SL Foreign Minister to meet Indian leaders

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 November 2005, 11:31 GMT]
The Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, Mr. Mangala Samaraweera, will meet the Indian leaders, including Indian Premier Dr.Manmohan Singh and other key figures, in New Delhi Wednesday to discuss bilateral issues, sources at Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry said.
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ICJ raises concern over ASIO raids in Melbourne

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 November 2005, 03:16 GMT]
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), an international non-governmental organization devoted to the promotion of the understanding and observance of the rule of law, expressed concern over the raids by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) on the homes of Sri Lankan Tamils and said Sunday that "counter-terrorism laws may ensnare innocent charitable donors in their net, and may be used by foreign governments to pursue their own political agendas," in a media release issued in Sydney.
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Clinton visits tsunami destroyed Kinniya

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 November 2005, 18:13 GMT]
United Nations Special Envoy, President Bill Clinton, Tuesday visited Kinniya division, which had registered highest number of deaths and displacement due to tsunami disaster in the Trincomalee district last year. During his two hour-stay in Kinniya President Clinton visited tsunami destroyed areas and consoled the victims, sources said.
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Recovery efforts should not exacerbate existing inequities - Clinton

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 November 2005, 15:40 GMT]
UN Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery and former US President, Bill Clinton, who is currently in Sri Lanka on the eve of tsunami anniversary to assess rebuilding and recovery progress, said in Colombo Tuesday that post-tsunami recovery effort should not exacerbate existing inequities. "Building better roads and schools is essential, but it is not enough. We need to ensure that all people in Sri Lanka are on their way to a better and safer development path than they were prior to this tragedy," Mr. Clinton said during his third visit to Sri Lanka.
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Clinton meets TRO Executive Director

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 November 2005, 13:20 GMT]
TRO Executive Director Mr. K P Regi told the United Nations Special Envoy President Bill Clinton the problems that have led to the disappointing progress made thus far in Phase III of the Tsunami recovery programme in the NorthEast when he talked to Mr Clinton during the Sri Lankan Civil Society organization meeting in Colombo Tuesday. President Clinton had mentioned to Mr. Regi that he is aware of the problems facing the NorthEast and that he will endeavour to address these issues.
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ITRO responds to allegations by SL Highcommission in Australia

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 November 2005, 11:47 GMT]
The International Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (ITRO London), the representative body of the overseas offices of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation, in a letter addressed to Mr. Asoka Girihagama, the deputy high commissioner of Sri Lanka in Australia, requested to provide details of the grounds for his recent allegations in Australian media that the TRO Australia had allocated Tsunami relief and rehabilitation funds to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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Clinton meets SL President

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 November 2005, 11:43 GMT]
The former President of the US and UN special envoy on tsunami relief, Bill Clinton, currently in Sri Lanka as part of his his tour to South Asian countries, met with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Tuesday at 11.20 a.m. at Sri Lanka Presidential residence, Temple trees, Colombo, sources said.
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Colombo to continue to maintain CFA with LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 November 2005, 16:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse Monday explained his future peace plans with the Colombo-based diplomatic community where he said that his new government will continue to observe the ceasefire agreement with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. In his address, the Sri Lankan President told the diplomatic community that he welcomed the remarks made by the LTTE leader Mr. V. Pirapaharan in his annual Maveerar Day speech and reiterated his invitation to the Tigers for fresh talks, a statement from the SL President's office said. The statement said Mr. Rajapaske wanted to "review" the "operation" of the ceasefire.
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Clinton arrives in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 November 2005, 14:12 GMT]
The former President of the US and the UN special envoy on tsunami relief, Bill Clinton, arrived in Colombo at 2.30 pm today. He was received at the newly refurbished Bandaranaike International Airport by Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and UN officials in Colombo.
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Heroes day celebrations conclude in Trincomalee district

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 November 2005, 01:44 GMT]
Trincomalee district military commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Colonel Sornam, lit the common flame of sacrifice in martyr's mausoleum at Alankulam in Muttur east Sunday evening bringing the Heroes Day celebrations in the district to a conclusion. Parents of LTTE martyrs, Tamil people and LTTE activists in large number participated in the event, sources said.
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LTTE to intensify struggle for self-determination if reasonable political solution is not offered soon

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 November 2005, 12:04 GMT]
The leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in his annual Heroes’ Day statement made an urgent appeal to the new Sri Lanka Government of Mr Mahinda Rajapakse to offer a reasonable political solution to the ethnic conflict without further delay. The Tamil Tiger leader cautioned the government that his liberation organisation would intensify the struggle for self-determination and political independence if the new regime adopts a hard-line position and fails to resolve the problems of his people.
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Rules guide on use of Tamileelam National flag published

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 21:45 GMT]
The Tiger symbol of Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) created in 1977, was designated as the National Flag of Tamileelam in 1990 without the letters inscribing the movement's name. The civil administration of Tamil Eelam in Vanni Saturday released an updated version of the guide providing instructions and explaining the correct usage of the Tamileelam National Flag. The guide written in Tamil specifies the regulations for flying the flag alone or with national flags of other countries, and for general handling of the flag. The National Flag has four colors, yellow, red, black, and white.
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Fonseka is new Army Commander

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 20:39 GMT]
Major General Sarath Fonseka, to be promoted Lieutenant General, will be Sri Lanka's new Commander of the Army, The Sunday Times reported this week. Lt. Gen. Foneseka will become the 17th Commander of the Army and will succeed Lt. Gen. Shantha Kottegoda, against whom he had unsuccessfully competed for the post in 2003.
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Weather Monitoring Center opens in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 16:31 GMT]
Tamileelam administrative branch opened a weather monitoring and forecasting center (WMC) in Bharathipuram, Kilinochchi Saturday celebrating the fifty first birthday of Leader of the Liberation Tigers, Velupillai Pirapaharan, sources in Kilinochchi said.
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VVT celebrates Pirapaharan's birthday with parade

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 14:56 GMT]
Festive atmosphere prevailed in Jaffna district Saturday as residents across the district celebrated the fifty first birthday of Velupillai Pirapaharan, sources from Jaffna said. In Valvettiturai (VVT), his birthplace, school music bands led a parade where villagers and students took his photograph from the Nediyakadu Pillayar temple along VVT hospital to Alady where Pirapaharan's house is located. More than 500 uniform clad members of the recently passed out Auxilliary force also participated in the parade.
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Trinco birthday celebrations include book release

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 14:43 GMT]
"Kanthal," a compilation of greetings and quotations in Tamil, specially compiled by Muttur Tamil Women Association Consortium to mark the fifty first birthday of Mr.V.Pirapaharan, Tamil national leader was released Friday morning at an event held at Kaddaiparichchan Vipulananda School in Muttur east in Trincomalee district. Ms Santhi Kumarasamy, President of the consortium presided.
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Youth shot in Valaichenai after bungled abduction attempt

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 12:02 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen riding in a white van in Valaichenai shot and injured Suganthakumar Selvaratnam, 24, a Tamil youth when he tried to escape after the gunmen attempted to abduct him around 12:45 p.m. Saturday, police said. Selvaratnam, a civilian, was rushed to Valaichenai Hospital with serious gunshot wounds to his chest and head. He was later transferred to Batticaloa Hospital at 1:30 p.m., medical sources said.
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Muttur East Volunteer Brigade passing out parade held

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 11:45 GMT]
The passing out parade of the second batch of 325 volunteers of the Rural Volunteers Special Brigade took place Friday evening at the Ganeshapuram Central College grounds in the Muttur east held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The passing out parade of the first Rural Volunteers Special Brigade was held in August this year.
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Mannar to hold Heroes Day final event Sunday

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 11:34 GMT]
Heroes Day final events in Mannar district are to be held in mausoleums in Periyapanddivirichchan and Aandankulam in the Liberation Tigers held areas. Parents of about two thousand LTTE martyrs of Mannar district are to be honored Sunday evening at these events, sources said
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Fine Arts School opened in Adampan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 11:29 GMT]
A Fine Arts School was declared open Saturday morning in Adampan, a village in Mannar district, about five km off east of the Mannar town, to mark the fifty first birthday of the National Leader Mr.V.Pirapaharan. Mr.V.Visuvalingam, Mannar District Government Agent declared open the school by cutting the ribbon, sources said.
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Trincomalee begins Heroes' Day commemorations

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 November 2005, 22:02 GMT]
Villages in the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) held Muttur east and Eachchilampathu division in the Trincomalee district are decorated with yellow and red flags to mark the beginning of Heroes Day remembrance events. Parents of LTTE martyrs in Muttur east were honored at an event held at Ganeshapuram Central College, and similar events were held in other villages, sources said.
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Lorry owner shot dead in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 November 2005, 16:56 GMT]
A lorry owner in Batticaloa, Mr. Vinasithamby Kandasamy, 46, was shot and killed by an unidentified assailant Friday around 7:00 p.m. at a shop in Koolavady, a suburb of Batticaloa town.
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Sub-Inspector, 6 police constables wounded in grenade attack in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 November 2005, 16:40 GMT]
A Sri Lankan police Sub-Inspector and six police constables were wounded in a grenade attack around 9:00 p.m. at Iruthayapuram in Batticaloa Friday. An unidentified person riding in a motorbike lobbed a grenade at the police patrol at Iruthayapuram, 2 km north of Batticaloa wounding the policemen, Batticaloa Police said.
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Military strength, vigilance key to our freedom - Pottu Amman

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 November 2005, 16:36 GMT]
"The Tamil people, having dissociated themselves from the political choice of Sri Lankan nationalism, have unequivocally demonstrated their trust in their own leadership. They have categorically told the Sinhala people to take care of their own nationalism. Even this development is a manifestation of the might of the Tamil people," said LTTE senior commander and Intelligence Chief Pottu Amman, in a homage ceremony held at Elephant Pass (EPS), Thursday.
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Heroes' day commemorations begin

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 November 2005, 15:57 GMT]
Three days of events marking Heroes' day that falls on the 27 November began in Kilinochchi and other parts of the NorthEast Friday. Liberation Tiger cadres, officials, parents of fighters killed in war and workers participated in the newly opened Lt Col Malathy Memorial Hall, Charles Antony Memorial and at the Peace Secretariat building in Kilinochchi.
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Rajapakse rejects Tamil Homeland, Right to Self determination

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 November 2005, 11:44 GMT]
Rejecting the Tamil demand of right to self determination and the concept of traditional Tamil homeland, Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse in his first address to the Parliament in Colombo Friday avoided reference to Norwegian facilitation and reiterated his hardline stand outlined in the "Mahinda Thinking" election manifesto prepared following his agreement with extreme Sinhala nationalist JVP and JHU. Nullifying the P-TOMS agreement, he said he would replace it with "Jaya Lanka" (Victory to Lanka) tsunami reconstruction programme. His "new peace process" would aim to have direct talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), he said.
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Youth shot, injured in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 November 2005, 10:22 GMT]
Naranthiran Nirojithan, 22, a Tamil youth who was involved in setting up ceremonial archs in Neervely, 10 km north east of Jaffna, was shot and wounded by unidentified gunmen who entered his residence Friday early morning around 3:30 a.m., residents said. The youth, a brother of an LTTE war-dead, was rushed to Jaffna hospital with two gunshot wounds and is being treated at the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital, medical sources said.
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Two civilians, two SLA soldiers injured in Trincomalee grenade attack

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 November 2005, 18:33 GMT]
Two soldiers and two civilians were injured when unidentified persons lobbed a grenade at an Sri Lanka Army(SLA) camp located along Trincomalee Kandy highway about 3 km off east port town Thursday night around 7:40 p.m. police sources said.
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Rajapakse to deliver vital policy speech Friday

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 November 2005, 17:03 GMT]
Newly elected Sri Lankan President Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse is set to deliver his first speech at the Lankan Parliament Friday where he is also expected to express his stand on the ethnic crisis, the Norwegian facilitation, economic policy and his foreign policy. A motion on re-imposing Emergency Regulations is also expected to be tabled in the Parliament Friday.
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Don't seek Norwegian assistance, JVP tells Rajapakse

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 November 2005, 16:22 GMT]
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the Sinhala extreme nationalist party, Thursday said it would firmly oppose Sri Lankan President Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse seeking assistance from the Norwegian Government to facilitate in the peace process between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL). Mr. Somawanse Amarasinghe, the leader of the JVP reiterated his party's position at a press briefing held at the National Library auditorium in Colombo.
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Five SLA soldiers, civilian injured in Point Pedro

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 November 2005, 14:57 GMT]
Five Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were injured, most of them seriously, when the tractor they were travelling along the the Point Pedro Jaffna highway at Maruthady junction, 500 meters south of Point Pedro town, came under grenade attack by unknown assailants at 7.45 p.m. Thursday night, sources in Point Pedro said. Injured soldiers have been taken to the Palaly Base hospital.
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IOM, AAR to help Galle tsunami survivors

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 November 2005, 11:15 GMT]
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Association for Aid and Relief (AAR) of Japan to build infrastructure and provide psychosocial support to a tsunami-affected community in Galle district. The funding for the project is being provided by the Government of Japan and Lanka Market Research Bureau, a press release from IOM said Thursday.
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Jaffna Campus Heroes' Memorial unveiled

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 November 2005, 10:53 GMT]
"People of Jaffna will never forget nor pardon the desecration of the memorials of more than 900 war heroes in the hallowed grounds of Kopay Martyrs Cemetary in 1996 by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers," Professor. C. Mohanadas, the Vice Chancellor of Jaffna Univeristy told TamilNet after addressing the opening ceremony of a Heroes' Memorial constructed within the Jaffna Campus premises, Thursday. "It was an act, unheard of in the civilized world," the Vice Chancellor said.
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Udathalawinne case concludes, Court's decision in January

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 November 2005, 18:06 GMT]
The High Court Trial-at-Bar inquiry into the Udathalawinne massacre case in which General Anurudha Ratwatte, former Deputy Defense Minister, his two sons, Rohan and Chanuka, and thirteen Sri Lanka Army soldiers have been indicted on seventy two counts, including election violence, grabbing ballot papers and ballot boxes, conspiracy to murder and committing the murder of ten Muslim youths on the general election day on December 5, 2001 at Udathalawinne in Kandy district concluded Monday. Three-member bench of the Colombo High Court reserved its order for 20th January 2006, legal sources said.
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Military parade for Kumaratunge postponed

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 November 2005, 14:32 GMT]
A farewell military parade by all three armed forces to the outgoing Sri Lanka President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge has been postponed indefinitely as heavy rains flooded the main parade field of the army head quarters, military sources said.
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India donates medicine to Kilinochchi hospital

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 November 2005, 12:38 GMT]
India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Ms Nirupama Rao, handed over boxes of medicines to for urgent use in Kilinochchi hospital at a simple event held at the Indian Embassy in Colombo, a press release by the Information section of the Indian Embassy said.
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Flood waters leave Mannar-Killinochchi road impassable

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 November 2005, 11:31 GMT]
Mannar -Pooneryn main road connecting the districts of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled Mannar and the LTTE controlled Killinochchi has been washed away at Illupaikadavai area due to overflowing water from Parangi Aru and Palee Aru following torrential rain of last few days. Both rivers are located in the Manthai West divisional secretariat division held by the LTTE. The main road at Illupaikadavai is still under three feet of water, district secretariat sources said.
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Mangala Samaraweera appointed new SL Foreign Minister

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 November 2005, 07:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka's new President Mahinda Rajapakse has demoted former President Chandrika Kumaratunga's brother, Mr. Anura Bandaranaike, by removing the Foreign Ministry portfolio from him and appointing him as the Minister of Tourism in his new 25-member cabinet. Chief coordinator of Mr. Rajapakse's Presidential Campaign, Mangala Samaraweera, a JVP-friendly hardliner, has been appointed as the Foreign Minister, in addition to his portfolios, Ports and Aviation. The twice postponed- swearing in of the new cabinet of ministers took place at the Presidential Secretariat Wednesday. Rajapakse is likely to keep with him the Finance and Defence Ministries.
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Unexploded Johnny mine recovered in Thallady

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 November 2005, 01:20 GMT]
Road Development Authority (RDA) workers Tuesday afternoon around 1.45 p.m. recovered an unexploded Johnny mine when they were repairing a culvert at Thallady in Mannar district. The incident was immediately reported to the 212 Brigade of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) located in Thallady. Bomb dispersal unit from Thallady camp rushed to the site to diffuse the mine, security sources said.
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Remand extended for Sivaram murder suspect

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 November 2005, 17:56 GMT]
The Kaduwela Magistrate ordered further remand for the suspect in the Journalist Mr.D.Sivaram murder case when it came up for further inquiry on Tuesday. Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted a report to court stating that it has collected evidence to prove the suspect's direct involvement in the murder of Mr.Sivaram, legal sources said.
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Wickremasinghe expresses desire to lead UNP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 November 2005, 17:41 GMT]
Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, Leader of the Opposition and the President of the United National Party (UNP) is reported to have told a group of UNP parliamentarians about his intention of continuing to remain as UNP's leader. He expressed his desire following appeals made by majority parliamentarians, political sources said.
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Arrested youths in Delft released on bail

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 November 2005, 13:54 GMT]
Sri Lankan Police on Tuesday produced seven Tamil youths before the Magistrate P. Subramaniam in Urhavathurai (Kayts) Tuesday. The youths who were arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy in Nedunthivu (Delft) 36 km southwest of Jaffna town in the search operations following the reports of a missing SLN soldier. The Magistrate released the youths on cash bail of rupees 5,000 each. The police had not submitted any evidence justifying the remand of the youths, legal sources said.
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SL Military is the intimidatory presence - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 November 2005, 10:11 GMT]
Denying accusation they had intimidated Tamils into not voting in last week’s Sri Lanka Presidential election, the Liberation Tigers said the boycott by the Tamil people last week was a reflection of prevailing Tamil opinion towards Sri Lankan leaders, based on their bitter experiences of the past. The near total boycott by Tamil voters took place despite the "oppressive presence of thousands of Sri Lankan troops and Army-backed paramilitaries in Jaffna and other parts of the Northeast," the LTTE's Political Head, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, told TamilNet Tuesday. He reiterated that the LTTE had not ordered Tamils to boycott the elections.
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Floods in Northeast strands tsunami displaced

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 November 2005, 23:30 GMT]
Over three thousand tsunami and war affected refugees living in transitional shelters and temporary huts in the NorthEast have been again displaced due to heavy rain during the last two days. Normal life in several parts of the northeast province has been disrupted and several low-lying areas in the districts of Jaffna, Killinochchi and Mullaithivu have gone under floodwater. Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) has deployed volunteers to provide basic facilities to displaced families who are now being sheltered in public and school buildings and with relatives. Hundreds of families have been affected by torrential rains in Batticaloa and Trinco districts.
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SL Supreme Court suspends P-TOMS inquiry

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 November 2005, 17:58 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Monday suspended the inquiry into the Post Tsunami Operations Management Structure (P-TOMS) petition. Chief Justice Sarath N.Silva announced that the inquiry into the petitions filed against the implementation of the P-TOMS is suspended indefinitely. The Chief Justice further extended the interim injunction on the implementation of the P-TOMS indefinitely, legal sources said.
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Youth shot in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 November 2005, 17:30 GMT]
Mr. Kandasamy Thavakumar, 34, employed in Cholan Vanipam, a Kilnochchi based business network, was shot allegedly by a Sri Lankan Intelligence operative from a hidden location in Thirunelvely, 4 km east of Jaffna town Monday at 5:30 p.m., according to civilian sources. However, Police Officer-In-Charge in Kopay, Mr. Sri Selvam said the youth was wounded when a gun belonging to a policeman riding in a Jeep accidentally went off.
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SLN soldier disappeared, Nedunthivu under siege, 7 arrested

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 November 2005, 11:49 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldiers Monday morning cordoned off Nedunthivu (Delft) and conducted house to house search after two SLN soldiers were reported missing allegedly abducted by unknown men, sources said. Delft islet is under the control of the Sri Lanka Navy. However, SLN sources in Colombo said only one soldier was missing adding that seven youths have been arrested in Nedunthivu.
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Storm forces Indian fishermen to land in Northern coast

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 November 2005, 11:14 GMT]
Three South Indian fishermen from Nagappattinam lost their bearing during the prevailing stormy weather in seas off Point Pedro in northern coast of Jaffna and landed in Inparuddy in Vadamaradchy North coast Monday morning, sources in Jaffna said.
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Wickremanayake appointed new Lankan PM

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 November 2005, 07:09 GMT]
Mr.Ratnasiri Wickremanayake was sworn in as the fourteenth Prime Minister of Sri Lanka before SL President Mahinda Rajapakse Monday. At a ceremony held at the Temple Trees, Mr. Rajapakse sworn in him as the Prime Minister of his would-be appointed cabinet this morning. Ratnasiri Wickremanayake held the post of Deputy Minister of Defense and Minister of Buddhist Affairs till the election of Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse as the 5th executive president of Sri Lanka.
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Trincomalee experiences heavy rain, families displaced

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 November 2005, 17:28 GMT]
Torrential rain in Trincomalee has caused flood in several villages forcing hundreds of tsunami-affected families to seek refuge in schools and public buildings from their water inundated shelters. Several roads have gone under water interrupting smooth transport system between villages and outstations of the district, sources said.
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UNP to hold postmortem on presidential poll defeat

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 November 2005, 17:20 GMT]
The working committee and parliamentary group of the main opposition United national Party (UNP) are to meet this week to decide its future course of action following the defeat at the presidential poll held on Thursday, Mr.Tissa Attanayake, UNP Assistant General Secretary said at a press briefing Sunday.
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Woman's body found near Vallipuram temple

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 November 2005, 12:56 GMT]
Unidentified body of a young woman, estimated to be around 25 years, was found inside an abandoned building 200 meters from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) checkpoint along the Point-Pedro Nagarkovil road near the Vallipuram Vishnu temple, sources from Jaffna said.
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Muslim couple shot dead in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 November 2005, 09:26 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed Mr. Meerasaivu Ahammed Lebbe, 44, and his wife Fowziya Lebbaithamby, 43, Sunday morning at 1:30 a.m. in Miravodai, a Muslim village 28 km nortwest of Batticaloa. Mr. Ahammad Lebbe, a Middle-East employement agent and a supporter of the United National Party, died on the spot at his house. The reason behind the killings is not known, Police said. Liberation Tigers allege that the post-poll violence in the district was caused by paramilitary cadres targeting to disrupt peace and understanding between Tamils and Muslims in the district.
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TRO to celebrate its 20th anniversary

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 November 2005, 18:06 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) is planning to have competitions to raise awareness on social service among people to mark its twentieth anniversary of services to poeple of NorthEast. Assistance of government agents of the districts, heads of government departments and universities in the northeast province, will be sought in organizing the competitions, said Mr.S.Rajagopal, Co-ordinator of the TRO 20th Anniversary Committee in a circular.
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Grenade attack on SLA sentry near Point Pedro schools

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 November 2005, 17:41 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sentry point, serving as the gateway to Hartley College and Methodist Girls High School located within the Point Pedro High Security Zone (HSZ), came under grenade attack at 7 p.m. Saturday sources said. Gunmen riding a motorbike lobbed the grenade and escaped via the Hostel Road. Point Pedro SLA declined to disclose the damages to the sentry.
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New cabinet to be sworn in on Tuesday

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 November 2005, 17:33 GMT]
New Cabinet of Ministers will be sworn in on Tuesday and all constituent political parties of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) will be represented in the new Cabinet, Minister and Cabinet spokesman Mr.Nimal Sripala de Silva said at a press briefing held at the Presidential Secretarial Saturday evening.
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Clinton to visit tsunami regions

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 November 2005, 13:34 GMT]
Former US President Clinton in his capacity as UN Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery will visit to tsunami affected countries, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, and report to European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, said a media release from the Office of the Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery at UNDP. In both countries, President Clinton will meet with affected communities with a focus on assessing the status of the recovery efforts. Key issues the former President will focus on include: shelter concerns, restoring livelihoods, the role of the private sector in the recovery effort and building the capacity of governmental institutions, the release further said.
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Rajapakse swears in as new President of Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 November 2005, 12:51 GMT]
President Mahinda Rajapakse was sworn in as the fifth executive President of Sri Lanka before the Chief Justice Sarath N Silva at the Presidential Secretariat at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Mahinda Rajapakse, who hails from the southern district of Hambantota, in his first symbolic speech said his priority was to begin talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and strengthen the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA).
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Norway offers to continue Sri Lanka Peace role

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 November 2005, 15:08 GMT]
Congratulating the newly elected Sri Lankan President Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse, the Norwegian Minister of International Development, Mr. Erik Solheim, Friday said that the Norwegian goverment was looking forward to continuing its close cooperation with the new president and the Government of Sri Lanka in a wide range of areas, including support for the peace process. "Norway remains willing to facilitate the peace process in Sri Lanka for as long as the two parties request such assistance, and for as long as it is possible for Norway to play a constructive role," Solheim was quoted in a press release issued by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Friday.
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UNP files petition for re-poll in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 November 2005, 12:24 GMT]
Opposition leader and United National Party (UNP) Presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing a press conference in Colombo Friday said UNP has requested the Election Commissioner to conduct re-polls in Northeast districts where, the UNP said, conditions were created to prevent people from freely exercising their franchise.
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Policeman injured in Point Pedro attack

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 November 2005, 11:49 GMT]
Unknown assailant waiting outside the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) offices in Manthikai, 2 km south of Point Pedro, fired at two persons in civilian clothes when they came out of the office premises at 10.50 a.m. Friday. Unconfirmed reports said that one Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier dressed in civilian clothes was killed in the attack. Palaly military spokesman denied that the dead man was an SLA trooper. The other, a Sri Lanka Police officer, was injured in the attack and has been admitted to the Base Hospital in Point Pedro. He receiving treatment for gunshot injuries amid strengthened security.
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LTTE slams Mosque attack, urges calm

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 November 2005, 10:20 GMT]
A communiqué issued by the LTTE Political Division, Amparai District, Friday, has condemned the attack on innocent Muslim civilians congregated for prayers at the Grand Mosque, Akkaraippattu, during early hours, Friday. The communiqué said that "the LTTE expressed its deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the victims of the atrocious grenade attack." The LTTE message has pointed out that the grenade attack was aimed at disrupting peace and understanding between Tamils and Muslims and creating "division and animosity" among them. Appealing for calm and patience, the LTTE has vowed to help expose soon, the "surrogate paramilitary elements of the crime".
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Rajapakse wins Sri Lankan Presidency

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 November 2005, 07:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s hardline Prime Minister has been elected as country’s fifth President. Results released Friday by the election commission indicated Premier Mahinda Rajapakse had received almost 50.3% of the vote, with his main rival, opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, taking 48.4% in a hard fought race that has long been described as too close to call.
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Muslim worshippers killed in grenade attack on Akkaraipattu Mosque

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 November 2005, 04:15 GMT]
Unidentifed assailants lobbed two grenades into the Akkaraipattu Jummah Mosque killing four Muslim worshippers Friday early morning at 5:45 a.m. At least eighteen worshippers were wounded. Two victims died on the spot and the other two succumbed to their wounds at Akkaraipattu and Amparai Hospitals, medical sources said. Tension prevails in Akkaraipattu, 64 km south of Batticaloa town. The assailants hurled grenades on the floor of the moque crowded with devotees attending Jummah prayers Friday morning.
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Troops re-deployed in Trincomalee town

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 November 2005, 02:21 GMT]
State armed forces who were taken out from the sentry points in the Trincomalee town Thursday early morning took up their positions again following the closure of Sri Lanka presidential polling in the evening. These soldiers were temporarily withdrawn from the town as agreed between the Election Commission and Security Forces commanders that soldiers will be deployed within five hundred meters from the polling stations during polling.
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Muttur east, Eachchilampathu voters ignore poll

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 November 2005, 18:39 GMT]
No votes were cast in the clustered polling stations located in the army controlled area beyond the Kaddaiparichchan army camp for Tamil voters registered in the villages in the LTTE held Muttur east at the presidential poll held Thursday. Only one vote was cast at a clustered polling station located beyond the Mahindapura army camp in the government controlled area for Tamil voters registered in the LTTE held Eachchilampathu division, sources said.
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Jaffna postal votes: Wickremesinghe comes up ahead

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 November 2005, 16:25 GMT]
Of the 2326 postal votes in Jaffna district Ranil Wickremesinghe obtained 1405, Mahinda Rajapakse got 327, and total rejected votes were 441, election officials reported.
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Tamil Eelam TV coverage extended for Heroes Day

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 November 2005, 13:03 GMT]
National Television of Thamil Eelam (NTT) will extend coverage during Heroes day celebrations on the 27 November from 5.00 p.m. to 7.30 p.m, Tamileelam time, and will broadcast live the speech of LTTE Leader Pirapaharan, media unit of the Liberation Tigers said from Kilinochchi.
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Less than one percent cast vote in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 November 2005, 12:28 GMT]
Election officials in Jaffna secretariat said in a low voter turnout only 2168 votes (0.3% out of 701,938 registered) were cast in Jaffna district. Low number of incidents of violence were reported during the election day where Jaffna district voters appeared to have heeded the call for total boycott by several student organizations.
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Muttur residents hold demonstration against SLA embargo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 November 2005, 11:52 GMT]
Hundreds of Tamil residents of LTTE held Muttur east and Eachchilampathu division in Trincomalee district Thursday held demonstrations against the embargo imposed by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) on transporting essential food items, fuel and building materials through Kaddaiparichchan and Mahindapura army camps, sources in the east said.
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Low voter turnout in Omanthai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 November 2005, 11:33 GMT]
No votes were cast until mid-day at the sixty two cluster booths near Omanthai Sri Lanka Army (SLA) checkpoint. However, few Omanthai residents turned up in the afternoon, sources in Omanthai said. Voting was brisk in Muslim and Sinhala areas in Vavuniya inside SLA controlled areas.
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Sinhala trader shot dead in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 November 2005, 11:17 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot dead a 40 year old Sinhala trader known as "Baby" Thursday afternoon 4 p.m. at Chelvanayakapuram area, a suburb located three km off Trincomalee town. The victim was shot while he was riding a motorbike, Uppuveli Police said.
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SL Presidential Polls: Near Fizzle-Out in North East

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 November 2005, 10:14 GMT]
Very low attendance of voters was reported at the cluster-polling booths in the North-East as the voting in Sri Lanka to elect the fifth executive president began at 7:00 a.m Thursday. Situation in Jaffna remained calm in complete contrast to the polls eve marred with grenade attack incidents in the peninsula. At least six grenade incidents were reported in Batticaloa-Amparai. Two Tamil civilians were killed in Kalmunai. The voting continued till 4:00 p.m. Security was tightened throughout the country.
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SL troops temporarily withdrawn from Trinco town

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 November 2005, 07:07 GMT]
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and police personnel of the Sri Lanka Police deployed in main junctions and near schools in the Trincomalee town since the controversy of the illegal erection of Buddha statue in the vicinity of the Trincomalee central bus stand have been withdrawn to barracks from Thursday early morning in keeping with the election law that no security personnel should be seen within five hundred meters from the polling stations, Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) sources in the east port town said.
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Grenade explosions, tension mark election eve in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 22:49 GMT]
Tension prevailed in Jaffna, and streets were deserted at 7.00 p.m. as several grenade explosions marked the election eve. Unidentified assailants lobbed grenades at the offices of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) offices in Chavakacheri, Manipay, Achchuveli, Point Pedro and Mallakam where the EPDP intelligence operatives and supporters were reportedly co-ordinating plans for vote-rigging. EPDP has campaigned in favour of presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapakse.
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Grenade attacks escalate in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 17:25 GMT]
A grenade attack was reported in Batticaloa at Koolavady junction on Boundary Road Wednesday night around 8:15 p.m. A Sri Lanka Army soldier and a policman were wounded in the incident, police said. Another blast was reported in Chenkalady, Eravur around 9:15 p.m. Casualty details from Eravur incident were not available at the moment. Tension prevailed in Batticaloa and Amparai districts.
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Two youths arrested by police in Eravur

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 16:13 GMT]
Eravur police arrested two Tamil youths for allegedly tossing a grenade into their police vehicle Wednesday evening in Palayadithona near Santhiveli in Eravur around 5:30 p.m. Police said that the greande lobbed at their vehicle did not explode. The youths were riding in push bikes when they were arrested by the police.
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Two grenade attacks in Batticaloa, 3 SLA soldiers, policemen wounded

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 15:42 GMT]
Three Sri Lanka Army soldiers were rushed to Batticaloa Hospital with serious injuries following a grenade attack at them in Iruthayapuram 2 km north of Batticaloa town at 8:10 p.m. Wednesday, police said. At least two policeman were wounded in a separate grenade attack in Manmunai, 7 km south of Batticaloa.
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Two Muslim businessmen shot in Kalmunai, one dead

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 15:29 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a Muslim businessman, Mr. Ahammad Lebbe Thaheer, 42, Wednesday around 7:30 p.m. at Natpittymunai in Kalmunai, north of Amparai town. Another Muslim businessman, shot and wounded in a separate incident at 8:15 p.m. in Maruthamunai in Kalmunai, was rushed to Kalmunai Ashraff Memorial Hospital, Police said.
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Home guards shot in Welikanda, one dead, one wounded

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 13:21 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot two home guards killing one and wounding the other in Sorivil Wednesday morning around 9:00 a.m, Aralaganwila police said. Sorivil, located 70 km northwest of Batticaloa and 8 km from Mannampitiya, is an interior village in the Polannaruwa district along the Batticaloa-Polannaruwa road.
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FMM condemns attack on journalist

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 11:50 GMT]
Free Media Movement (FMM), in a press release issued Tuesday in Colombo condemned the attack on Mr Wahab, a correspondent to Tamil Language newspaper Thinakaran, in Akkaraipattu on the 14 November. A grenade lobbed into Mr Wahab's house by unknown assailants exploded causing damage to his house, but no one was injured.
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Thampalakamam women receive self-employment training

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 11:12 GMT]
Thirty-five rural girls and housewives who underwent six month training in sewing in the traditional Tamil village, Thampalakamam , under the auspices of Trincomalee Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) were awarded with certificates at an event held in the Thampalakamam divisional office of the TRO Monday evening. Thampalakamam is located about 24 km, southwest of Trincomalee town along Trincomalee-Kandy highway.
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Policeman shot dead in Kalmunai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 10:57 GMT]
An unidentified assailant shot and killed a Police Constable, Mr. Ranjithkumar, 28, Wednesday morning in Kalmunai, 35 km south of Batticaloa. The incident took place near Kalmunai police station in front of NSB Bank at 11:45 a.m. The assailant shot the constable with a 9 mm handgun and escaped in a motorbike, police said.
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Ex-TELO cadre shot dead in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 10:49 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen riding in a van kidnapped Mr. Rajmohan Seenithamby, 38, at 1:00 p.m Wednesday, Police said. The victim was found shot dead two hours later at a road junction on Punanai School Road.
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LTTE: no change in our position on polls

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 09:06 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers said Wednesday there is no change in their position on Thursday’s Presidential election from that taken last Friday. Denying newspaper reports that the LTTE was now actively encouraging people to vote in the Presidential elections, head of the LTTE’s Peace Secretariat, S. Pulidevan, said "the issue was discussed at length by the LTTE and the TNA (Tamil National Alliance) last week and the conclusion was the Tamils cannot place our trust on either of the parties or their candidates".
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TRO office in Batticaloa attacked

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 05:49 GMT]
Two unidentified assailants lobbed grenades at the Batticaloa office of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) Wednesday morning around 6:15 a.m., causing damage to the computer section of the TRO office, three tractors and a bus parked outside the office, Batticaloa Police said.
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Sinhalese person shot dead in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 05:41 GMT]
Unidentified men shot dead a Sinhalese person in Palaiyootru, a suburb in the Trincomalee town, and the Uppuveli Police Tuesday night recovered the body in the shrub jungle in the area. The body was taken to the mortuary of the Trincomalee general hospital for identification and inquest, police said.
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Two LTTE cadres said shot dead in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 05:12 GMT]
Unidentified assailants shot and killed two Tamil youths at Palainagar Junction on Batticaloa Polannaruwa road, 5 km north of Valaichenai Wednesday morning at 4:00 a.m. The victims were LTTE cadres, according to the Police. One of the victims was identified as Mr. S. Suresh, 28, who was allegedly arrested by the Sri Lanka Army at Chenkalady Black-Bridge Tuesday. The parents of Suresh said he was not a member of the LTTE.
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Dead fish wash up in Trinco beach, NARA investigates

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 00:43 GMT]
During the last seven days millions of dead sardines (Sudai) piled up along two km beach between the eastern headquarters of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) along the Inner Harbour Road in Trincomalee, sources said. National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), a premier research facility of the Government of Sri Lanka said it has started scientific investigations to establish the cause of death.
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SLA soldiers dishonor GA permits at checkpoint -TNA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 November 2005, 18:08 GMT]
Soldiers manning the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) checkpoints at Kaddaiparichchan and Mahindapura in Muttur east and Eachchilampathu division are not honoring permits issued by the Trincomalee Government Agent to non-governmental organizations and other agencies to take building materials to LTTE held areas to implement approved reconstruction and rehabilitation projects, said Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham, Trincomalee district parliamentarian in a letter faxed to President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge Tuesday.
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Uppukulam meeting violates Election Law

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 November 2005, 18:07 GMT]
An election rally in support of Prime Minister Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse, presidential candidate of the UPFA, was held in Uppukulam in Mannar district Tuesday afternoon in contravention of the Election Law. Laws stipulate that electioneering should close on Monday midnight. General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has filed a complaint with the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mannar sources said.
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Body recovered from Varany Temple well

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 November 2005, 11:29 GMT]
Partially clothed body of a man around 40 years old was found in a well at the premises of Chuttipuram Amman Kovil in Varani, Jaffna along the Kodikamam-Point Pedro road, sources in Jaffna said. The yet unidentified body was recovered by Kodikamam Police and has been transferred to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital for postmortem examinations.
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EPDP cadre shot, injured in Kayts

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 November 2005, 10:42 GMT]
N Kumaran (31), a senior cadre of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Front (EPDP) sustained severe injuries to his head when unknown gunmen fired at him and his fellow cadres while they were distributing propaganda leaflets in support of Sri Lanka presidential contestant, Mahinda Rajapakse, in Kayts, Jaffna, a 1.30 p.m.Tuesday.
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Unidentified aircraft comes down in Puttalam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 November 2005, 09:29 GMT]
An unidentified flying object, suspected to be a small aircraft or a helicopter, has come down in the sea 140 km north of Colombo and 2 km off the Ilanthayadi shore at about 10.45 a.m. Tuesday, according to fishermen in the area. None of the Sri Lankan aircrafts or helicopters were reported missing, according to Mr. Ajantha De Silva, the spokesman of the Sri Lanka Airforce (SLAF).
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Five Tamil youths arrested by SL troops in East

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 November 2005, 06:51 GMT]
Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) soldiers arrested three Tamil youths at Paddiriuppu Bridge in Kaluwanchikudy, 24 km south of Batticaloa, and the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers arrested two Tamil youths at Black Bridge in Chenkalady, 13 km north of Batticaloa Monday. However, the Police in Eravur is yet to confirm the arrest of the two Tamil youths from Kaluwanchikudy, parents said.
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Two LTTE cadres shot and killed in Akkaraipattu

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 November 2005, 06:00 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed two political cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eealm Monday night in Pallikudiyiruppu, a Muslim suburb in in Sri Lanka Army controlled Akkaraipattu in Amparai district, police said. The cadres, Mr. Suresh, 26, and Mr. Vellai, 22, who use to come to the village to purchase meat, were kidnapped by the gunmen, residents said.
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NEPC to setup sand mining projects in NorthEast districts

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 November 2005, 00:02 GMT]
North East Provincial Council (NEPC) is planning to establish plants to mine sand from sea in the districts of Jaffna, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Amparai to compensate for the shortage of river sand needed for the construction industry in the districts. NEPC administration is to call for tenders internationally for the setting up of these plants, Mr.T.Thavasilingam, Provincial Deputy Chief Secretary, Engineering Services of the NEPC said at a meeting with officials of the National Reconstruction Association of Sri Lanka (NCASL) held Saturday in Trincomalee.
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UNP accuses SL Government of plans to sabotage Jaffna poll

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 November 2005, 17:55 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) Monday charged Sri Lanka government of trying to disrupt a just and fair presidential poll in Jaffna district by sending nearly three hundred Sri Lanka Army (SLA) deserters to the district. Brigadier Sarath Munasinghe, former spokesperson for the SLA, addressing a press briefing Monday, said that the government has obtained the support of a paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) activist to sabotage the poll.
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Mannar courts remands suspects in explosives case

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 November 2005, 17:54 GMT]
Mr.A.S.Johnthasan, Mannar acting Magistrate, Monday ordered further remand till November 21 for the three suspects arrested in connection with alleged possession of explosives. The suspects, Francis Joseph of Talaimannar, Raja Palani of Kayts and A. Vasanthakumar of Mannar, were brought to Mannar courts under heavy guard from Anuradhapura Prison, legal sources said.
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Kilinochchi court extends remand for Sri Lanka policemen

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 November 2005, 13:00 GMT]
Tamil Eelam district court, Kilinochchi ordered further remand for three Sri Lankan policemen until 28 November. Prosecution assured the Court there was progress in investigations and that evidence was emerging that the accuesd entered Tamil eelam areas for purposes other than trying to arrest a child molester as was earlier claimed by the defendents. The case was taken up before District Judge Sathana, Monday, 14 November at 12.30 pm when bail was denied.
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Children support peace, says poll

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 November 2005, 12:21 GMT]
A Children’s Opinion Poll commissioned by the Children As Zones of Peace (‘CZOP’), a collaboration of local and international NGOs and UN Agencies has found that 97 percent of children that are aware of the peace process, see the peace process as good for Sri Lanka, a media release issued by CZOP said Monday.
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84 EU members to be on election duty

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 November 2005, 12:15 GMT]
55 additional officials arrived from European member countries and Switzerland Monday to augment the 29 officials already present to participate with the EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) to "observe voting, counting and tabulation procedures throughout the whole country," a press release issued by the EOM said Monday.
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Halo Trust violates workers rights, striking employees say

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 November 2005, 11:25 GMT]
Workers at Halo trust, a British charity engaged in mine clearing work in Jaffna for the past five years, went on strike to protest the dismissal of four workers without warning. More than one hundred workers picketed in front of the Halo trust vehicle park located on Temple road near Nallur, Jaffna, from 9 a.m. Monday sources said.
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French Government funds disaster preparedness efforts

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 November 2005, 11:18 GMT]
The Government of France has provided Sri Lanka $1.2m to improve disaster preparedness, to create better disaster awareness and a culture of safety in the country, a press release issued by the French Embassy in Colombo said Monday.
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EPDP cadre shot dead in Colombo

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 November 2005, 17:54 GMT]
Two unknown gunmen riding in a motorbike shot dead Mr Vellaipodi Rasanayagam (36), an Eelam People Democratic Party (EPDP) cadre, Sunday night at about 8.00 p.m. at Maya Avenue in Wellawatte, Colombo, sources said. Mr Rasanayagam is alleged to be a key intelligence operative, and is in-charge of security for Leader of EPDP, Mr Douglas Devananda.
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Trinco, Amparai Tamil Students call for poll boycott

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 November 2005, 17:45 GMT]
Tamil Students Consortium in the districts of Trincomalee and Amparai in the east have appealed to Tamil people to boycott the presidential poll to demonstrate that they are not interested in the power struggle between the Sinhala political leadership in the south. In statements released in Trincomalee and Amparai Sunday the consortiums have stated that it's time for Tamil people in the northeast to tell the international community and Sinhala people in the south of Sri Lanka that they are not prepared to be deceived by leaders of Sinhala chauvinist political parties any more, sources said.
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Tamil public servants urged to boycott election duty

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 November 2005, 17:42 GMT]
An organization called "Peoples Force" in Jaffna district called all Tamil public servants to ignore election duty on the presidential poll scheduled to be held on November 17 and to observe the day as mourning. Boycott posters are seen in public places throughout the Jaffna district, civil sources said.
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Vadamaradchy East, Kilinochchi voters can exercise franchise freely- GA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 November 2005, 12:42 GMT]
"We have made elaborate arrangements to ensure that voters residing in Liberation Tigers' controlled areas of Vadamaradchy east and Kilinochchi district can exercise their franchise with complete freedom without any requirement to produce identity cards," said Jaffna Government Agent and Jaffna District Election Returning Officer, K Ganesh, during a press meet held at the Jaffna Secretariat offices Sunday afternoon.
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Electric fence claims Mannar Police officer's life

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 November 2005, 16:43 GMT]
Mr. Gunasingalage Gunatilake (33), a native of Middeniya in Tangalle area and Reserve Police Constable in Mannar, was electrocuted Saturday morning around 8.40 p.m. when he came in contact with live barbed wire fence of the Murunkan police post in Mannar district, said Police sources.
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Mannar court releases refugee returnees from TamilNadu

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 November 2005, 16:38 GMT]
Mr.A.S.Johnthasan, Mannar acting Magistrate Saturday ordered surety bail for one person and released ten others when Talaimannar Police produced eleven refugees who were taken into custody by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) when they were returning to Sri Lanka from South India Friday, legal sources said.
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Literary competitions to mark Heroes day begin

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 November 2005, 13:38 GMT]
Event marking fine arts and literary competitions among the different fighting divisions of the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) was inaugurated at the Lt Col Rajan Education Center organized by the Center's staff in Vanni Saturday, media section of the LTTE said. LTTE cadre, Ahanalagan, also a member of the Education Center, presided the event.
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SLA soldier shot in Vavuniya, gunmen seize weapons

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 November 2005, 09:09 GMT]
Two motorbike-riding assailants shot and wounded a Sri Lanka Army soldier at a checkpost located in Ganeshapuram, 6 km northwest of Vavuniya town, around 1:30 p.m. Saturday. The assailants, who seized two AK-47 rifles from the soldiers, fled away in their motorbike, Vavuniya Police said.
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Two Muslims killed, four wounded in claymore attack in Vaharai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 November 2005, 05:19 GMT]
A Claymore mine exploded Friday midnight at Kirimichchai in Vaharai, 44 km north of Batticaloa, killing two Muslim timber workers, Mr. Mohammed Munas, 28, and Mr. Athambava Mohammed Lebbe, 35. Four persons were rushed to Batticaloa Hospital with wounds, Police said. The crew that had gone to the jungle area to cut timber three days ago, was returning from Kirimichchai to Valaichenai through the Welikanda area in a tractor with woods, civilian sources said.
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LTTE exhorts NEPC to help impoverished Muttur East

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 November 2005, 03:33 GMT]
Colonel Sornam, Trincomalee district military commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district LTTE Head of the Political Wing, Thursday urged North East Provincial Council (NEPC) administration officials to channel funds to build proper roads, bridges, hospitals, schools and other essential services to the people of the neglected Muttur east region.
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Court ruling may impact voter turnout- EOM

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 November 2005, 19:35 GMT]
Ruling by Supreme Court Wednesday that election officials can demand identity cards from voters "deemed suspicious," may have a crippling effect on the voter turnout, Election Obeservation Mission (EOM) officials said Friday. The Supreme Court ruled that voters need not carry an identity card but made the above exception to prevent fraud by voters from LTTE controlled areas, sources said. Since many residents in the LTTE areas may not have identity cards, "this could become harassment of the electorate," Reuters quoted Chairman of Peoples' Action for a Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL), Kingsley Rodrigo, as saying.
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Student resurgence convention concludes in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 November 2005, 12:43 GMT]
Students from Jaffna schools assembled Friday at the Kailasapathy Hall Jaffna Campus to discuss issues confronting Tamil students in NorthEast. Head of Jaffna Students Federation, Mr Gunendran, presided the event. Organizers said this was the first event of this type arranged by the students in the NorthEast.
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Two LTTE suspects escape from Jaffna jail

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 November 2005, 12:01 GMT]
Two suspects alleged to be members of Liberation Tigers kept in remand in Jaffna jail escaped with two accomplices who entered the jail posing as spectators and threatened prison officials with hand guns at 4.30 p.m. Friday, security sources in Jaffna said. The four escaped in motorbikes along Columbuthurai Road.
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Policeman succumbs to gunshot wounds in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 November 2005, 11:36 GMT]
A policeman, Mr. Senanayake, 38, wounded in gunfire by unidentified gunmen at Thirunelveli market in Jaffna around 4:00 p.m. Friday, succumbed to his wounds at Jaffna Hospital, medical sources said. Gunmen riding in a motorbike had fired at a group of policemen who had arrived at Thirunelveli market junction in Jaffna town from Atchchuveli, Jaffna Police said.
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GTZ supplies boats, engines to Muttur east fisher families

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 November 2005, 08:22 GMT]
German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) of the German Federal Government with the funding of World Vision-German inaugurated the first phase of handing over fishing boats, engines and fishing nets and related materials to tsunami affected fishermen of four villages in the Muttur east in Trincomalee at an event held at Kadatkaraichchenai Thursday. Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) is the implementing partner. The TRO Trincomalee District Secretariat organized the event.
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Malteser to fund Children's Home building construction

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 November 2005, 04:49 GMT]
Malteser International, Order of Malta Worldwide Relief, finalized agreement to fund the second phase of the reconstruction of a three storey building for "Anbu Illam," a Trincomalee children home, for a cost of about Rs.8.3 million, officials said. Anpu Illam has been providing shelter to orphans who lost their parents in the war.
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SLA tightens restriction on food, fuel transport to Muttur

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 November 2005, 17:57 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) tightened their restriction on transport of goods including eggs, meat and fuel into Muttur east from army controlled areas through the checkpoint of the SLA Kaddaiparichchan army camp from this week. SLA has also barred Muttur east fishermen from fishing after 6 p.m. as they have to pass through the high security zone for deep sea fishing, Mr.S.Elilan, LTTE Trincomalee district political head said Thursday. Muttur east is held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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Cushnahan to visit Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 November 2005, 14:24 GMT]
John Cushnahan, chief obeserver of the EU Election Observation Mission, accompanied by Head of EU delegation to Sri Lanka, Ambassador Julian Wilson, are to visti Jaffna, Friday, a press advisory from the EOM offices in Colombo said Thursday.
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LTTE-TNA conference concludes: "Tamil people have no interest in SL Presidential elections"

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 November 2005, 11:56 GMT]
Emerging from the three and a half hour meeting with the Political Wing of the LTTE, Wednesday, R.Sampanthan, Leader of the TNA Parliamentarians, categorically declared to the media, "Nothing worthwhile would be achieved by supporting either of the two leading candidates in the Sri Lankan Presidential election." Mr Sampanthan, following discussions presided by S.P.Thamilchelvan, leader of the Political Wing of the LTTE, assured the press in Kilinochchi, that Tamil People are "not at all interested in the forthcoming Presidential election."
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NPC urges LTTE to make public it's not opposed to voting

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 November 2005, 11:38 GMT]
National Peace Council (NPC), in a press release issued in Colombo Thursday said that it will be a "postive gesture in the part of the LTTE to continue to make it known that they are not opposed to the people casting their votes in the Presidential elections." The release said that the various leaflets being distributed in Jaffna district calling for boycott is causing "anxiety amongst the people who are concerned about LTTE's stance with regard to elections."
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Grenade lobbed at TNA MP's Lodge in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 November 2005, 11:24 GMT]
Unidentified attackers lobbed a grenade into the premises of the lodge owned by Jaffna Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Mr. Suresh Premachandran at 4:30 a.m. Thursday. The lodge is located in Kattaipirai on Jaffna Point Pedro Road. No one was injured in the incident.
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Two masons shot in Eravur

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 November 2005, 08:57 GMT]
An unidentified assailant shot and wounded two masons, Mr. Ganeshamoorthy Chandrakumar,20, and Mr Navaratnarajah Kannan, 24, in Vantharumoolai in Eravur, 18 km north of Batticaloa. The incident took place around 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
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HOPE donates computers to Trinco schools

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 November 2005, 02:15 GMT]
Hope for the Children (HOPE), a non-governmental organization based in London, Wednesday under the project "Tsunami Disaster Relief UK Schools Link," donated computers, printers and furniture costing about eight hundred thousand rupees to three village schools affected by tsunami in the Trincomalee district through the Trincomalee Young Men Christian Association (YMCA).
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Heavy rains worsen Tsunami refugees' woes

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 November 2005, 17:59 GMT]
Heavy rains drenched Trincomalee town and other villages in the district Wednesday evening for about three hours flooding roads and lanes, bringing the traffic almost to a halt. Several tsunami affected families sheltered in temporary huts located in coastal areas sought refuge in nearby public buildings and temples as rainwater entered their dwellings through roofs and by ground, non-governmental organization sources said.
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Sri Lanka's Peace Chief quits post

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 November 2005, 12:32 GMT]
Dr Jayantha Dhanapala, Secretary General of the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) in Sri Lanka resigned his post Wednesday to ''devote time to other obligations,'' media reports in Colombo said.
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PAFFREL invites more than 100 foreign election monitors

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 November 2005, 11:28 GMT]
Peoples Action For Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL), a Colombo based election monitoring Non Governmental Organization said in a press release issued in Colombo Wednesday that more than one hundred foreign obeservers are arriving on 9 November to monitor elections in the twenty two electoral districts. More than 40 obervers are to be sent to NorthEast including to the cluster polling stations, the release added.
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Sri Lanka 2006 Defence expenditure to increase by 30%

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 November 2005, 02:39 GMT]
Sri Lanka's defence expenditure for fiscal year 2006 is expected to increase by more than 30% of the 2005 levels to Rs 61b, budgetary estimates submitted to the legislative body Tuesday revealed.
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Cushnahan visits Trincomalee, observes polling arrangement

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 November 2005, 17:02 GMT]
Mr.John Cushnahan, Head of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM) to Sri Lanka Tuesday visited Trincomalee and held discussions with election officials and representatives of the two main political parties contesting the presidential poll. Two long-term observers stationed in the east port town participated in the discussion with Mr.Cushnahan.
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SL Presidential candidates' asset details to remain private

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 November 2005, 14:31 GMT]
Free Media Movement expressed its "grave concern" on the decision made by the Election Commissioner to refuse to make public the assets, liabilities declarations of Sri Lanka's presidential candidates, in a press release issued in Colombo Tuesday.
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UPFA submits budget

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 November 2005, 13:04 GMT]
Finance Minister of the United Peoples Alliance (UPFA) government, Dr Sarath Amunugama, submitted Tuesday afternoon the second and the last budget under the Presidency of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge in Sri Lanka Parliament, parliamentary sources said. Opposition United National Party (UNP), Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF) and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) boycotted the event.
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Jaffna postal voting concludes, less than 1300 vote

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 November 2005, 12:41 GMT]
At the completion of two days of postal voting less than 26% of those who applied for postal ballots voted in Jaffna district, according to Election officials at the Jaffna Secretariat. Of the total of 7068 Government officials who are eligible, 4068 had applied for postal voting. Less than 600 on Monday, and less than 700 Tuesday voted, officials added.
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SLA truck entangles in electric fence, eight troopers injured

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 November 2005, 12:30 GMT]
Eight Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers attached to the 512 brigade occupying Gnanams and Subash hotels in Jaffna were electrocuted when the truck they were travelling in entangled with the live electric perimeter fence at 10.30 a.m Tuesday, security sources said. All injured have been admitted to Jaffna Teaching Hospital. Two of the soldiers have suffered life threatening injuries, hospital sources said.
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Surrendered cadres expose SLA complicity with Karuna group

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 November 2005, 12:15 GMT]
Two underage youths, Suresh Kandasamy (16) and Babu Selvam (15), and another foreign returnee Shanmugam Sarwarajah (21), recruited with promise of financial incentives by paramilitary Karuna Group surrendered to the Liberation Tigers and talked to media Monday evening at Solaiyaham Conference Centre in the LTTE controlled area of the Batticaloa district. The cadres said they were under continuous monitoring by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and decided to surrender when they were sent on missions to attack LTTE posts.
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Businessman shot by Muslim gunmen in Eravur

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 November 2005, 10:45 GMT]
Mr. Sinnathamby Puhari, 26, a Muslim owner of a business was shot and wounded in Monday night at his residence in Eravur by gunmen believed to be belonging to a Muslim armed group. Mr. Puhari was shot when he returned home after talking to his friends at Meerakerny in Eravur at 8:30 p.m., Eravur Police said. Police allege that a Muslim armed group in the east is engaged in extortion among Muslim business owners in Batticaloa.
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UNP to oppose new budget

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 November 2005, 15:57 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) Monday announced that it will not accept the Sri Lanka Coalition Government's budget which is to be tabled in the parliament Tuesday. "We consider the budget as a mere piece of paper which has no value," said Mr.Tissa Attanayake, UNP Assistant General Secretary addressing a press briefing Monday at the office of the Leader of the Opposition.
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SL President to attend Dhaka SAARC summit

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 November 2005, 15:43 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge will lead the Sri Lanka delegation to the forthcoming thirteenth South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) Summit at Dhaka, Bangladesh, scheduled for 12-13 November 2005. The delegation includes Mr.Anura Bandaranaike, Foreign Minister and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of Commerce and the Presidential Secretariat, said a press release issued Monday in Colombo.
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Hakeem raises election concerns with EU EOM

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 November 2005, 14:33 GMT]
Members of the European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Sri Lanka met with leader of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Mr Rauf Hakeem Monday at Mr Hakeem's residence in Colombo. Mr Hakim raised concerns related to activities that undermine democracy during the forthcoming Sri Lanka presidential elections, and also discussed election related issues in the east, a press release from EOM issued in Colombo Monday said.
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Election travel restrictions at Omanthai Checkpoint

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 November 2005, 13:18 GMT]
In a meeting held at the Vavuniya secretariat Monday at 3.30 p.m., Sri Lanka Army (SLA) high level officials and, Vavuniya district election Commissioner and Government Agent Mr S Shanumugam, decided to restrict travel at the Omanthai checkpoint and disallow heavy vehicles during Sri Lanka presidential elections on 16th and 17th November, secretariat officials said.
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Jaffna postal votes cast, said historic low

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 November 2005, 11:46 GMT]
Election officials at the Jaffna Secretariat said that less than 10% of those applied for postal voting cast their votes when the first day of postal voting completed on Monday. Although there is expected to be voting in some centers tomorrow, the election officials added that the numbers voted present a historic low for the district.
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Explain clandestine acts against Tamils, UPF asks UNP

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 November 2005, 11:04 GMT]
"If the United National Party (UNP) has plans to undermine the NorthEast struggle by using paramilitaries or by inviting foreign military forces, then Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF) will not only withdraw its support to the UNP but will work against its candidate in the forthcoming presidential elections," said Periyasamy Chandrasekaran, leader of UPF, in a media release issued in Colombo Monday.
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“Karuna Defection, Wickremasinghe's Ploy” - UNP Stalwart

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 November 2005, 10:04 GMT]
A United National Party (UNP) stalwart in Nuwara Eliya district, Mr. Naveen Dissanayake, has said that it would not be necessary for Sri Lanka’s Military to fight the Tigers. "American and Indian forces will fight the LTTE if Liberation Tigers' leader Pirapaharan opts to wage a war," Naveen Dissanayake told the audience at an Election propaganda meeting, Thursday, at Ginigathena in the upcountry district of Nuwara Eliya, a Tamil daily, Uthayan, quoted in its headline story, Monday. Mr. Dissanayake has also claimed that a situation was created to make the renegade LTTE commander Karuna to get dissatisfied with his leadership during the period covering his trips to Europe, the paper said.
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Housing project benefits Muttur east war victims

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 November 2005, 00:51 GMT]
The first beneficiary of the housing project in Ward No 5 of Sampoor village sponsored by the Social Development Centre (SDC), Ms Veerapaithirar Pagawathipillai, received the keys from Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at an event held Saturday, sources said. The SDC which is implementing a housing project for war affected families in the Muttur east in Trincomalee district, has its head quarters in Kilinochchi.
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Paramilitary cadres abduct 3 youths in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 November 2005, 16:39 GMT]
Armed men believed to be the cadres of the paramilitary Karuna Group have kidnapped three youths at gunpoint Saturday night in Kaluwankerny in Eravur. Complaint lodged by parents of the kidnapped youths at the Eravur Police said that the kidnappers had come in a white van. At least five youths have been reported disappeared last week in the Batticaloa district.
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Bus-depot official shot dead in Akkaraipattu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 November 2005, 16:25 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed Mr. Thasaputhiran Thasakumar, 33, a staff worker attached to Sammanthurai bus depot of the Sri Lanka Transport Board (CTB), at his residence in Akkaraipattu, 64 km south of Batticaloa. The incident took place Sunday at 7:30 p.m., Akkaraipattu Police said.
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LTTE senior leader Major Ganesh remembered

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 November 2005, 16:21 GMT]
Nineteenth death anniversary of Major Ganesh, senior leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), was observed in Muttur east Saturday at the Major Ganesh mausoleum located in the heart of Kaddaiparichchan, now renamed Ganeshapuram in the memory of LTTE leader. Mr.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head participated as the chief guest.
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Clerical Union calls for Jaffna Postal vote boycott

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 November 2005, 15:58 GMT]
Tamil Government Clerical Services Association Sunday made a public call for all Government workers in Jaffna district who are eligible for postal votes for the forthcoming Sri Lanka presidential elections, to boycott the vote in unison, in a media release issued in Jaffna Sunday. "Both presidential candidates are focussed on becoming the supreme commander of the Sri Lanka Security Forces to continue suppression of Tamil people. Neither is interested in finding an amicable solution to the burning Tamil National question," the statement said of candidates' intentions.
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LTTE cautions Jaffna residents of poster hoax

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 November 2005, 14:07 GMT]
Jaffna district Political Wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) today issued a statement warning people to be vigilant of the fake posters and leaflets being circulated by anti-LTTE elements in Jaffna. "The leaflets printed under the Tiger insignia and signed by "Jaffna district LTTE political section," requesting people to vote in the forthcoming presidential elections, are fake and a hoax being perpertrated by nefarious elements to cause confusion among voters," the statement from the LTTE said. The posters were seen posted in Gurunagar and areas surrounding Jaffna town, Sunday.
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Jaffna postal voting to complete on Monday

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 November 2005, 12:14 GMT]
Election officials have made arrangements for Jaffna government workers who have been assigned for election duty to execute their postal votes on Monday, sources said. Amid security concerns and calls from different civil organizations including Consortium of Tamil Speaking Peoples Trade Unions to boycott postal votes, the earlier announced two days have been reduced to a single day.
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Tamil businessman shot, wounded in Puttalam

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 November 2005, 06:06 GMT]
Two unindentified gunmen entered a jewellery shop located on Puttalam Mannar Road in Puttalam town Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and shot the shop owner. The victim, Mr. K. Pathmalingam, 39, was wounded and rushed to Puttalam hospital, police said.
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Infrastructure development discussed in Kilinochchi meet

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 November 2005, 00:02 GMT]
Civil engineers working in the distircts of NorthEast Friday met with the offiicals of the political and economic wings of the Liberation Tigers at the LTTE's Planning and Development Secretariat (PDS) in Kilinochchi to discuss the objectives and guildlines to be adopted for the infrastructure design and construction across NorthEast, sources said. Head of LTTE's Political Wing, S.P Thamilchelvan presided, and Head of Tamil Eelam Economic and Development Organization (TEEDOR), Karikalan, participated in the discussions.
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Youth shot dead in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 November 2005, 16:39 GMT]
Unidentified men Saturday night around 8.30 p.m. shot dead a Tamil youth identified as Thurairajah Kannan in front of a leading jewellery shop along Dockyard Road in Trincomalee town. The site where the incident took place is located a few meters from the main entrance to the eastern headquarters of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), Trincomalee police said.
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Muslim gunmen shoot businessman in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 November 2005, 11:59 GMT]
A Muslim businessman, Mr. M.S. Mohamed Puhari, 38, was shot and wounded Friday night at Mavadichenai in Valaichenai by gunmen believed to be Muslims, Valaichenai police said.
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Realignment of Sinhala Nationalist forces spells trouble for SL Peace- Gajendrakumar

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 November 2005, 00:05 GMT]
"Radicalisation of Sri Lanka polity resulting in the realignment of Sinhala Nationalist forces as witnessed by the new coalitions formed for Sri Lanka's presidential elections, raises the spectre of nationlist politics of the 50s and is leading towards imminent collapse of the peace process," said Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, addressing a forum on Sri Lanka's Peace prospects, held in Washington D.C Friday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
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Voting decision rests with Tamil people- Ilamparithi

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 November 2005, 23:55 GMT]
Mr.C.Ilampartithi, Jaffna district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said Friday that his organization has not taken any decision regarding the forthcoming presidential poll. "LTTE will not exert any pressure on Tamils on this issue," said Mr.Ilamparithi answering a question at a press briefing held in Jaffna district political office, which is, now located in LTTE controlled Pallai area.
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Rajapakse makes campaign trip to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 November 2005, 23:05 GMT]
"No one can wage a war and divide this country, and I don't intend to start a war," said Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse, the Sri Lankan Prime Minister and presidential candidate during his visit to Jaffna Friday speaking at a meeting in Nadeswara College building located in the High Security Zone (HSZ) in Kankesanthurai in Jaffna.
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Grenade attack on Muhamalai LTTE post foiled, attacker shot

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 November 2005, 11:22 GMT]
Two men who entered the Liberation Tigers controlled area and attempted to lob grenades at the checkpost were shot while they tried to escape from the Muhamalai checkpoint, civilian sources said. One of the attackers was later rushed to Chavakacheri hospital by the Sri Lanka Army. The incident took place around 1:00 p.m. Friday when the attackers, caught by the personnel manning the checkpoint, tried to escape from the site, sources added.
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Grenade attack at Jaffna SLA sentry point

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 November 2005, 11:12 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) sentry point located near the gas station close to Jaffna Windsor theatre came under grenade attack by unknown assailants 2.50 p.m. Friday. No one was injured. The sentry received extensive damages, sources said.
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Netherlands funds reconstruction of Seruvila Tamil schools

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 November 2005, 04:32 GMT]
Mr.Chris Eijkemans, Head of the South Asian Bureau of N (o) vib-Oxfam Netherlands (Netherlands Organization for International Development Co-operation) and his Programme Officer in Sri Lanka Ms Rixt Bode Wednesday laid foundation stones for the reconstruction of two Tamil schools in villages Uppooral and Cheenanveli in Muttur east, which were affected by December tsunami last year. Uppooral Sivasakthi Tamil School and Cheenanveli Athavan Tamil Vidiyalayam are to be reconstructed at a cost of about 20 million rupees each by the N (o) vib-Oxfam Netherlands supported by Education International and sponsored by the Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union (CTTU).
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Leading Tamil educationist passes away

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 November 2005, 00:54 GMT]
Mr.Kandiah Thangarajah (65), leading educationist in Trincomalee district and who headed the organization committee of the Tamil National Resurgence Convention in Trincomalee passed away Wednesday night after a heart attack. His funeral was held Thursday evening at Hindu cemetery in the east port town amid large gathering of members of the public and friends.
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SLA restricts civilian travel to Muttur east

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 November 2005, 17:42 GMT]
Civilians entering the Liberation Tigers controlled Muttur east territory in the Trincomalee district are now subjected to severe checking and interrogation by soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) manning the Kaddaiparichchan army camp checkpoint located on the border of the SLA and LTTE controlled areas. The defense establishment since last week has imposed this new security alert. In several instances civilians going to Muttur east were refused entry, sources said.
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Sixth anniversary of Unceasing Waves-III commemorated

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 November 2005, 11:18 GMT]
Sixth anniversary of Unceasing Waves-III, the operation by Liberation Tigers that captured areas along A9 highway from Elephant Pass to Muhamalai, was commomerated in Oddusuddan, presided by the Head of Women's Wing of Lt Col Rajan Education Division of the LTTE, Jeyanthi, at 11 a.m. Wednesday, LTTE media section in Kilinochchi said.
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Wickremasinghe meets military officials, troops in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 November 2005, 10:52 GMT]
Sri Lanka's presidential candidate and leader of opposition, Mr Ranil Wickremasinghe, arrived in special Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) aircraft at Palaly military camp Thursday 7.45 a.m. morning and met with Jaffna Military Commander Major General Sunil Tennekoon and other high level military officials. The discussions centered on matters related to security situation in Jaffna and forthcoming elections.
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Three policemen, EPDP cadre, tri-shaw driver shot in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 November 2005, 10:44 GMT]
Unidentified assailants Thursday morning opened fire at a tri-shaw transporting an EPDP cadre and the policemen providing escort to his vehicle. Three policemen, the EPDP cadre and the tri-shaw driver were wounded and rushed to Batticaloa Hospital. The incident took place near a police post located north of Batticaloa town on Trincomalee Road around 10:30 a.m., police said.
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Trade union urges public servants to boycott postal voting

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 November 2005, 18:11 GMT]
Consortium of Tamil Speaking Peoples Trade Unions in Jaffna appealed to public servants in the district to boycott postal voting for the November 17 presidential poll. The statement charged that the presidential candidates have once again ignored the Tamil speaking people by their "impractical promises." A solution that is dependent on "ethnic majoritarian consent," as the way to resolve the Tamil National question, will stand little chance of being successful, the statement further said.
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LTTE, TNA MPs, community leaders meet in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 November 2005, 18:08 GMT]
Military and political leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Trincomalee district held discussions Wednesday with two Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians and several representatives of Tamil civil groups in the district. Colonel Sornam, Trincomalee district military commander, Mr.S.Elilan, district political head and Mr.Vasanthan, a military commander of the LTTE participated on behalf of the LTTE in the discussion, sources said.
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Three grenade attacks in Jaffna, 3 policemen, 2 SLA soldiers wounded

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 November 2005, 16:19 GMT]
Three Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and two policemen were injured in 3 different grenade attacks in Jaffna Wednesday night. Two Sri Lankan policemen were wounded when unidentified assailants lobbed a grenade into a police post in Navanthurai, a coastal suburb of the Jaffna town around 9:00 p.m. Wednesday. Two soldiers were wounded in Malusanthi junction near Nelliyadi in Vadamaradchi at 9:30 p.m. when unidentified assailants lobbed a grenade at an Army checkpoint.
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LTTE encourages Muslim resettlement in Jaffna- Moulavi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 November 2005, 11:54 GMT]
Moulavi L.Shakil, Secretary of the Muslim Peoples' Office in Jaffna, Tuesday said the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been extending full support for the displaced Muslims to resettle in the Jaffna district. "Some sinister forces are spreading unfounded allegation in the South that LTTE is obstructing resettlement," said Moulavi Shakil addressing a press conference at his office located along Navalar Road in Jaffna town Tuesday.
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Japan awards PAFFREL, CPA $108K for election work

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 November 2005, 11:30 GMT]
During a signing Ceremony of the "Projects for Monitoring the Presidential Election 2005," Wednesday, H. E. Mr. Akio Suda, Ambassador of Japan, on behalf of his government gave Rs 10.85m to People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) and Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) to "facilitate conducting fair elections."
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Ex-LTTE members shot dead in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 November 2005, 10:54 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a former member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Wednesday morning 8:30 a.m. in Kurunchi Nagar in Valaichenai, 32 km north of Batticaloa. The victim, Mr. Sellathamby Punniyamoorthy,26, a father of two children, was kidnapped three days earlier by the assailants suspected to belong to the paramilitary Karuna Group, civilian sources said. Another former member of the LTTE was shot and killed on Monday in Kiran.
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Journalists assaulted at slain Intelligence officers house

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 November 2005, 11:17 GMT]
Ms. Ranee Mohamed, a feature editor and Mr. Berty Mendis, a photographer at the English weekly Sunday Leader in Colombo, were assaulted by a group of men armed with batons and swords Tuesday morning at the residence of the slain Sri Lankan senior Intelligence officer, Lt. Col. Tuwan Rizwi Meedin, in Kiribathgoda in Colombo when they went to obtain interviews from Meedin's family members, media sources in Colombo said. The attackers had alleged that the Sunday Leader was supporting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
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JHU dissident MP begins campaign, supporting Wickremasinghe

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 November 2005, 08:30 GMT]
Venerable Uduwae Dhammaloka Thera, dissident parliamentarian of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) said he will begin his election campaign in support of Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, presidential candidate of the United National Party (UNP), Tuesday from Navagamuwa Raja Maha Vihare. About 200 Buddhist monks and 1000 youths will participate in his campaign in the districts of the south of Sri Lanka, Venerable Uduwae Dhammaloka Thera said in a press briefing.
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Thamotheram, social activist, passes away

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 November 2005, 02:39 GMT]
Mr C J T Thamotheram, social activist and an expatriate doyen of Tamils in England, passed away on Thursday. Son of Mr CP Thamotheram who was a principal at Hartley College (1915 - 1943), CJT Thamotheram was a student and teacher at Hartley College, Point Pedro, and later teacher at Latymer Upper School in U.K.
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Trinco Anbu Illam students excel in religious competitions

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 November 2005, 00:07 GMT]
Three students of the Trincomalee children home "Anbu Illam" who excelled in an island-wide Hindu religious competitions held in Colombo to mark the fifth All Ceylon Sekkilar Conference were honored at an event in Trincomalee Vigneswara Maha Vidiyalayam during the weekend.
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