Buddhist Congress protests against aid deal

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 May 2005, 13:58 GMT]
Hundreds of Buddhist monks belonging to Jathika Sangha Sammelanaya (JSS National Buddhist Congress) held a protest march Sunday against any deal with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for a Joint Mechanism to facilitate post-tsunami reconstruction in the NorthEast, sources in Colombo said. The protesters marched to the office of Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr Mahinda Rajapakshe and handed over a memorandum.
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Muttur Tamils protest against SLA embargo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 May 2005, 16:58 GMT]
About five thousand Tamil civilians Wednesday held a protest march from Poonagar in the LTTE controlled Eachchilampathu division in the Muttur area to the Mahindapura Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp demanding the removal of ban on the transportation of cement, building materials, petrol and diesel urgently needed for tsunami reconstruction work and agricultural purposes, sources said.
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Akashi to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 May 2005, 11:55 GMT]
Japanese peace envoy, Mr Yasushi Akashi, is arriving in Sri Lanka on Wednesday for a seven day visit to discuss matters related to the peace process and post-tsunami development, a press release the Japanese Embassy in Colombo issued Monday said.
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CEB workers begin work-to-rule protest

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 May 2005, 15:30 GMT]
About 14000 workers of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Thursday afternoon around 3 p.m.began work-to rule in protest to the cabinet decision of restructuring the CEB to make it a profitable body. Ministers representing the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a major constituent of the UPFA government walked of the cabinet meeting when the proposal was tabled citing short notice was given to them.
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Engine drivers' strike disrupts SL train service

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 May 2005, 10:22 GMT]
The train service in Sri Lanka came to a standstill Thursday with the strike of engine drivers entering the second day. No passenger or goods train left from Fort Railway Station in Colombo Thursday morning. The strike began Wednesday night after the Transport Minister failed to provide satisfactory response to the demand for a new salary scheme and a name change for engine drivers, trade union sources said.


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India's Foreign Secretary to meet President Chandrika

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 May 2005, 16:55 GMT]
Mr.Shyam Saran, Indian Foreign Secretary Monday met with Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse and discussed in detail bilateral issues including commercial, political, post-tsunami rehabilitation, Indian financial assistance and credit lines, parliamentary sources in Colombo said. Mr.Saran is scheduled to meet President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge Tuesday, sources said.


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Sivaram funeral cortege leaves Colombo

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 May 2005, 17:19 GMT]
The body of murdered Tamil journalist Sivaram Dharmeratnam was taken from his residence in Colombo at 10pm local time to Batticaloa where his funeral will take place on Monday. The skies opened up momentarily around No.15/4 Mahindarama Road, Ratmalana from where the cortege left with Police escort. The cortege is expected to reach Batticaloa in the early hours of Monday
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Indian Foreign Secretary arrives in Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 April 2005, 12:58 GMT]
Mr.Shyam Saran, Indian Foreign Secretary arrived in Colombo on a four-day visit Friday. He is scheduled to meet the Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse, Foreign Minister Mr.Lakshman Kadirgamar and several Sri Lankan government officials. Ms Neelan Deo, Joint Secretary of the Indian Foreign Ministry and several officials also accompanied him, diplomatic sources in Colombo said.
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SLFP launches campaign to promote Joint Mechanism

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 April 2005, 14:26 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, Sunday launched a two day-awareness campaign in Sri Lanka's South explaining the positive aspects of the proposed joint mechanism expected to be signed with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to disburse funds provided by several international aid agencies and foreign governments to reconstruct tsunami affected areas in the northeast, sources said.
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SLMM and Elilan discuss Trincomalee situation

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 April 2005, 16:53 GMT]
Ms Helene Fors, acting head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee Thursday evening held discussions with Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), about the recent incidents affecting the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) in the district, SLMM sources said.
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"Courageous" renamed "Samudura"

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 April 2005, 16:35 GMT]
"Courageous" naval vessel donated by the US government to Sri Lanka was renamed "Samudra" at an event held Thursday in Colombo harbour with Mr.Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, acting Defence Minister, as the chief guest. Mr.Wickremanayake, Minister of Buddhist Affairs, is holding the acting Defence Minister post in the absence of President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge. Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge who is currently abroad.
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Christina Rocca meets JVP delegation

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 April 2005, 16:16 GMT]
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Sinhala Marxist Nationalist Party and a major constituent of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, Wednesday told Ms Christina Rocca, the visiting US Assistant Secretary of State, that JVP is opposed to the joint mechanism which was proposed to enable the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to disburse funds from foreign governments and international aid agencies to assist tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction programme in the northeast, sources said.


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U.S. Assistant Secretary of State to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 April 2005, 13:27 GMT]
"U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christina B. Rocca will visit Sri Lanka next Tuesday and Wednesday, April 19 and 20, to survey United States-funded tsunami reconstruction efforts and meet with Sri Lankan government officials," a press release issued by the United States Embassy in Colombo Friday said.
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LTTE conducted clearing operation in its area-Elilan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 April 2005, 17:04 GMT]
Responding to a complaint with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) that LTTE cadres had fired towards the SLA Mahindapura army camp which is located down south of Muttur area in the Trincomalee district Wednesday night, Mr.S.Elilan, LTTE Trincomalee district political head said " Our cadres conducted a clearing operation on receipt of information that armed cadres of an unidentified group had entered from the side of army camp into the no-man zone".


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SLMM monitors meet Elilan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 April 2005, 11:53 GMT]
Members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee Saturday morning met with Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and discussed ways to curb events detrimental to peace, such as those which had recently in the district, SLMM sources said.
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LTTE sentry in Muttur attacked, one killed

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 April 2005, 07:03 GMT]
A helper of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was killed and another injured in an attack on a LTTE sentry by an unidentified group Friday early morning around four a.m within the LTTE controlled area, about five hundred meters from the Mahindapura sentry of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), down south of Trincomalee district along Muttur-Batticaloa highway, sources said.
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Football coaching camp for tsunami-victims begins in Trincomalee

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

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 February 2005, 15:07 GMT]
A minister and a deputy minister of President Kumaratunga's coalition government submitted their resignations Thursday. The ministers, Mr. Muthu Sivalingam MP and Mr. M. S Sellasamy belong to the Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC), a key coalition partner of President Kumaratunga's government which represents workers in Sri Lanka's large plantation sector.
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Akashi to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 February 2005, 12:30 GMT]
Special Representative of the Government of the Japan and Peace Envoy Mr Yasushi Akashi is scheduled to visit Srilanka to "discuss the current situation of the peace process after the tsunami disaster," a press release from the Embassy of Japan said Tuesday.
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Sri Lanka parliament to debate post tsunami activities

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 February 2005, 09:01 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament is to debate tsunami disaster that hit the coastal areas in the northeast province and the south of the country on December 26 leaving about thirty thousand dead and several thousand homeless. A decision to this effect was taken at the meeting of party leaders held with the Speaker Mr.W.M.J.Lokkubandara in the chair, sources said.


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