Thousands march in Pottuvil against buffer zone

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 June 2005, 16:16 GMT]
Around ten thousand protesters from all three communities from Pottuvil to Panama, jointly marched Monday morning from 8.00 AM to 12.00 AM demanding the removal of the 200 meter buffer zone. Demonstrators shouted slogans against the different restrictions, 38 meter buffer zone in Hambantota in the South as opposed to the 200 meter buffer zone imposed in NorthEast. The protest march organised by Pottuvil All Community Forum was backed up by a widely observed hartal. All shops in Pottuvil remained closed. Residents setup road blocks and burnt tires across major roads. Security was beefed up in Pottuvil by the Police, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the Special Task Force (STF) soldiers.
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NorthEast to shutdown as Colombo fails to withdraw troops from Trinco

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 June 2005, 19:16 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians, Representatives of Trincomalee District Tamil People's Forum (TDTPF) and other Tamil civil groups, in a meeting held Thursday, decided to hold a one-day general shut down in NorthEast protesting the continued presence of Sri Lanka troops in Trincomalee town despite the assurance given by the Ministerial team that troops will be withdrawn by Thursday, TNA sources said.
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Ministerial involvement averts Trinco shutdown

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 June 2005, 00:01 GMT]
Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples' Forum (TDTPF) Wednesday agreed to postpone until June 15 its general shut down action scheduled to take place after June 2nd demanding the removal of controversial Buddha statue after a ministerial team assured the Tamil Forum that the Urban Development Authority (UDA) would take legal action against the unlawful structure and necessary steps will be taken to withdraw army troops from the east port town, sources in Trincomalee said.
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Attorney General to join Trinco fray

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 May 2005, 20:57 GMT]
The support of the Attorney General should be sought by the Special Commissioner of the Trincomalee Urban Council (UC) to implement a court order to temporarily remove a controversial Buddha statue and other unlawful religious structures in the eastern port town, officials decided Wednesday. The reason for the AG’s involvement was not clear, sources said.
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Sri Lanka blames ‘outside forces, extremists’ for Trinco tension

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 May 2005, 20:46 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government Wednesday expressed its concern over the tense situation in Trincomalee due to the controversial Buddha statue and stated that it is “committed to arriving at a solution that would be just and fair by all concerned and in conformity of the law.” The government blamed “outside forces” and “extremist elements” for the tension.
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"Horrendous consequences if peace process collapses"- TNA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 May 2005, 10:39 GMT]
"The forces who opposed negotiations with the LTTE are forces committed tocontinuing the present structure of governance in this country, who want a unitary structure of government to continue, who want majority hegemony to continue. If these forces succeed, the peace process must inevitably collapse with all its horrendous consequences," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in a recent one-day debate on the current state of the peace process, parliamentary sources said.
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SL parliament to hold one-day debate on peace process

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 May 2005, 15:59 GMT]
Leaders of political parties represented in Sri Lanka's parliament, during a meetging held Monday in the Speaker's Chamber,decided to hold a full day debate on the stalled peace process on Friday on a request made by Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), parliamentary sources in Colombo said. Mr.Sampanthan will open the debate.


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TNA kept out of Development Forum

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 May 2005, 15:06 GMT]
"The programme formulated for the Sri Lanka Development Forum (SLDF) which is to be held in Kandy on May 16th and 17th seeks to marginalize the North East and fails to recognise diversity, and respect the democratic verdict of the people of the North East," said Mr R Sampanthan, Leader of the parliamentary group of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in a letter he wrote to the Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Sarath Amunugama, Sunday, TNA sources in Colombo said.
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TNA demands international commission to probe Sivaram murder

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 May 2005, 10:16 GMT]
Mr.R.Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Friday demanded in Sri Lanka's parliament that the government should take steps to constitute an international commission of inquiry comprising of impartial and qualified persons from the countries in the SAARC region, like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and from the Commonwealth countries like Australia, New Zealand and canto to investigate all aspects of the murder of journalist Mr.D.Sivaram.
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SL Parliament to debate on Sivaram murder

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 May 2005, 09:17 GMT]
Leaders of political parties represented in the Sri Lanka Parliament Wednesday decided to hold a special debate on the killing of a senior journalist Mr.D.Sivaram, Speaker Mr.W.M.J.Lokkubandara announced.
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TNA MPs protest, demand inquiry into Sivaram’s murder

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 May 2005, 05:47 GMT]
Tamil Nation Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians held a demonstration at Jeyanthipura Junction and marched to the Parliament Ground, Wednesday, protesting aginst the abduction and murder of leading Tamil journalist Mr.D.Sivaram, last week. The MPs demanded Sri Lanka’s President to hold an impartial inquiry to identify the killers.
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Peace Process has brought nothing tangible, TNA tells India's Foreign Secretary

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 May 2005, 13:42 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA)MPs told India's Foreign Secretary Mr. Shyam Saran during a meeting in Colombo that nothing tangible had occurred to further the Peace Process, that even the post Tsunami Mechanism had not reached fruition, and that the situation of drift and stalemate was very harmful, said a press release issued by the TNA in Colombo Monday.
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"NorthEast is very close to India's heart"- Foreign Secretary

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 April 2005, 14:21 GMT]
"India is committed to assisting in the development of Sri Lanka's NorthEast through economic and technical assistance. The welfare and well-being of the people living in the NorthEast is very close to India's heart," Mr.Shyam Saran, Indian Foreign Secretary said Saturday in Trincomalee handing over a consignment of materials worth about five million rupees donated by the Government of India to the Government Technical College located in Mihindupura, a suburb of the east port town.
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"Thanthai" Chelva death anniversary observed in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 April 2005, 13:24 GMT]
Twenty eighth-death anniversary of late Mr.S.J.V. Chelvanayakam (1898-1977), prominent leader of the Tamil people for more than three decades of his life and fondly called as "Thanthai (Father)" was observed in Trincomalee, Jaffna and several parts of the northeast province Tuesday, sources said.
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ORCHARD aims to bring children's homes under one administration

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 April 2005, 10:20 GMT]
Organization for Restructuring Children Homes And (their) Rehabilitation and Development (ORCHARD), an arm of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) in the northeast province held its second annual general meeting in Trincomalee Anbu Illam hall Saturday with Rev.Fr.Francis Xavier, President of the ORCHARD in the chair, sources said. Mr.R.Sampanthan, Trincomalee district parliamentarian and the leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) was the chief guest.


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Book on ethnic conflict released in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 April 2005, 11:53 GMT]
A Tamil book written by well-known political analyst, Mr. C.A.Jothilingam, titled "Ethnic Conflict and Proposals for Political Solution" was released and introduced to the Trincomalee audience at an event held Friday evening in Trincomalee Town Hall. Mr.K.Sivapalan, Human Rights activist, presided the event.


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Rocca assures TNA delegation US support for Joint Mechanism

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 April 2005, 06:30 GMT]
Ms Christina Rocca, US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Wednesday assured the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary delegation that the US Government would support the establishment of the Joint Mechanism in disbursing foreign aid to tsunami-hit coastal areas in the northeast province, TNA sources said. TNA delegation that comprised Mr.R.Sampanthan and Mr.Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam met with Ms Christina Rocca Wednesday at the US Embassy in Colombo.
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Canadian parliamentary team meets Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 March 2005, 18:07 GMT]
The Canadian parliamentary delegation, which is currently visiting Sri Lanka, held discussions with Mr.R.Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Thursday afternoon at Hotel Club Oceanic located three km off north of Trincomalee town, sources said.
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Arrest rising chauvinism, extremism, TNA tells Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 March 2005, 12:15 GMT]
Accusing Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister of "inciting the forces of chauvinism and extremism" in Sri Lanka by rushing to describe World Bank official Mr Peter Harrold's statements on Liberation Tigers, without checking their veracity, as "provocative," Mr Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in his statement in Sri Lanka's parliament on the current political situation, urged the Sri Lanka Government to speak with one voice regarding taking the peace process forward, parliamentary sources in Colombo said.
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Army desecrates Muslim cemetery, Pulmoddai villagers protest

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 March 2005, 15:41 GMT]
Residents of traditional Muslim village of Pulmoddai closed their shops, set up road blocks, and burnt tyres Saturday protesting against the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for forcibly digging their cemetery and removing human remains out of the burial sites, sources said. Pulmoddai village is located about 65 km, north of Trincomalee town on the border area close to Mullaitivu district.
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