Thalaimannar Police Tuesday admitted to Mannar Base Hospital Ms. Rajitha Rajan, 25, one of the refugee women who were allegedly raped on the sandbank, for medical tests.
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Paris meet discusses Asia Tsunami warning system

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 11:19 GMT]
Experts from Indian Ocean countries affected by December tsunami and other countries held discussions organized by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO's) Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) from March 3 to 8, in Paris, sources said. As a first step towards this project Japan and US will provide warnings of seismic activity to the regions in Indian Ocean from a central building the location of which is yet to be decided.
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Pre-school teachers in Trinco receive assistance

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 10:40 GMT]
Pre-School Education Development Council (PSEDC) of the North East headquartered in Killinochchi distributed bicycles to tsunami affected pre-school teachers and paid a compensation of fifteen thousand rupees to the next of kin of a pre-school teacher died in tsunami in the Trincomalee district on Monday and Tuesday, civil sources said.
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Muslim abducted, killed in Batticaloa north

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 07:29 GMT]
A Muslim auto rickshaw driver who was abducted Tuesday evening by unidentified gunmen in the in the general area of Kadjuwatte, about 55 kilometres north of Batticaloa, was found shot dead Wednesday morning, Sri Lanka army (SLA) spokesman Brig. Daya Ratnayaka said. He blamed the Liberation Tigers for the abduction and killing. "This is a foul murder carried out by the Sri Lanka army and its lackeys calculated to destroy cordial relations between Muslims and Tamils in the east. We will not rise to the bait", said Mr. P. Thayamohan, a senior LTTE political official in Batticaloa. A member of the Liberation Tigers was shot dead in this area in an ambush on Monday.
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Funeral of LTTE cadre held in Vakarai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 00:31 GMT]
"We strongly condemn the killing of our cadres in the east. These killings do not detract us from our main goals, instead they strengthen our will to continue our struggle with greater determination," said Colonel Balraj, senior commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) speaking at the funeral of Second Lieutenant Pushparajan (Robert Kanthamarajah Uthayakumar) who was killed in an ambush on Saturday at LTTE controlled Kirimichchai area in Vakarai division by unidentified gunmen, sources said.
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Jaffna celebrates Women's Day, calls on SLA to quit

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 March 2005, 17:34 GMT]
The Jaffna Women Cultural Forum celebrated the International Women's Day in the Jaffna district Tuesday calling on "the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) occupying the Tamil motherland should quit." An effigy symbolizing the SLA occupation was cremated at Parameswara Junction in Thirunelveli, sources said.
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LTTE, Sri Lanka joint mechanism urgent need - EU

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 March 2005, 15:20 GMT]
The European Union's Commissioner for External Relations, Ms.Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Tuesday called for the speedy establishment of a joint mechanism between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE to distribute Tsunami aid. Addressing a news conference in Colombo Tuesday she emphasized that the joint mechanism was an ‘urgent need’.
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Protesting Muslims cook on highway in Maruthamunai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 March 2005, 14:26 GMT]
Thousands Muslims who lost their homes when the Tsunami hit Maruthamunai, 35 kilometres south of Batticaloa, blocked the main highway to Kalmunai Tuesday protesting against the Government of Sri Lanka for not helping them rebuild their houses. Entire coastal suburbs of this densely populated Muslim town were flattened by the surging sea. The protestors erected tents and cooked on the road. Only the JVP and three Islamic groups had put up some temporary shelters for them, the protestors said. Streets were deserted and the usually busy town was shut down.
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Eastern killings threaten cease fire- truce monitors

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 March 2005, 13:47 GMT]
“ Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) perceives the recent killings in the eastern parts of the country as a direct threat to the CFA and the Peace Process" said the Nordic truce monitors in a statement issued Tuesday. "SLMM monitors are currently making inquires into all the incidents. However, it is important to underline that the SLMM is tasked to monitor and assist the parties in implementing the Ceasefire Agreement. SLMM is not here to conduct police investigations" the statement added.
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Soldier suspected in C-4 case found dead

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 March 2005, 05:23 GMT]
A Sri Lanka army soldier wanted in connection with poisoning seventeen commando trainees with C-4 explosive in Kokkuveli near Vavuniya last month was found dead Monday evening in the jungles in Omanthai, 18 kilometres north of the northern border town, Police said. Sri Lanka army said the dead man was Corporal Dharmaratna. Vavuniya judge ordered Police to investigate the circumstance of the soldier’s death.
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Killings escalate in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 March 2005, 03:43 GMT]
A paramilitary cadre waiting to board a bus to Colombo in front of Police headquarters office in Batticaloa town was shot dead by unidentified gunmen around 5.10 a.m. Tuesday. Another paramilitary cadre was gunned in the Eravur area, 14 kilometres north of Batticaloa, Monday night around 9.15. Eravur Police sources investigating the murder said that he was a member of the Razeek Group, an auxiliary of the Sri Lanka army.
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USAID funds non-violent skills training

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 March 2005, 02:54 GMT]
USAID funded program for youths on Non-Violent skills training conducted by the Eastern University and the Centre for Non-violent Communication at the Trincomalee campus concluded Monday and the participating youths were awarded certificates at an event held at the Trincomalee Hall Monday evening, civil sources said.
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Bail refused in tsunami generators theft case

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 March 2005, 00:34 GMT]
Trincomalee Magistrate Mr.Manickavasagar Ganesharajah Monday refused bail application for the third suspect Mr.Nimal Dissanayake, Assistant Commissioner of Lands of the Trincomalee district secretariat, in connection with the alleged theft of 12 of the 37 generators donated by the Indian government to supply electricity to temporary shelters for tsunami victims. Mr.Nimal Dissanayake and two other suspects, Mr. Upali Ratnasiri, peon, and Mr.Upulkumara Kodipuli, watcher of the land office, were ordered remand till March 18, legal sources said.
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EU commissioner hopeful of LTTE, GoSL joint mechanism for aid delivery

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 March 2005, 18:04 GMT]
The European union's commissioner for external relations Ms Benita Ferrero-Waldner met the Srilankan President Chandrika kumaratunga Monday and said "she hopes...that the Government would soon evolve a joint mechanism to ensure the equitable distribution of aid to all affected areas," in a press release issued in Colombo.
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Kodikamam Police force entry, search LTTE office

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 March 2005, 17:00 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Monday evening lodged a complaint with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Jaffna that a group of Sri Lanka Policemen had forcibly entered its Kodikamam Political Office Monday morning around 10.45 a.m. and conducted search operation without informing the SLMM, sources said.
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Refugees, robbed, molested on sandbank in Mannar sea

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 March 2005, 15:39 GMT]
A group of fifty Sri Lankan Tamil refugees abandoned on a sandbank in the seas off Thalaimannar were assaulted and robbed of all their belongings and savings by five armed men, the victims told Mannar courts Monday. The armed men had stripped and molested the women in the group at gun point. The refugees told Mannar magistrate Mr. N.M.M Abdullah they had left from camps in South India where they had been living for the last fifteen years.
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Students protest army killings in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 March 2005, 14:11 GMT]
Jaffna University Students Union (JUSU) Monday held a protest march from Nallur Kandasamy Temple to the office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) condemning the killings of a student and an elderly person Friday by the Sri Lanka security forces. Students of Technical College, Higher Technical Education Institute, Jaffna University and schools participated in the protest march in large numbers, sources said.
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Alikambai villagers receive Tsunami Relief

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 March 2005, 11:46 GMT]
Residents of Alikambai, an ancient tribal village in Amparai coast, from a community of 231 families were delivered relief supplies including clothing Sunday by the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), a Sri Lanka Government registered NGO which works exclusively in the NorthEast, sources said. The Grama Sevaka of the district assisted in distributing the supplies to the villagers.
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Military informant killed in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 March 2005, 07:16 GMT]
A military informant was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Aaraiyampathy, 7 kilometres south of Batticaloa, Sunday night around 11, Police said. He was living by the Special Task Force (STF) camp in Aaraiyampathy. He had escaped an attempt on his life four months ago, according Kattankudy Police.
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JVP demands World Bank Country Director to be removed from Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 March 2005, 04:04 GMT]
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Sri Lanka's powerful Marxist Sinhala nationalist party and President Chandrika Kumaratunga's main coalition partner in the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, has demanded the World Bank to remove its Country Representative, Mr. Peter Harrold, from Sri Lanka. The JVP in a statement issued on Sunday accused that the World Bank Representative had "overstepped his duties" by making a statement to a newspaper indicating that Rs. 6 billion of the post-tsunami aid for the LTTE-held areas in the North-East would be disbursed through state agencies in consultation with the LTTE.
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Jaffna to observe day of mourning

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 March 2005, 23:33 GMT]
Civil groups have called residents of Jaffna district to observe Monday as a mourning day in remembrance of Miss Nagendran Thulashika (12), a Grade 7 student and Mr. M. Kathirgamu (65) killed on Friday in two separate incidents, sources in Jaffna said.
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GoSL, LTTE must grasp opportunities for reconciliation- Prof Oberst

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 March 2005, 23:08 GMT]
While stressing the importance of "the Norwegian effort to create a joint government-LTTE mechanism to be successful" for Sri Lanka to recover from the tsunami disaster, and expressing hope that "UN special ambassador and former U.S. president Bill Clinton will be able to bring the two sides together to work towards rebuilding of the devastated areas," Professor Oberst pointed out that "[The] sad reality of the Sri Lankan conflict has been the remarkable ability of both sides to allow opportunities for peace and reconciliation to slip away from their grasp," when he talked to TamilNet this week commenting on post-tsunami development in Sri Lanka.
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IDPs demand resettlement in HSZ

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 March 2005, 14:33 GMT]
Vadamaradchi East Fisheries Co-operative Societies Union (VEFCSU) has requested the Government of Sri Lanka to take immediate steps to allow all Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs) to resettle in their own lands in Nagarkovil West, Nagarkovil East, Nagarkovil South and Amban East, which are located inside the high security zone (HSZ), sources said.
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CTTU protests delay in Tamil text book distribution

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 March 2005, 13:29 GMT]
Twenty thousand member strong Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union (CTTU) has brought to the notice of Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge that Education department officials are discriminating the Tamil medium students in distribution of free text books thereby violating the principle of equal opportunity in education, civil sources said. Ms Kumaratunge also holds the portfolio of Ministry of Education.
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Jaffna students register complaint with Rights Commission

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 March 2005, 03:25 GMT]
The International Students' Association of Tamil Eelam (ISATE) Saturday complained to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) about the attack by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Police on ISATE's headquarters Friday afternoon. ISATE headquarters is located along Parameswara Junction, Thirunelveli in Jaffna town. ISATE has requested the HRCSL to take immediate steps and to bring the culprits before court of law, sources said.
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Karuna Group kills six civilians

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 March 2005, 03:03 GMT]
Four Muslims, a Singhalese and a supporter of the Liberation Tigers were shot dead by gunmen suspected to be from the paramilitary Karuna Group in Kolakunaweli, in the Welikanda area, 65 kilometres northwest of Batticaloa Saturday night around 8.45, Police said. A Muslim man, a muslim woman and a Singhalese were wounded in the shooting. The Karuna Group had attacked the Muslims and Singhalese for providing information to the Liberation Tigers about its activities in the Welikanda area, Police sources said. The gunmen massacred the civilians in place by the Polannaruwa-Batticaloa highway, about 300 metres from Kolkunaweli Police post.
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German Foundation assists tsunami hit Veloor villagers

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 March 2005, 23:36 GMT]
Juergen Wahn Foundation (JWF), a non-profit organization located in Soest, Germany, Saturday donated about 1.2 million rupees worth of agricultural implements, bicycles and lamps to tsunami victims of Veloor hamlet located in Nilaveli village, about 16 km off north of Trincomalee town, at an event held at Nilaveli Tamil Maha Vidiyalayam auditorium, sources said.
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Jaffna agitation to student's death, spontaneous- Ilamparithi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 March 2005, 18:31 GMT]
Refuting allegations by Sri Lanka military that "LTTE was behind the public protest after the death of a student by an army vehicle," Head of LTTE Political Wing for Jaffna district, Mr Ilamparithy said "not a single political cadre of the LTTE was involved in the public agitation" in a press release issued Saturday after an LTTE delegation met with Sri Lanka Army delegation, sources said. The meeting was arranged by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in an effort to bring the tensed climate in Jaffna under control after the death of Vembadi Girls School student Thulashika and a civilian who was shot dead allegedly by Sri Lanka Police Friday.
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Thousands attend Thulashika's funeral

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 March 2005, 17:31 GMT]
Amid tight security provided by Sri Lanka Police, thousands of civilians including Mr.C.Ilamparithi, LTTE Jaffna district political head and several Jaffna district Tamil national Alliance parliamentarians, educationists and civil leaders Saturday paid their last respects to Miss Nagendran Thulashika, student of Jaffna Vembadi Girls College, who was killed by an army vehicle Friday morning in the Jaffna, civil sources said.
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Army desecrates Muslim cemetery, Pulmoddai villagers protest

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 March 2005, 15:41 GMT]
Residents of traditional Muslim village of Pulmoddai closed their shops, set up road blocks, and burnt tyres Saturday protesting against the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for forcibly digging their cemetery and removing human remains out of the burial sites, sources said. Pulmoddai village is located about 65 km, north of Trincomalee town on the border area close to Mullaitivu district.
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Norwegian ambassador meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 March 2005, 13:35 GMT]
Mr.Hans Brattskar, Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Saturday met with Head of LTTE Politicial Wing S.P Thamilchelvan at the LTTE Peace Secretariat, sources in Kilinochchi said. The Ambassador expressed his Government's concern and condemnation over the killing LTTE political cadres in the east, during the meeting and when he later met with journalists in Killinochchi, sources said.
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Taxes on Tsunami Aid not channeled through Sri Lanka Government

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 March 2005, 12:11 GMT]
In new measures announced by the Government of Sri Lanka, relief agencies, including Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), have to channel all relief items, including medicines, through respective Government Ministeries to avoid items being taxed by the Sri Lanka customs, Daily News reported under the headline "Speedy clearance for relief, reconstruction goods."
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LTTE member killed in Batticaloa ambush

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 March 2005, 12:07 GMT]
A member of the Liberation Tigers was killed in an ambush near Kirumichchai, 48 kilometres north of Batticaloa, Saturday morning around 10. "He was killed in an ambush by the Sri Lanka army (SLA) in an area that is under our control. It about three kilometres from the SLA's Cadjuwatte camp", said an LTTE official in Batticaloa. "A Sri Lanka army helmet was found at the scene of the ambush," he said.
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Suspected Karuna Group operative killed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 March 2005, 09:29 GMT]
A man suspected to be a cadre of the paramilitary Karuna Group was shot dead in Vanthaarumoolai, 18 kilometres north of Batticaloa Saturday, Police said. He was identified as Mr. Mylvaganam Pulenthiran, 26. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Air Force flew the paramilitary cadre who was shot and seriously injured in Batticaloa town Saturday morning to Colombo, Police said.
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Paramilitary cadre shot in Batticaloa town

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 March 2005, 07:20 GMT]
A paramilitary cadre was shot and seriously wounded in Batticaloa town Saturday morning around 9.10. He was shot near the ICRC office in the eastern town.
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Sports federation opposes illegal settlement on Trinco State land

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 March 2005, 14:50 GMT]
Federation of Trincomalee District Sports Associations (FTDSA) Friday requested the Government of Sri Lanka not to allow any illegal settlement on the Trincomalee Urban Council esplanade, which is being used by members of all three communities for the development of sports activities in the east port town, sources said.
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Troops assault journalist, scores injured in Jaffna clashes

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 March 2005, 12:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka army troops Friday severely assaulted a journalist working for the state run Lake House Newspapers as restive crowds in the northern town set fire to six military points and smashed up President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) office. One person was injured when army opened fire on a crowd at Kottadi. Scores of students and civilians were asaulted by SLA troops and riot Police in several parts of the town. Four persons injured in army and Police assault and firing were admitted to Jaffna hospital Friday afternoon.
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Home-grade purifiers provide clean water to resettlers

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 March 2005, 11:45 GMT]
In addition to setting up commercial grade water puritfication system for communities, relief organizations are experimenting with light weight purifiers for home use in new village resettlements being built for refugees from tsunami affected coastal villages in Amparai district, sources said. Families are provided training in the use of equipment and are instructed in health issues related to day-to-day use of the equipment, sources said.
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One killed and another wounded as Sri Lanka troops fire on Jaffna protestors

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 March 2005, 08:50 GMT]
One civilian was killed and another wounded when Sri Lanka army opened fire on students and civilians who were protesting near Jaffna University Friday afternoon around 2.15 Protests sparked in Jaffna town Friday after a twelve year old school girl was killed when a speeding Sri Lanka army truck knocked her down on Hospital Road. One civilian was shot dead on the road near Parameswara Junction and another was shot and wounded by troops near Kottadi Junction, in Jaffna town.
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Students protest over death, tension in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 March 2005, 06:44 GMT]
Tension prevailed in Jaffna town after a school girl was knocked down dead by a speeding Sri Lanka army vehicle Friday morning. Hundreds of students and teachers from Vembady Girls' Scool blocked traffic in protest following the accident. A group of civilians in the neighbourhood who joined the students' protest attempted to set fire to a Sri Lanka Air Force vehicle. Shops closed as SLA deployed hundreds of additional troops in the tense town around noon Friday. Around 1.45 p.m. a group of protestors set fire to a Sri Lanka army sentry at Catapult Junction in Kandar Madam, near Jaffna University.
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Tsunami hit Trinco fishermen receive help

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 March 2005, 04:05 GMT]
Tsunami-hit fishermen of coastal areas in the Trincomalee town are to receive assistance from Trincomalee branch of the Economic Consultancy House (TECH) to buy fishing gear. An event to mark the first phase of the project was held in the office of the Pallathoddam Rural Development Society hall in Uppuveli, a suburb of the east port town, civil sources said. Twenty seven fishermen of Pallathoddam village who lost their belongings in tsunami received new sets of fishing gear at the event.
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Trinco govt. official remanded for loss of generators

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 March 2005, 18:48 GMT]
Mr.Nimal Dissanayake, Assistant Land Commissioner in the Trincomalee district secretariat was ordered remand by the Trincomalee District Judge and Additional Magistrate Mr.S.Thiagendran Wednesday in connection with the twelve generators missing from the land department store. The generators were a part of a consignment of goods donated by the Indian government to supply electricity to temporary shelters for tsunami refugees, legal sources said.
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Displaced fishermen demand resettlement near HSZ

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 March 2005, 18:15 GMT]
Displaced fishermen of Valigamam coastal villages inside the high security zone (HSZ) and currently living in the villages of Polykandi, Sakkotai and Supparmadam in Vadamaradchchi North are to launch a protest campaign demanding they be allowed to resettle in villages from Valalai to Thondamannaru which border the HSZ, representatives of fisheries societies said at a press briefing held Thursday night at the office of the Vadamaradchchi North Fisheries Society.
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Police stop JVP attempt to build illegal settlement

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 March 2005, 16:13 GMT]
Police and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Thursday evening stopped the construction of illegal Sinhala settlement and removed building materials brought to the esplanade of the Trincomalee Urban Council by a group of JVP cadres Wednesday night, Police said.
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JVP sets up illegal Sinhala settlements, Trincomalee tense

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 March 2005, 11:48 GMT]
Tension is mounting in the eastern port city of Trincomalee Thursday as members of radical Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a major constituent of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, attempt to construct small houses to settle Sinhalese people in State land in a portion of the esplanade of the urban council in the heart of Trincomalee town, civil sources said. Tension escalated Thursday afternoon as groups of Tamil youth blocked traffic by placing blockades on roads protesting the encroachment.
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Gunman who shot Kuveni worked for SLA intelligence – paper

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 March 2005, 05:00 GMT]
The gunman who allegedly shot and grievously wounded head of Liberation Tigers’ political division for Batticaloa-Amparai (women), Ms. Kuveni and two female LTTE political activists, was a former Sri Lanka military intelligence operative, the Tamil daily Virakesari said Thursday quoting Sri Lanka army Headquarters sources. The man, now in Police custody, has been identified as Mr. Johnson Jeyakanthan (also known as ‘Pratheepan’) who had worked as an informant for Sri Lanka military intelligence, the paper quoted SLA Headquarters sources as saying.
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GTZ releases booklet on School Nutrition

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 March 2005, 01:00 GMT]
A Training manual "School Health and Nutrition" prepared by the Teacher In-service Project (TIP) under the German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) funding was ceremonially released at an event held Wednesday afternoon at the provincial education ministry auditorium, sources said. Dr.S.Abraham, Deputy Provincial Director of Health Services, was the chief guest at the event.
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Jaffna undergrads oppose private medical college

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 March 2005, 16:33 GMT]
Medical students of Jaffna University Wednesday demonstrated against Sri Lanka Government's decision to establish aprivate medical college. Medical students boycotted classes and participated in the protest held at Thirunelveli junction, sources said.
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Thousands march in Jaffna, urge talks, condemn attacks on LTTE activists

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 March 2005, 12:39 GMT]
More than twenty thousand people marched in Jaffna Wednesday urging the international community to persuade the Sri Lankan government to restart the long stalled peace talks with the Liberation Tigers. The march condemned the killing and shooting of LTTE political leaders and called on Colombo to set up a joint mechanism with the Tigers for the equitable distribution of Tsunami aid to the northeast. Jaffna peninsula was shut down until the march, which wound through the northern town from morning 10.45, concluded in the afternoon.
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Jaffna cleans shoreline of damaged corals

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 March 2005, 05:09 GMT]
Fisheries societies in Vadamaradchchi division, with funding assistance from the non-governmental organization Sewa Lanka, have initiated a project to remove debris from damage coral reefs found scattered in coastal areas due to tsunami disaster to allow normalization of fishing activities, sources said.
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SLA blocks deepening Northern jetties

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 March 2005, 16:33 GMT]
Discussions held Tuesday between the officials of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and representatives of Vadamaradchchi fisheries societies ended without resolving the dispute over deepening of about twenty one fisheries jetties covered with tsunami debris along the northern coast of Jaffna district. SLA demanded that work can only be carried out under SLA procedures and supervision citing security reasons. The fisheries representatives opposed SLA's conditions, sources said.
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Jaffna to hold protest march

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 March 2005, 16:10 GMT]
Jaffna District Civil Organizations Consortium (JDCOC) Tuesday called for a protest march on Wednesday condemning the violence against political cadres of LTTE by the para military groups supporting the Sri Lanka government armed forces and the discrimination in providing relief to tsunami victims. The protest march will commence from Jaffna University Wednesday morning around 10 a.m. and will conclude in front of the Jaffna District Secretariat, sources said.
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Police allege Kuveni shooting suspect from paramilitary

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 March 2005, 16:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police said Tuesday evening they took into custody a suspect who had allegedly shot Ms. Kuveni and her two colleagues near Akkaraipattu Monday evening. Police sources in Kalmunai, 40 kilometres south of Batticaloa, told TamilNet that the man was identified as 'Pratheepan', a member of a paramilitary working with the Sri Lanka army. He was arrested by the Special Task Force Tuesday afternoon at the Carmel Fatima College Tsunami refugee camp in Kalmunai town, Police said.
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Attacks on LTTE political leaders serious and disturbing - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 March 2005, 15:46 GMT]
"The continuing killing and shooting of our senior political leaders is a very serious and disturbing matter", said Mr. S.P Thamilchelvan, head of LTTE's political division, in a message conveyed to the Norwegian government through its ambassador in Colombo Tuesday night. "The killing of Mr. Kousalyan and the attack on Ms. Kuveni, both senior political leaders of the LTTE, since the Tsunami is casting a dark shadow over the peace process", said Mr. Puleedevan, secretary general of the LTTE peace secretariat.
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SEDB opens tenth bank branch in Vakarai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 March 2005, 15:10 GMT]
10th branch of the Socio Economic Development Bank (SEDB) headquartered in Killinochchi was opened in Vakarai in the Batticaloa district Monday. This is the second in the Batticaloa district. Mr.Gopal, Vakarai divisional director of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) presided over the event, sources said.
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Wounded LTTE political activists flown to Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 March 2005, 13:21 GMT]
Liberation Tigers said the three wounded female political activists who were shot by gunmen on Sri Lanka were airlifted to Colombo for further treatment Tuesday evening. Ms. Kuveni, head of LTTE's political division (women) for Batticaloa-Amparai was seriously wounded along with two of her colleagues when gunmen riding a motorbike opened fire on the near Akkaraipattu, 64 kilometres south of Batticaloa, Monday evening. LTTE charged that the gunmen were working in collusion with Sri Lankan armed forces.
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Boat building yard opened in Vadamaradchchi east

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 March 2005, 11:26 GMT]
Funded by the Norwegian and Malaysian branches of Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) and in collaboration with the Multi Marine Services (MMS) organization, the TRO Monday opened a boat-building yard in Nelliyan, Vadamaradchchi east division in the Jaffna district, sources said.
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