SLA-tortured teacher dies in Jaffna hospital

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2011, 11:25 GMT]
28-year-old Sampanthan Sakthitharan a male teacher at Chaavakachcheari Hindu College, who was severely tortured by the occupying Sri Lanka Army in Jaffna at Thirunelveali on 15 March and dumped on the side of the road three hours later fought for his life at Jafna Teaching Hospital for 10 days with serious injuries in his head and finally succumbed to his injuries Saturday at Jaffna Teaching Hospital.
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TNA parliamentarians to study present political situation

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 November 2010, 16:40 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group is to meet Saturday and Sunday in its party office in Colombo to study the latest development in regard to finding a political solution and to the problems now faced by Tamil people in the North and East after the war. Meanwhile, the leader of the TNA and Trincomalee district parliamentarian R .Sampanthan has sent a congratulatory message to Mahinda Rajapaksa who was sworn in as Sri Lanka President for second term on Friday morning.
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Colombo takes control of historic Kanniyaa hot wells in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 October 2010, 06:08 GMT]
The Government Agent of Trincomalee Major General (retired) Ranjith de Silva Tuesday stopped the Trincomalee Town and Gravets Pradesya Saba (PS) from maintaining the historic Kanniyaa Hot Wells stating that it belongs to the Department of Archaeology. The Government Agent (GA) also directed his men to remove the name board put up by the Pradesya Saba stating that the ancient King Raava'nan founded the hot wells and constructed the Pi’l’laiyaar temple to conduct the 31st day ritual ('Anthiraddi' rites) to his deceased mother. The Hindus in this region conduct "Anthiraddi" rites in memory of their deceased kith and kin.
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UNP appeals to all political forces to preserve Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 August 2010, 01:36 GMT]
"The time is opportune for all Sri Lanka’s political forces opposed to the tyrannical course the present regime has set for this country to come together to preserve the future of this nation," according to the main opposition United National Party (UNP) Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya's statement to media.
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3 ITAK members in Trincomalee file petition against expulsion from the party

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 August 2010, 20:42 GMT]
Three members of Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) filed a petition in Jaffna magistrate court Monday against the decision by ITAK to expel them from the party because they had contested in the last general election on All Ceylon Tamil Congress ticket, sources in Jaffna said. One of the petioners is the former chairman of Trincomalee Urban Council, Gowri Mukunthan. A woman member of Trincomalee Urban Council and a member of Trincomalee Prathesiya Sabai are the other two petitioners.
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TNA seeks TN Chief Minister's help, writes Sinhala daily

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 July 2010, 00:05 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has appealed for assistance from the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to help influence the Sri Lankan government to speed up the resettlement of the thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and to develop the war ravaged north and east provinces, Sinhala daily Lakbima reported Thursday. According to Lakbima, the TNA is currently holding meetings with Indian leaders, in an effort to obtain the Indian government’s assistance to pressure the Sri lankan government into speeding up the resettlement of the IDPs.
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ITAK stalwarts in Jaffna oppose TNA abandoning alliance concept

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 July 2010, 18:39 GMT]
The concept of TNA as a broad alliance has become a legacy with Suresh Premachandran's move in convincing Mr. Sampanthan to make the alliance into a political party, blame opponents of the latest move by the TNA hierarchy, which has applied to register the alliance as a political party. The TNA has applied to register itself as a political party with R. Sampanthan as the leader and Mavai Senathirajah representing ITAK, Suresh Premachandran of EPRLF Suresh faction and Selvam Adaikalanathan on behalf of Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO), as joint secretaries.
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60 new political parties apply for registration as deadline closes

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 June 2010, 19:42 GMT]
The deadline to submit applications to the Elections Secretariat for the registration by new political parties closed Wesdnday June 30. Sixty political groups have submitted their applications to the Elections Commissioner for registration. Except two, details of other new political groups are not available to media immediately.
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Tamil political prisoners appeal to TNA seeking amnesty

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 June 2010, 04:25 GMT]
Tamil political prisoners held in Welikada and Magazine prisons have appealed toTamil National Alliance (TNA) to move an adjournment motion in Parliament when it is scheduled to meet next week 8 June demanding general amnesty for them. More than one hundred and twenty Tamil political prisoners are held in these prisons and most of them are yet to be produced in court.
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Thanthai Chelva remembered on his 33rd anniversary

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 April 2010, 17:44 GMT]
The 33rd death anniversary of the late Tamil leader and the founder of Federal Party (Ilangkai Thamil Arasu Kadchi - ITAK), Samuel James Velupillai Chelvanayagam (SJV) was observed in the North and East with hundreds of ITAK supporters along with ITAK parliamentarians attending the memorial events in Jaffna, Vavuniyaa and Trincomalee. ITAK parliamentarian Mavai Senathirajah in Jaffna and ITAK leader and parliamentarian R. Sampanthan in Trincomalee took part in the events.
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UPFA wins 2, UNP 1, ITAK 1 in Trincomalee district

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 April 2010, 16:57 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Election Department Tuesday night released the final official results of the Trincomalee electoral district. The ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) polled 59,784 votes, the main opposition United National Party (UNP) polled 39,691 votes and the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) polled 33,268 votes.
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TNA parliamentary group meeting scheduled in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 April 2010, 07:14 GMT]
The first parliamentary group meeting of the Tamil National Alliance is to be held on Sunday in Trincomalee. Thirteen parliamentarians elected from the five districts in North and East on the Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) ticket and the only national list parliamentarian will attend the first group meeting, Mr. R.Sampanthan, a senior leader of the TNA.
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Government engaged in Sinhalese colonization in Kokkaavil – Suresh Premachandran

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 March 2010, 18:17 GMT]
Suresh Premachandran, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) former Jaffna parliamentarian and a TNA candidate contesting Jaffna electorate, accused Sri Lanka government of systematically colonizing Kokkaavil in Mullaiththevu district along A9 road with Sinhalese, in the TNA election campaign meeting held Thursday in Chuzhipuram-Tholpuram area, sources in Jaffna said. He also accused Sri Lanka Army (SLA) officers and soldiers of dismantling the vehicles abandoned by Vanni residents when they were driven to Mu’l’livaaikkaal and selling the parts in Vavuniyaa and Anuradapura making huge profit.
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“Mahinda’s Sinhala regime will swallow Eastern Province in 10 years” – Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 March 2010, 17:53 GMT]
“Mahinda Rajapakse’’s Sinhala regime plans to take over the Eastern Province under its complete control by wiping out Tamil representation but Tamil National Alliance will certainly defeat this insidious plan,” R. Sampanthan, leader of TNA, said addressing the first TNA election campaign meeting in Jaffna district held Wednesday at Aavarangkaal, sources in Jaffna said. “In the context of Tamil representation being reduced in Eastern Province TNA can only get maximum representation in the North and therefore all the voters in Jaffna district should help to achieve this by casting their votes to TNA,” Sampanthan appealed.
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Election campaign gains momentum in Jaffna peninsula

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 March 2010, 16:28 GMT]
Election campaign activities by contesting political parties and independent groups have gained momentum in Jaffna peninsula and leaders of political parties including President Mahinda Rajapakse of United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), R. Sampanthan of Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Ranil Wickremasinghe of United National Party (UNP) and Somaratne Amarasinghe of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) are expected to come to the peninsula to engage in electioneering, sources in Jaffna said.
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ITAK concludes 4 day electioneering in Moothoor area

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 March 2010, 07:13 GMT]
Ilangkai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) led by its President and the chief candidate for the Trincomalee electoral district concluded its four day electioneering in the Moothoor east, Verukal and Eachchilampaththai divisions Thursday night. The electioneering began on Monday and ended on Thursday night at Cheanaiyoor with an election rally, TNA sources said.
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IDPs in Moothoor complain to ITAK leaders about their uncertain future

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 March 2010, 10:50 GMT]
Trincomalee electoral candidates led by Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) leader Mr. R. Sampanthan, Tuesday visited the camps in Ki’liveddi and Paddiththidal in Moothoor DS division where hundreds of internally displaced Tamil families from Champoor, Kooniththeevu, Choodaikkudaa and Navaratnapuram in the High Security Zones declared by the Sri Lanka Army after the eviction of LTTE in April, 2006, are lodged. The visit by ITAK candidates was a part of their election campaign for the forthcoming general election, sources in Trincomalee said.
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ITAK begins three day election campaign in Moothoor Tamil villages

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 March 2010, 16:07 GMT]
Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) Monday began a three day campaign by holding election meeting in every Tamil village in the Moothoor East, Verukal DS division, Moothoor DS division in Trincomalee district. ITAK leader and the chief candidate for the Trincomalee district Mr.R.Sampanthan is leading the campaign with other six candidates in the list.
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Indian Foreign Secretary arrives in Colombo on three day visit

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 March 2010, 03:44 GMT]
Three member delegation led by Indian Foreign Secretary Ms Nirupama Rao arrived in Colombo Saturday night around 10:30 on a three day official visit. She is scheduled to meet Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse and other government leaders and hold discussion on the resettlement of internally displaced Tamil families, and prospective political solution to Tamil national question, informed political sources in Colombo said.
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Sampanthan warns of ‘hidden agenda’ of Sri Lanka government

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 March 2010, 06:00 GMT]
“Sri Lanka government does not want any area in the island where minority community lives in majority. Hence the government led by President Mahinda Rajapakse is implementing its ‘hidden agenda’ to colonize such areas with Sinhalese to reduce the majority of minority community,” Mr. R. Sampanthan, leader of Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) and the chief candidate for the Trincomalee electoral district, said addressing representatives of Tamil civil groups in Trincomalee.
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