Veteran NorthEast sportsman dies

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 December 2005, 00:00 GMT]
Mr.A.S.Gunaratnam, retired Assistant Director of Sports in the North East Provincial Education, Cultural, Sports and Youth Affairs Ministry and currently Assistant Director of the North East Youth Affairs Ministry passed away Friday in Colombo after a brief illness. He had been a colorful personality in the field of sports not only in the North East but also at the national level. He had been fluent in all three languages, Tamil, Sinhala and English. He was 68 at the time of his death, family sources said.
Full story >>

Maintaining symmetry of power, key to meaningful peace talks- Adaikalanathan

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 December 2005, 20:34 GMT]
“Instead of choosing a constructive political path setting incremental milestones to monitor progress in addressing the national crisis, various Sri Lanka governments in power, were preoccupied with an "oppressive mindset" and have attempted to weaken the Tamil struggle by purposely dragging out peace processes,” said TNA parliamentarian Selvam Adaikalanathan, speaking to TamilNet Friday. He said that a meaningful peace process is possible only if the prevailing strategic symmetry of power is maintained between the two parties.
Full story >>

SL Parliament to hold one-day debate on Govt's policy statement

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 December 2005, 10:04 GMT]
One-day debate on the policy statement of the new Sri Lankan President Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse is to take place when parliament meets on December 7 on a request made by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) at the leaders of political parties. Mr Rajapakse presented his policy statement in parliament last Friday.
Full story >>

LTTE: no change in our position on polls

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 November 2005, 09:06 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers said Wednesday there is no change in their position on Thursday’s Presidential election from that taken last Friday. Denying newspaper reports that the LTTE was now actively encouraging people to vote in the Presidential elections, head of the LTTE’s Peace Secretariat, S. Pulidevan, said "the issue was discussed at length by the LTTE and the TNA (Tamil National Alliance) last week and the conclusion was the Tamils cannot place our trust on either of the parties or their candidates".
Full story >>

LTTE-TNA conference concludes: "Tamil people have no interest in SL Presidential elections"

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 November 2005, 11:56 GMT]
Emerging from the three and a half hour meeting with the Political Wing of the LTTE, Wednesday, R.Sampanthan, Leader of the TNA Parliamentarians, categorically declared to the media, "Nothing worthwhile would be achieved by supporting either of the two leading candidates in the Sri Lankan Presidential election." Mr Sampanthan, following discussions presided by S.P.Thamilchelvan, leader of the Political Wing of the LTTE, assured the press in Kilinochchi, that Tamil People are "not at all interested in the forthcoming Presidential election."
Full story >>

Leading Tamil educationist passes away

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 November 2005, 00:54 GMT]
Mr.Kandiah Thangarajah (65), leading educationist in Trincomalee district and who headed the organization committee of the Tamil National Resurgence Convention in Trincomalee passed away Wednesday night after a heart attack. His funeral was held Thursday evening at Hindu cemetery in the east port town amid large gathering of members of the public and friends.
Full story >>

LTTE, TNA MPs, community leaders meet in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 November 2005, 18:08 GMT]
Military and political leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Trincomalee district held discussions Wednesday with two Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians and several representatives of Tamil civil groups in the district. Colonel Sornam, Trincomalee district military commander, Mr.S.Elilan, district political head and Mr.Vasanthan, a military commander of the LTTE participated on behalf of the LTTE in the discussion, sources said.
Full story >>

Trincomalee Declaration demands SL troops to vacate NorthEast

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 October 2005, 08:28 GMT]
Tamil speaking people in large numbers from north, west and south of the Trincomalee district attended the Tamil National Resurgence Convention held Saturday morning in the Playground located along the Inner Harbour Road in the east port city which is controlled by the Sri Lanka Army. Co-ordinating Committee of the Tamil national Resurgence in Trincomalee District, in the declaration, demanded the Sri Lanka troops to vacate the NorthEast land and seas and declared that the rally "demonstrates to the international community the thirst for freedom of the Tamil nation."
Full story >>

TNA headquarters opened in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 October 2005, 17:16 GMT]
The headquarters of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) was declared open Friday evening in Trincomalee town on the eve of the Trincomalee National Tamil Resurgence Convention to be held on Saturday morning. Mr.Mavai Senathirajah, Jaffna district TNA parliamentarian lit the flame of sacrifice. Mr.R.Sampanthan, TNA parliamentary group leader hoisted the Thamileelam national flag and Mr.Jospeh Pararajasingham, TNA National List parliamentarian unveiled the name board of the headquarters.


Full story >>

UN agencies briefed on Trinco resurgence convention

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 October 2005, 00:11 GMT]
Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Thursday morning briefed the representatives of the UN agencies, international non-governmental organizations, and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) working in Trincomalee district on the reasons for holding the Tamil National Resurgence Convention on October 22 in the east port city.
Full story >>

CFA has failed to advance peace-Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 October 2005, 16:30 GMT]
The ceasefire (CFA) agreement signed by the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) in the year 2002 with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam because of the military strength of the LTTE in the battlefield has not helped the Tamil speaking people to achieve their political aspirations even after four years, said Mr.R.Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance parliamentary group leader and Trincomalee district parliamentarians addressing an awareness meeting in regard to the proposed Tamil National Resurgence Convention which is to be held on October 22, sources said.
Full story >>

Trinco prepares to hold Resurgence Convention

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 October 2005, 16:54 GMT]
The Tamil National Resurgence Conventions (TNRC) are being held in the northeast province at district level to urge the international community to recognize the self determination right of Tamil people as Sri Lankan government has failed to find a satisfactory political solution to the Tamil national question, said Mr.R.Sampanthan, Trincomalee district parliamentarian and the parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) addressing one in a series of awareness meetings in Trincomalee during the weekend. The convention is to be held in Trincomalee on 22 October at the Youth Playground, from 9 a.m. till 12 noon.
Full story >>

Pongu Thamil event to be held in Trinco 22nd October

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 October 2005, 18:37 GMT]
About hundred Tamil activists and representatives of Tamil organizations attending a discussion held at Trincomalee Vigneswara Maha Vidiyalayam Sunday decided to hold the next Tamil National Resurgence Convention (Pongu Thamil) in Trincomalee town before the end of October, sources said.
Full story >>

Thousands attend Jaffna Pongu Thamil rally, seek Army withdrawal

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 September 2005, 14:51 GMT]
An estimated two hundred thousand people attended the Tamil Resurgence celebrations in Jaffna Friday at Jaffna University Grounds, calling for the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to vacate the Tamil homeland and declaring that the Tamils right to self-determination is non-negotiable. Speakers at the rally said the event recognizes the Vavuniya proclamation and condemned the one-sided punitive measures taken by the European Union against the Liberation Tigers.
Full story >>

Jaffna gets ready for sixth Tamil Resurgence Convention

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 September 2005, 15:00 GMT]
All roads in Jaffna district will lead to University Grounds Friday September 30 where the Tamil Resurgence Convention, is to be held. This is sixth in the series of such conferences held in recent months, first Vavuniya, second in Batticaloa, next in Killinochchi, fourth in Mullaitivu and fifth held at Mannar Wednesday.
Full story >>

TNA MPs meet Japanese envoy

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 17:09 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Mr. R.Sampanthan and Mr. Joseph Pararajasingam told the Japanese envoy in Colombo, Mr Akio Suda, Tuesday that International Community must play an unbiased role in advancing the the Sri Lankan peace process and expressed their concern over the stalled peace process between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government, sources in Colombo said.
Full story >>

Discrimination in Bank recruitment, protests TNA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 September 2005, 11:06 GMT]
Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group and the Trincomalee district parliamentarian Sunday faxed a written protest to President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge calling for the cancellation of all appointments made by the State Banks, Bank of Ceylon (BoC) and Peoples Bank (PB) to their branches in the Tamil dominated NorthEast or that the new appointees be recalled "as this is a repetition of the regular discrimination that has been consistently practised against the Tamils in the matter of employment in the state sector including State Banks."
Full story >>

"Emergency Laws: Death-knell to co-existence" – Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 17:23 GMT]
"The government must end the emergency rule, if it wishes peace to prevail in the country," insisted Mr. R. Sampanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group Wednesday, during the debate in parliament on extending the Emergency Regulations. Sri Lanka Parliament approved the extension of State emergency for another month. It won the approval of 118 members, while 24 voted against.
Full story >>

TNA representatives meet UN envoy

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 September 2005, 04:23 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians, Mr. R. Sampanthan, Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham, Mr. Gajendran Ponnambalam and Mr. M. K. Sivajilingam on Tuesday met Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, the Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General Mr. Kofi Annan, in Colombo.
Full story >>

Trinco Tamil students boycott schools protesting army presence

[TamilNet, Monday, 29 August 2005, 10:12 GMT]
Tamil medium schools in the Trincomalee town did not function Monday when students boycotted their classes in a token protest to the presence of soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and the Sri Lanka Police surrounding their institutions in large number, TamilNet sources said.
Full story >>