105 nominations accepted, 26 rejected in Amparai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 February 2006, 16:37 GMT]
Twenty-six nomination lists out of 131 submitted by political parties and independent groups were rejected by the Amparai District Returning Officer Thursday for failing to furnish requirements as stated in the election law. Till noon Thursday 57 independent groups and fourteen registered political parties have submitted their nomination lists, election department sources said.
Full story >>

ITAK uncontested in Verugal local council

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 February 2006, 11:41 GMT]
Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kadchchi (ITAK) was elected uncontested in the Verugal Pradesiya Sabah in the Trincomalee district when submission of nomination lists for the thirteen local authorities closed Thursday at noon. Mr.Bandara Mapa, Assistant Commissioner of Elections said the Commissioner of Elections would take further steps regarding the appointment of chairman and vice chairman for the Verugal PS soon, election department sources said.


Full story >>

TNA submits nominations for Trinco local poll

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 February 2006, 12:06 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Wednesday morning submitted nomination lists to contest eleven local authorities out of thirteen in the Trincomalee district in the forthcoming local elections. Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham, Trincomalee district parliamentarian handed over the nomination lists to the District returning Officer Mr.Bandara Mapa at the latter's office, sources said.
Full story >>

Vavuniya youth reported missing

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 February 2006, 19:01 GMT]
Sithamparanathan Thamileesan, 24, from Vavuniya, has been reported missing since his departure to Colombo on December 15th, his relatives said in a complaint to the Vavuniya Human Rights Commission (HRC), officials of HRC said.
Full story >>

Local elections will highlight Upcountry Tamils' unity- Chandrasekaran

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 February 2006, 01:40 GMT]
"In the forthcoming local elections, Hillcountry Tamils should unite to initiate a joint action program to increase their representation, and create the foundation for strengthening the political power and unity of Sri Lanka's Tamil people." said Thamilchelvan, leader of LTTE political wing, during the discussions he had with the Leader of Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF), Periyasamy Chandrasekaran, at the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi Wednesday morning, a media release from the UPF said.
Full story >>

Preparations ahead of Geneva talks should focus on people's plight - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 February 2006, 07:58 GMT]
"One of the key issues in the February 2002 Cease Fire Agrement was ensuring a safe life to the civilians in Sri Lanka military controlled areas of the Tamil homeland," Liberation Tigers Political Head Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan told media, following a preparatory meeting with the Ambassadors of Norway and Swtizerland, at the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi Thursday. "It is therefore vital that the team participating in the talks, study the ground situation prevailing in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas," he added.
Full story >>

Switzerland welcomes talks, Swiss Ambassador to visit Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 February 2006, 11:16 GMT]
Government of Switzerland in a press release issued from Berne Monday welcomed the decision by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers to hold talks on February 22-23 and called on "the parties to the conflict to do all within their powers to ensure that the talks can start in a constructive atmosphere." Mr. Hans Brattskar, Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Mr. Bernadino Regazzoni, Switzerland Ambassador to Sri Lanka, will travel to Kilinochchi on Thursday to discuss preparatory arrangements for talks in Geneva with the LTTE Political Head Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, LTTE Peace Secretariat sources in Kilinochchi said.


Full story >>

TRO abductions, GoSL response may stall Geneva talks - TNA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 February 2006, 14:10 GMT]
"We are concerned that the continued deterioration of ground situation in the NorthEast and the abduction of TRO staff members by paramilitaries can potentially prevent Liberation Tigers' participation in Geneva talks," said Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians after a meeting with Head of the LTTE Political Wing, S.P Thamilchelvan at the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi at 11 a.m. Saturday. "Colombo has openly attempted to discredit the LTTE by making misleading statements to the International Community on the recent abductions of TRO staff by the paramilitary cadres," they added. The meeting lasted for more than three hours sources in Kilinochchi said.
Full story >>

World Bank, ADB, UN representatives to meet LTTE Political Head

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 January 2006, 01:21 GMT]
Representatives of multilateral donor agencies, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, UNDP and IMF, will travel to Kilinochchi on Friday to discuss with the leadership of the Liberation Tigers issues related to the rehabilitation, reconstruction and development activities in the NorthEast, according to LTTE officials in Kilinochchi.
Full story >>

Three wounded in grenade attack on Vavuniya trader's house

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 January 2006, 11:16 GMT]
A 13-year-old boy, his 14-year-old sister, and their mother were wounded when unknown attackers lobbed a grenade Saturday night around 8:40 p.m. on the front-yard of the residence of a reputed trader in Vavuniya, Police said. The cause of the attack on the house of the businessman, Chandrakumar, the owner of Gopi Agency, is not known, the Police said. This is the fifth grenade attack to be reported in Vavuniya town within the past 7 days, sources said.
Full story >>

Balasingham leaves for UK

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 January 2006, 11:32 GMT]
LTTE's Chief Negotiator and Political Strategist Mr. Anton Balasingham, left Kilinochchi Saturday at 9:30 a.m. to Katunayake in a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopter, facilitated by Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) officials.
Full story >>

Foundation stone laid for Muttaiyankattu preschool

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 January 2006, 12:07 GMT]
Project Co-ordinator at The Economic Consultancy House (TECH), Mr Pulendran, presided over the foundation stone laying ceremony for a new preschool for children of the war-affected community in Jeevanagar, Muttaiyankattu in Mullaitivu district Wednesday at 10 a.m., sources in Kilinochichi said. TECH is a Sri Lanka Government registered NGO working exclusively in the NorthEast on employment generation projects.
Full story >>

LTTE, GoSL to hold talks on truce implementation in Geneva

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 January 2006, 08:23 GMT]
Liberation Tigers said Wednesday that they have agreed to hold talks in Geneva with the Government of Sri Lanka on "smooth implementation" of the February 2002 Cease Fire Agreement. Chief Negotiator and Political Strategist of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. Anton Balasingham, told reporters that the talks, expected to begin in mid-February, would be limited to the implementation of the truce which has come under increasing strain recently. Talks on further matters could only take place after complete cessation of the Sri Lankan military's violent repression of the population in Government held areas of the Northeast, he said.
Full story >>

Balasingham arrives in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 January 2006, 06:23 GMT]
The Chief Negotiator and Political Strategist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Mr. Anton Balasingham, arrived in Kilinochchi Monday morning around 9:00 in a Sri Lankan Air Force Helicopter. Mr. Balasingham will hold consultations with the leader of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. V. Pirapaharan, Monday, regarding the current state of the peace process. Mr. Balasingham, who will assist the LTTE leader during the forthcoming meeting with the Norwegian Minister of International Development, Mr. Erik Solheim, is expected to hold a press conference on Wednesday, LTTE officials said.
Full story >>

"Back to war"

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 January 2006, 21:06 GMT]
"Unlike Indonesia Sri Lanka has failed to usher in peace. Every opportunity for rapprochement has been squandered after the Tsunami...The Sri Lankan government and the LTTE are steeped in mutual suspicion and contempt and will not arrive at any resolution on their own. A new heavy weight mediator must join Norway's Herculean but waning peacemaking efforts, one whom both parties can respect as an honest broker," said an independent analysis that appeared in the Sunday online edition of "The News" of Jang Group.
Full story >>

Balasingham to arrive in Kilinochchi on Monday

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 January 2006, 15:13 GMT]
Mr. Anton Balasingham, the chief negotiator and political strategist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and his wife Adele Balasingham will arrive in Kilinochchi Monday morning between 9 a.m. and 9.30 a.m. and will be received by Head of LTTE Political Wing, S.P Thamilchelvan, LTTE officials in Kilinochchi said. A Norwegian Embassy official will accompany the Balasinghams in a Norwegian Embassy facilitated transport in a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopter, LTTE sources said.
Full story >>

Ground conditions will dictate process forward - Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 January 2006, 10:09 GMT]
Unless there is a marked change in the ground conditions currently dominated by violent conduct by the Sri Lankan Armed forces and the paramilitaries, the patience of the Tamil population, facing killings on a daily basis in the SLA controlled Tamil homeland, will be put on a serious test, LTTE's Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan, told media following the meeting in Kilinochchi with the Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Hans Brattskar and the Head of the Scandinavian truce monitors in Sri Lanka, Hagrup Haukland. LTTE Political Head further said that the LTTE leader V. Pirapaharan would convey LTTE's stand to the Norwegian Special Envoy Erik Solheim at the end of January.
Full story >>

Norwegian Ambassador, SLMM Head to meet LTTE Political Head

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 January 2006, 11:11 GMT]
Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Hans Brattskar, and the Head of Mission of the Scandinavian truce monitors, Hagrup Haukland, will be visiting Kilinochchi to meet the Political Head of the Liberation Tigers, S P Thamilchelvan on Tuesday, according to the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi. The LTTE is likely to press for urgent de-escalation of violence in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas of the NorthEast in the meeting viewed to be a preparatory meeting for the visit of Norwegian Development Minister Erik Solheim, expected to take place at the end of the January as announced by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry.
Full story >>

LTTE condemns attack on SLMM office

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 January 2006, 14:19 GMT]
Expressing concern about the attack on the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) offices, and relief that no one was hurt in the attack, Head of the Liberation Tigers Political Wing, S P Thamilchelvan, in a letter to the Head of the SLMM, Mr Hagrup Haukland, Saturday said: "Our leadership views this attack as an attempt to wreck the ceasefire agreement. Our leadership also expresses the continued support of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to the SLMM to implement the ceasefire agreement in its fully intended meaning and to rectify the deteriorating ceasefire environment. "
Full story >>

Large crowds attend Resurgence Convention in Muttur east

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 January 2006, 17:24 GMT]
Large number of Tamils thronged the grounds of Kadatkaraichchenai, a village in Muttur east for Tamil National Resurgence Convention, the first in the New Year in the northeast province held Tuesday evening. Thousands walked from several villages in the divisions of Vaakarai, Verugal and Eachilampathu to Kadatkaraichchenai, a village in the Muttur east, sources said.
Full story >>