Paramilitaries handover weapons partly

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 March 2002, 20:50 GMT]
Tamil paramilitary groups operating with the Sri Lanka army began handing over a section of the weapons in their possession from Sunday in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Batticaloa. The EPDP, a close ally of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, turned in the largest number of weapons to the SLA on Sunday, including mortars and Rocket Propelled Grenades. Addressing the function to mark the handing over of weapons by the EPDP Sunday, Sri Lanka's Security Forces Commander for Jaffna said that the group had rendered yeoman service to the army to fight the war in the north.
Full story >>

Batticaloa GA complains ceasefire violation

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 March 2002, 21:43 GMT]
The Government Agent for Batticaloa, Mr. S.Shanmugam, told Scandinavian cease-fire Monitoring Mission Sunday that the Sri Lankan army is violating the terms of the agreement signed by Colombo and the Liberation Tigers in the eastern district. He said that the SLA is harassing civilians at Mylambaveli, 8 kilometres north of against the terms of the agreement and that it is still imposing undue restrictions on the supply of unregulated commodities.
Full story >>

"UNF to take constructive decision on LTTE ban" -PM

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 March 2002, 21:03 GMT]
A parliamentary delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Thursday held a wide ranging discussion with the Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe on several issues, including the lifting of ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the postponement of the local government elections in the Northeast province scheduled to take place on March 25. A spokesman of the TNA delegation told TamilNet that the Prime Minister had assured that the government would take a constructive decision in regard to the lifting the ban on the LTTE at the appropriate time.
Full story >>

Up-country Tamils support struggle in NE -UNF minister

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 February 2002, 19:18 GMT]
More than thirty thousand people took part in the 'Pongu Thamil' rally in Batticaloa Wednesday. "The Tamil people are struggling for the right to live. The Tamils are asking for the right to live like the other people of the world. The Tamils of the hill country express their solidarity with the struggle of the Tamils of the north and east," said Mr. P. Chandrasekeran, Minister for Estate Infrastructure, addressing the Pongu Thamil rally Wednesday.
Full story >>

TNA rally exhorts political prisoners' release

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 February 2002, 12:19 GMT]
"There will soon be a permanent ceasefire, normalcy might gradually be restored, we may even have freedom of movement in our land - but we must not let all these distract us from our goal and slacken our resolve to struggle on for our rights as a nation", said Mr. K. Thangavadivel, the Tamil National Alliance MP for Batticaloa, addressing a meeting at the conclusion of a 'Paatha Yaaththirai' (foot pilgrimage), Sunday from the southern and northern quarters of the eastern town urging Colombo to release Tamil political prisoners and lift the ban on the Liberation Tigers.
Full story >>

Tamil political prisoners fast for 'trial or release'

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 February 2002, 14:05 GMT]
Tamil political prisoners in scores of jails and detention centres across Sri Lanka began a protest fast Friday demanding that they be acquitted or be released as they are being held for extended periods without any legal proceedings being instituted against them in courts by the Attorney General's Department.
Full story >>

TNA outlines its policy to Norwegian delegation

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 January 2002, 13:35 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Thursday reiterated its stand to the Norwegian government delegation that the ban imposed on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka should be lifted immediately to facilitate the commencement of peace negotiations. "No parallel talks should take place with any other Tamil political formation when negotiating with the LTTE", stressed the TNA delegation led by its parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan.
Full story >>

LTTE official visits SLA held areas in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 December 2001, 13:05 GMT]
An official of the Liberation Tigers visited areas held by the Sri Lankan security forces in Batticaloa south Wednesday. 'Thurai', the official in charge of the LTTE's dissemination division for the Batticaloa and Ampara districts had discussions with an officer of the Special Task Force (STF) at the Paddiruppu Bridge, a main entry point 24 kilometres south of the eastern town, around 10 a.m. Wednesday morning before proceeding to visit Kaluwanchikudy town and the villages to its north with a group of fighters.
Full story >>

“No interest in government formation”- Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 December 2001, 12:40 GMT]
“The Tamil National Alliance said Saturday that it has no interest in the formation of the new government. “We will do nothing to derogate from the verdict of the Sinhalese in the south. But we will not allow ourselves to be manipulated in anyway. Beyond this we have no interest in the formation of the new government”, said Mr. R. Sampanthan, MP for Trincomalee and a senior leader of the Tamil National Alliance. “The elections have proved beyond all reasonable doubt that the Tamil people are solidly behind the Liberation Tigers. The results are also an endorsement that the Tamils are a distinct nation and that they have the right to self-determination. The Tamils have endorsed that the Liberation Tigers are their sole representatives, Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham TNA MP for Batticaloa said.
Full story >>

Sampanthan, Selvam, Mavai among TNA elected

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 December 2001, 16:41 GMT]
Mr. R. Sampanthan the chief candidate of the Tamil National Alliance for Trincomalee scored the highest preference votes among the alliance candidates who contested the general election for Sri Lanka’s 12th Parliament. He got 40110 votes out of the 56,119 the TNA garnered in Trincomalee, elections officials said.
Full story >>

Tamil Alliance files nominations in East and Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 October 2001, 16:42 GMT]
The Tamil national alliance filed nominations for the electoral districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara and the Vanni Friday. The Alliance could not file nominations in Jaffna because its list of candidates for the northern electorate has not been finalised, Tamil party sources said.
Full story >>

UNP to contest as UNF with elephant symbol

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 October 2001, 21:51 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) will contest the forthcoming general election scheduled to be held on 5 December under the name of the United National Front (UNF). However the election symbol will be 'elephant'. A motion to this effect was unanimously approved at the special convention of the UNP held Sunday at Colombo Town Hall.
Full story >>

Tamil unity talks continue, Joseph, Vinayagamoorthy stall

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 October 2001, 12:34 GMT]
Negotiations between the main opposition Tamil political parties to form a common front to contest the general elections to the Sri Lankan Parliament which commenced Thursday are still inconclusive, despite appeals and memoranda sent by supporters and general interest groups urging unity, political sources said. Mr. Appapillai Vinayagamoorthy, the leader of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress announced as soon as the Parliament was dissolved that his party would go it alone. However, following deliberations late last night, Mr. Vinayagamoorthy said that the ACTC would refrain from dividing the Tamil vote outside the Jaffna electoral district. Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham ex- MP for Batticaloa said he was not in favour of his party forming an alliance with the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO).
Full story >>

TULF says ceasefire offer a "ploy"

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 August 2001, 14:26 GMT]
The Tamil United Liberation Front Thursday said that the Sri Lankan Government's offer of a truce with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is a ploy to deceive the Tamil people. Mr.Joseph Pararajasingham, TULF parliamentarian Thursday said the ceasefire offer made by the Sri Lankan Government soon after the breakdown of the talks between two main parties is an attempt to hoodwink Tamil political parties and the Tamil people.
Full story >>

Controversial weapon meant for genocide alleges MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 August 2001, 14:26 GMT]
"The Sri Lankan government is going to deploy chemical weapons against the Tamils in the island's north and east. The aim is to annihilate them totally. The use of this dangerous chemical weapon against the Tamil people should be strongly condemned," said Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham, Tamil United Liberation Front MP for Batticaloa, addressing legislators who gathered Friday in the Sri Lankan Parliament and decided to press ahead with the no confidence motion against President Kumaratunga's government.
Full story >>

TULF urges President to start talks with LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 August 2001, 07:00 GMT]
The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Wednesday urged Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunge to pursue the Norwegian peace initiative and commence negotiations with the Liberation Tigers before framing a new constitution. A press statement issued by the TULF, after meeting the President on Wednesday, said that the party had urged the President to "reconvene Parliament and also not to proceed with the referendum."
Full story >>

TULF branches call on Tamils to oppose referendum

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 August 2001, 16:01 GMT]
The Batticaloa District Branch of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Friday decided to request the Tamil people to vote against the August 21 referendum "to register their protest to the People's Government as it has failed to solve the ethnic problem during its seven year rule". A resolution to this effect was unanimously adopted at the committee meeting of the TULF district branch Friday with Batticaloa parliamentarian Mr.Joseph Pararajasingham in the chair.
Full story >>

Rape protest shuts down North and East

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 July 2001, 09:47 GMT]
Shops, schools, offices, courts and banks were closed and streets were mostly deserted in Sri Lanka's northern province, in the Tamil, Muslim majority areas of the eastern province and in the Tamil towns of the central province Friday in response to a call for a general shut down by the alliance of eleven Tamil parties and by Tamil trade unions to protest against the rape of Tamil women by Sri Lankan security forces. The Tamil parties held a protest demonstration in downtown Colombo Friday.
Full story >>

Tamil parties criticize Colombo for re-imposing ban

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 July 2001, 05:45 GMT]
Tamil parties Thursday criticized the Sri Lankan government for re-imposing the ban on the Liberation Tigers under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The legislation proscribing the Liberation Tigers lapsed Wednesday with the Emergency Regulations.
Full story >>