JVP MP says he was attacked for "opposing shut down"

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 January 2006, 08:48 GMT]
A Sinhala nationalist JVP parliamentarian, who was attacked Friday in a suburb of Trincomalee town, has claimed, on Saturday, that he was attacked by a group of Sinhala persons for "opposing" the continuation of the shut down on the Tamil festival day, Thai Pongal. However, most of the Sinhala-owned shops remained closed in the east port town for the third day while Tamils remained in their homes to celebrate Thai Pongal. Two Sinhala nationalist organisations, backed by the JVP, had called for the four-day shut down in Trincomalee.
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Abeyapura residents attack JVP parliamentarian

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 January 2006, 14:34 GMT]
A group of Sinhalese residents in Abeyapura, a suburb in Trincomalee town, Friday afternoon around 4 p.m. attacked the vehicle of Mr.Jayantha Wijeysekara, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) parliamentarian of Trincomalee district when he was traveling through the area. Sri Lanka policemen rushed to the scene of the incident and rescued Mr Wijeysekara from being manhandled by the angry crowd, police sources said.


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JVP to contest local elections alone

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 January 2006, 17:25 GMT]
The politburo of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the Marxist Sinhala Nationalist Party, Monday decided to contest the forthcoming elections to local government authorities in Sri Lanka alone and not in alliance with other political parties, political sources said.
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JVP to move no-confidence motion on CWC MP

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 January 2006, 17:20 GMT]
The Parliamentary group of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Monday decided to move a no-confidence motion on Mr. M.Sachchithanandan, Deputy Chairman of Parliamentary Committees, when the parliament resumes its sittings on January 17, parliamentary sources in Colombo said. JVP accused Mr.Sachchithanandan of violating Sri Lanka's constitution by going to LTTE held Killinochchi to pay homage to the slain parliamentarian Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham.
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FES donates computers to Sampoor School

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 December 2005, 16:53 GMT]
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), German Non-governmental organization, through the Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union (CTTU) handed over two computers and accessories worth more than two hundred thousand rupees to Sampoor Sri Murugan Vidiyalayam in Muttur east in Trincomalee district to promote computer education to students. FES is also providing Rs 200,000 to build a Children’s Park. The Park is expected to be declared open on Thaipongal Day in January 2006.
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Cabinet size, luxury vehicles draw JVP fire

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 December 2005, 11:45 GMT]
The extreme Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Parliamentarian Nandana Gunatillake severely criticised the new Government of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse during the Budget debate Tuesday for appointing a large cabinet thus violating the election pledge. He said the President has appointed all 60 Parliamentarians of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), including their allies, except SLFP Parliamentarian Nirupama Rajapakse, as Ministers and deputy Ministers in the SL Government.
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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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Eye of the storm?

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 08:31 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse’s first address to his Parliament had been keenly, albeit warily, anticipated by those concerned about the peace process. Elected on a hardline nationalist platform (and having easily drawn the majority of Sinhala votes), Rajapakse’s speech curiously received the press coverage of a pro-peace candidate: that he wanted to hold "direct" talks with the Liberation Tigers. But peace advocates paying close attention to his policy statement would have been thoroughly alarmed.
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Sovereignty fears

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 01:33 GMT]
The definition "supreme authority within a territory," captures the essential notion of sovereignty used to describe political authority of modern nation states. The origins of Sri Lanka’s long festering conflict lie in its unitary constitution which vests the exercise of sovereignty solely in the hands of Sinhala Buddhists. But Colombo wields no sovereign authority over nearly seventy percent of the island’s NorthEast. Radical Sinhala groups view the denial of their state’s sovereignty in areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers with extreme chagrin. Over the years, other events too have challenged Sri Lanka’s sovereignty.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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SLMC for non-contiguous territorial autonomy for Muslims - Hakeem

[TamilNet, Monday, 31 October 2005, 16:28 GMT]
Mr.Rauff Hakeem, Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Sunday said in Trincomalee that SLMC is for "non-contiguous autonomy" for Muslim territory in the northeast province, which recognizes Muslims right to self-determination. "The SLMC reached an understanding after several rounds of talks with the United National Party (UNP)," said Rauf Hakeem addressing an election rally in Jamaliya Nagar, a suburb north of Trincomalee town Sunday evening in support of Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe for Sri Lanka presidency.
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NPC urges NorthEast Tamils to vote

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 October 2005, 12:26 GMT]
Media Director of the Sri Lanka National Peace Council (NPC), Dr.Jehan Perera, Saturday appealed to the Tamil people vote for a candidate who could promote peaceful political solution to the ethnic problem and not to boycott the presidential election. He was addressing a seminar on "North-South Dialogue for Rebuilding of Sri Lankan Democratic Institutions," held at the Media Research and Training Centre of the Jaffna University.
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