Maintaining ethnic ratio in Police recruitment imperative - TNA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 August 2003, 10:40 GMT]
At a conference held Thursday morning between the Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) delegation led by its parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan at the parliamentary complex, it was decided to summon all Tamil and Muslim parliamentarians for a conference on Tuesday or Wednesday next week before finalizing the list of new recruits for the police force in the eastern province, political sources in Colombo said.
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Sri Lankan govt. decides to strengthen eastern security

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 August 2003, 18:23 GMT]
AT a conference held at the Sri Lankan Defense Ministry Tuesday, it was decided to strengthen the security in the eastern province by sending additional security forces to the “problem districts.” Mr.Tilak Marapone, the Sri Lankan Defense Minister, presided over the conference, which was attended by the chiefs of three armed forces and the Inspector General of Police, security sources said.
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General shutdown paralyzes Kalmunai, Sammanthurai

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 August 2003, 18:01 GMT]
The towns of Kalmunai and Sammanthurai in the Amparai district were completely paralyzed Monday when residents and businessmen observed a general shut down (hartal) protesting against the killing of two Muslim civilians at Sammanthurai Sunday night, police said.
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Two Muslims shot dead in Sammanthurai

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 August 2003, 05:44 GMT]
Forty-year-old father of four children Mr.A.Ibralebbai and a twenty one old father of two children Mr.K.L.Ismail were shot dead Sunday night by unidentified gunmen at Nelluchchenaivettai in Sammanthurai police division in Amparai district, police sources said. Their bodies were recovered Monday morning at the site, according to police sources.


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Hakeem to meet Sri Lankan PM on Muslims' security

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 August 2003, 01:03 GMT]
Mr.Rauff Hakeem, leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and Minister in Sri Lanka’s United National Front government, said Sunday that he would meet the Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, Monday, on the question of providing maximum security to Muslims in the eastern province especially in Muttur area.
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'Stop alienation of State land in Trincomalee district' - Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 August 2003, 15:51 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance’s parliamentary group leader, Mr.R.Sampanthan, Saturday made an urgent appeal to the United National Front government to stop the alienation of State land in Trincomalee district as it would cause serious harmful impact on the peace process, saying that such alienation of land was one of the main causes that led to the commencement of war and therefore it would be “tantamount to an abuse of the current ceasefire.”
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SL President says ‘dangerous’ period ahead

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 August 2003, 18:41 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President, Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge, addressing a workshop of members of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party women organizations Friday, said that the country was facing the most dangerous period in its history as the United National Front government was preparing to “hand over the power to rule a part of the country to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, in the name of taking forward the present peace process."
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LTTE leader served notice through the media in MoU case

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 July 2003, 15:59 GMT]
The Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka Wednesday served notice by newspaper publication on the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Mr.V.Pirapaharan, the second respondent in cases filed separately by the Sinhala Jathika Sangamaya, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and the Sihala Urumaya, who challenged the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the LTTE on 22nd February 2002 on the grounds that it was “illegal and unconstitutional,” legal sources said
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SL President appoints committee to report on IA proposals

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 July 2003, 05:04 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President, Chandrika Kumaratunge, has appointed a four member committee to study and report on the interim administrative structure proposals which have been submitted to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam by the United National Front government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, political sources said.
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PA demands parliament, cabinet review of IA proposal

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 July 2003, 17:57 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition Peoples Alliance (PA) Friday demanded that the United National Front (UNF) government should present to the parliament and cabinet, UNF's proposals on the Interim Administrative (IA) structure for the northeast, before the proposal is submitted to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), political sources in Colombo said.


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Veteran trade union leader supports Interim Administration for NE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 July 2003, 17:39 GMT]
Veteran leftist leader and trade unionist Mr.Vasudeva Nanayakara Sunday said that an interim administration for the northeast province is urgently needed to strengthen the environment of democracy. "We support the call by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for an effective interim administrative structure for the northeast province," said Mr.Vasudeva Nanayakkara addressing the twenty-fifth anniversary of the New Democratic Front (NDF) held at Jaffna Multi Purpose Co-operative Society hall Sunday, sources said.


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UNF govt. to submit IA proposals to LTTE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 June 2003, 14:23 GMT]
The United National Front is preparing "a set of proposals reflecting the main features of a provisional administrative structure" for the Northeast, and plans to submit the proposals to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam within two weeks, said the cabinet spokesman and Constitutional Affairs Minister in the UNF government, Mr. G.L.Peiris, addressing a press conference Thursday.
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‘Chandrika spreading war phobia’ -UNF

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 June 2003, 13:03 GMT]
As the spokesman for the President of Sri Lanka said Wednesday that the President, Chandrika Kumaratunge, is of the view that the LTTE is preparing for war, the United National Front government responded that a section of the main opposition People’s Alliance led by Ms.Kumaratunge is engaged in spreading war phobia in the country, political sources said
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Proposed IA should lead towards final political solution - TNA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 June 2003, 11:05 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Wednesday requested the Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe to formulate a structure for an Interim Administration (IA) for the Tamil dominated northeast province that serves as a step towards finding a permanent political solution to the national conflict, TNA sources said.


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Colombo has failed to bring normalcy to Northeast - FJDMA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 June 2003, 11:08 GMT]
The Federation of the Jaffna District Minibus Association (FJDMA) Sunday told the United National Front (UNF) government that it has failed to create a conducive situation in the northeast province enabling the internally displaced families to return to their villages. "Instead the government is insisting on maintaining the high security zones in residential areas according to the agenda of its military," the Federation said in a statement, Jaffna sources said.


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PA urges UNF not to give into LTTE's demands

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 June 2003, 00:05 GMT]
The main opposition Peoples Alliance (PA) which governed Sri Lanka from 1994 to 2001 demanded the United National Front (UNF) government to place the armed forces on red alert as the PA believed that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has reverted its position to Tamil homeland policy and its demand for an institution with more administrative and political powers is a step towards LTTE's goal for a separate state, Tamil Eelam, polical sources in Colombo said.


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Armitage addresses Sri Lanka donors' conference

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 June 2003, 00:59 GMT]
Noting that the momentum of the Sri Lanka peace process is slowing, US Deputy Secretary of State Armitage said the international community needs to provide an infusion of moral and material support to move the parties and the process forward when he addressed the Sri Lanka donors' conference in Japan, Monday. But, he said, "no matter how much we pledge at this conference, it is ultimately the prime minister, the president of Sri Lanka, members of the LTTE, and most importantly of all the people of Sri Lanka, who will have to deliver on the promise of peace."


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Jaffna co-op officials urge Sri Lanka's PM to establish IA

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 June 2003, 19:16 GMT]
The Jaffna District Agricultural and Consumers Co-operative Societies Union (ACCSU) said Monday that the long awaited permanent peace could be achieved only through establishing an Interim Administration (IA) for the Northeast province with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at the helm, sources in Jaffna said.
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Jaffna educationists urge Lanka's Prime Minister to act on IA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 June 2003, 11:13 GMT]
The Jaffna District Council for Advancement of Education of Tamils (JDCAET) Wednesday appealed to the Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe to take immediate steps to set up an interim administration for the northeast province with adequate powers to uplift the standard of living of the people of the soil and rebuild the war ravaged province, sources said.


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Permanent appointments for Tamil volunteer teachers

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 June 2003, 17:08 GMT]
One thousand Tamil medium volunteer teachers now serving in the Northeast province are to be made permanent in their posts on the instruction of the Public Service Commission (PSC) of the central government, NE Education Ministry Secretary Mr.R.Thiagalingam said Tuesday.
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