Child soldier figures wrongly quoted- Save the Children

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 May 2005, 07:48 GMT]
Mike Aaronson, Director General of Save the Children UK, in a letter to LTTE's Head of Political Wing, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, expressed regret that the figures for child soldiers including girl soldiers have been "wrongly quoted" in a recent report released by the UK based organisation. The report stated that 50 000 child soldiers, including 21,500 girl soldiers are involved in the conflict in Sri Lanka.
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Donors pledge $3bn, push peace process

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 May 2005, 16:19 GMT]
International donors wrapped up a key conference for Sri Lanka pledging $3bn in aid, but stressing the importance of progress in resolving the island’s protracted ethnic conflict to pave the way for its disbursement, press reports and officials said. The onus is on Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who has promised donors she would overcome Sinhala nationalist opposition to negotiate and sign a joint mechanism with the LTTE, to deliver. But amid escalating Sinhala right wing pressure, Tamil optimism is tempered by deep sceptism
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Foundation laid for Thamileelam National hospital

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 May 2005, 10:13 GMT]
Foundation stone for the Tamil Eelam National Hospital was laid at Iranaimadu in Kilinochchi, Sunday morning. Dr.Gangatharan laid the first foundation stone followed by Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan, the Head of the Political Wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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Breakdown in JM negotiations will be a major blow- Akashi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 May 2005, 21:15 GMT]
Expressing Japan's frustration in the delay in forging permanent peace in Sri Lanka, Japanese peace envoy Yakushi Akashi, turning his attention the aid deal for post-tsunami development said, "The breakdown of negotiations on the Joint Mechanism will be a major blow to all concerned specially to Sri Lankan people who have every right to expect...assistance from abroad...but we must find alternative means for aid delivery." Mr Akashi talked to the reporter in Colombo after meeting S P Thamilchelvan, Head of LTTE political wing Saturday morning.
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Akashi meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 May 2005, 10:01 GMT]
The Japanese special peace envoy Mr.Yasushi Akashi met with the Head of the Political Wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) S.P. Thamilchelvan at LTTE's Peace Secretariat building in Kilinochchi, Saturday.
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Lack of normalcy eclipsed by joint mechanism debate - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 May 2005, 13:26 GMT]
The serious lack of normalcy in the Tamil areas due to continuing military occupation and restrictions on civilians’ livelihoods, even three years after the mutual ceasefire agreement was signed, is leading to severe frustrations amongst the people, the head of the Liberation Tiger’s political wing, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan told Norwegian diplomats Friday. The extraordinary focus on a post-tsunami aid management mechanism is masking the severity of the obstructions to rehabilitation work and the day-to-day difficulties faced by ordinary people, Mr. Thamilchelvan told Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Hans Brattskar, when they met in Kilinochchi.
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Convincing donors, Kumaratunge's goal- Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 May 2005, 00:45 GMT]
Accusing Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunge for not taking constructive steps to establish the Joint Mechanism for post-tsunami reconstruction of NorthEast, Head of the Political Wing of Liberation Tigers (LTTE), S.P Thamilchelvan, in a recent interview with TamilNet, dismissed Ms Kumaratunge's positive statements on the Joint Mechanism as a mere tactic to influence the donors in the forthcoming aid conference to take decisions in her favor, and to attract international assistance.
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LTTE ‘no threat to India’ - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 May 2005, 16:34 GMT]
Any capability acquired by the Liberation Tigers is solely for the protection of the Tamil people and not a threat to India or any other country, the head of the LTTE’s political wing, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, said this week in response to concern expressed by Indian officials over the movement’s naval force and reports it had acquired aircraft
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LTTE leader opens new building for paralized women fighters

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 May 2005, 17:55 GMT]
LTTE leader V Pirapaharan ceremonially declared open a new building for Mayori Illam in Vanni Tuesday, LTTE sources said. The Mayori Illam is a rehabilitation centre for paralized women fighters of the LTTE.
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Solheim expresses hope for agreement on Joint Mechanism

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 April 2005, 10:22 GMT]
Mr. Erik Solheim, the Norwegian Special Peace Envoy to Sri Lanka, said Wednesday that the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers are close to enter into an agreement on the long awaited Joint Mechanism to distribute international aid for post-tsunami rebuilding effort in the NorthEast. However, Mr. Solheim said that there were still some issues that need to be resolved before signing the document.
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Thamilchelvan meets Solheim in Colombo, returns to Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 April 2005, 09:04 GMT]
Visiting Norwegian Special Peace Envoy, Mr. Erik Solheim, on Wednesday met Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan, Political Head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who was returning to Kilinochchi concluding an almost 40 days long diplomatic mission to Europe and to South Africa. Mr. Thamilchelvan during his mission to Europe had held discussions with government leaders of more than twelve countries regarding the current state of the stalled peace process and the hindrance on the part of the Government of Sri Lanka in establishing a Joint Mechanism to implement a tsunami relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction programme in the northeast.
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LTTE meets with MEP in Dublin

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 April 2005, 11:06 GMT]
Current LTTE mission to Europe is to communicate to the international community ground realities of the humanitarian crisis created by the tsunami and to expose the lack of progress towards establishing a Joint Mechanism to undertake post-tsunami reconstruction in an equitable manner, Head of LTTE Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan, told the Mr.Eoin Ryan, Member of European Parliament (MEP) and Committee on Economic & Monetary Affairs, Committee on Development when the LTTE delegation met him in the Irish Parliamentary complex Saturday, LTTE sources said.
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LTTE delegation in Dublin: Thamilchelvan meets Irish Minister Conor Lenihan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 April 2005, 23:24 GMT]
Lack of consensus in Colombo, even in sharing resources to meet a natural disaster, has confounded the already existing humanitarian crisis, Mr. S.P. Thamilchelvan told Mr. Conor Lenihan T.D, Minister of State in Ireland with Special Responsibility for Overseas Development & Human Rights. Colombo is yet to respond to the Joint Mechanism proposals.
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Thamilchelvan meets Archbishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 April 2005, 07:40 GMT]
LTTE Political Head Mr. S.P.Thamilchelvan and his delegation met Tuesday Human rights activist, Nobel laureate and Retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa in Cape Town. The LTTE Political Head, who briefed the Nobel laureate on the current state of the CFA and post-tsunami humanitarian situation of the NorthEast, said that international engagement is significant for the proposed Joint Mechanism to become a reality. Desmond Tutu, who appreciated the LTTE for its commitment to the Norwegian facilitated Ceasefire Agreement (CFA), expressed his desire to visit NorthEast and see the plight of Tamil people, LTTE sources said.
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LTTE Political Head meets South African Deputy President

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 April 2005, 19:29 GMT]
Mr Thamilchelvan, head of LTTE political wing, told South African Deputy President Mr.Jacob Zuma that LTTE is committed to the CeaseFire Agreement and has expressed its readiness to recommence negotiations on the basis of the proposals submitted for the formation of an interim administration, when they met in Durban Monday, sources close to the LTTE said.


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LTTE delegation arrives in South Africa

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 April 2005, 19:35 GMT]
The LTTE Head of Political Division, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan and his delegation arrived in Pretoria, South Africa on Friday. Senior Advisor to Vice President, Mr. Ibrahim Ibrahim received the delegation, according to soures in Pretoria.
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Netherlands urged to send fact finding mission to NorthEast

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 April 2005, 13:36 GMT]
Expressing collective Tamil concern over Colombo's handling of the post-tsunami humanitarian crises in the war ravaged NorthEast, Mr. S.P.Thamilchelvan, LTTE's Political Head who is leading an LTTE delegation to Europe on a diplomatic mission, invited Thursday Netherland's Foreign Ministry to send a fact finding mission to the tsunami devastated NorthEast. The LTTE team met with Netherlands Foreign Ministry's Deputy Director-General for Political Affairs, Mr. Herman A Schaper on Thursday, sources close to the LTTE said.
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LTTE Political Head meets with Director General of Italian Foreign Ministry

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 April 2005, 07:27 GMT]
Exploring the framework of the Joint Mechanism draft as accepted by the LTTE, in a meeting with Mr. Claudio Pacifico, the Director General of the Italian Foreign Ministry in Rome on Friday, Political Head of the LTTE Mr. S.P. Thamilchelvan noted that the inclusive and coordinated mechanism involving International NGOs, local civilian based organizations and the district level Government officials was key to the success of the internationally praised relief operations led by the LTTE initiated Task Force after the December 26 tsunami.
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LTTE delegation in Finland, meets with Foreign Minister and Åland representative

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

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