Refugee children's drawings express anger, frustration

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 October 2004, 17:37 GMT]
“It is sad that there are some parts of our country where children can only dream of a normal life”, said Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, chairperson of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission speaking at an art exhibition by refugee children to mark ‘World Children Day’ in Colombo Friday. Drawings by children from 307 refugee camps, mostly from the northeast, were on exhibit. Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, Mr. Mahinda Rajapksha, also spoke at the exhibition, titled 'Can a Colour Pencil Talk?' Friday afternoon.


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First LTTE medical service in SLA held area

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 October 2004, 13:54 GMT]
The medical services of the Liberation Tigers conducted free mobile clinics for civilians for the first time in areas controlled by the Sri Lanka military Friday. The program was inaugurated in Vavuniya by LTTE’s Thileepan medical services. Fifteen doctors led by Dr. Ezhumathi Karikalan provided medical services and advice to hundreds of people at the refugee camp in Poonthottam in the morning and later in Maharampaikulam in Vavuniya.


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Civilian killed in shelling north of Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 September 2004, 10:45 GMT]
A civilian was killed and another wounded in shelling in Panichchankerni, 60 kilometres north of Batticaloa Tuesday around 11. 30 a.m. The shelling came from the direction of the Cashew Plantation Sri Lanka army camp in Mankerni, residents said. The woman who was injured in the shelling was taken to Valaichenai hospital and was then transferred to the Batticaloa teaching hospital. Panichchankerni is a village in the LTTE controlled region in Batticaloa north. Mankerni is five kilometres south of Panichchankerni.
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TNA criticizes SL President's UN speech

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 September 2004, 01:11 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunge's speech at the United Nations General Assembly "does not reflect true factual position...We urge the President to refrain from making rhetorical statements and focus on resolute action that would enable the recommencement of talks and meaningful consensus-building that would ensure the success of the negotiations," said parliamentarians from Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in a press statement released Thursday.
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TNA urges President to commence talks with LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 September 2004, 08:00 GMT]
“The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) would strongly urge the Government to commence talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) without delay, on the basis of the Interim Self-Governing Authority proposals of the LTTE. and thereby implement the position enunciated by the President on 10 June, when she met the TNA delegation”, said Mr.R.Sampanthan, TNA parliamentary group leader in a statement made in the parliament Tuesday morning.
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Batticaloa shuts down for Black September massacres

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 September 2004, 09:48 GMT]
A general shut down (Hartal) was observed in Batticaloa Sunday to mark the massacre of hundreds of civilians, including pregnant women, infants and children, by Sri Lanka army and paramilitaries working with it on 5 September, 1990. Roads were mostly deserted and shops closed in response to a call by leading civil society groups and MPs of the Tamil National Alliance to observe 5 September as a Black Day.
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Pay rent or vacate, house owners tell SLA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 September 2004, 13:00 GMT]
Attempts made by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) through its Jaffna regional office have failed to obtain support of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to pay rent to the owners of the civilian houses now occupied by SLA outside the high security zones (HSZs) in Jaffna district. The owners have now issued ultimatum to launch a campaign demanding the return of their houses in failing to pay rent, sources said.
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Thenmaradchchi IDPs demand army withdrawal from their houses

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 August 2004, 14:32 GMT]
The Consortium of Thenmaradchchi Civil Organizations in Jaffna district Tuesday handed over a memorandum to the Jaffna Government Agent (GA) with copies to Jaffna regional co-ordinator of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) and the Jaffna head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that it would launch a mass agitation bringing the civil administration and public transport system in Thenmaradchchi division to a halt if the houses and lands of internally displaced people (IDP) are not returned by the Sri Lanka Army.
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Norway denies it gave military training to Tigers

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 August 2004, 14:04 GMT]
The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Colombo Friday denied media reports that Norway had allegedly provided military training to the Liberation Tigers. Local media reports were based on allegations about Norway's role in Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict that were made at a conference organised by Sinhala nationalists in Oslo last week.
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EU urges early recommencement of talks

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 August 2004, 18:03 GMT]
While noting that the meeting with the LTTE was constructive and the matters were discussed in a frank and open manner, the EU in a press statement issued on Monday called upon the LTTE for the earliest resumption of peace talks and stated that the peace process and the development process are inter-linked.
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SLA blocks LTTE political activists in Trinco

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 August 2004, 18:45 GMT]
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army Sunday evening surrounded a group of political activists of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at Mc Heyzer road in Orr's Hill, a suburb in Trincomalee town, and blocked their movement. Later they were allowed to go by the SLA at the intervention of monitors of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee following a strong complaint lodged by Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the LTTE, against the action of the SLA, sources said.
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Jaffna undergrads want President's portrait removed from university

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 August 2004, 16:27 GMT]
Arts Faculty Students Union (AFSU) in the Jaffna University Wednesday decided to request the Vice Chancellor to remove the photograph of the Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge from the university common hall as a protest to the occupation of civilian houses and agricultural lands in several parts of the peninsula by the Sri Lanka Army, sources said.
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Corporal Rajapakse launches hunger strike in Jaffna prison

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 August 2004, 16:33 GMT]
Corporal Rajapakse of the Sri Lanka Army who was sentenced to death in the Krishanthy rape and murder case launched a hunger strike in Jaffna prison demanding that he should be transfered to Welikada jail. His hunger strike entered third day Sunday, prison sources said.
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Memorial for VVT massacre opened

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 August 2004, 19:15 GMT]
"Our leadership and our people have demonstrated that it will not be possible by any power to suppress our freedom struggle", said Mr C.Ilamparithi, Jaffna district Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) political head speaking at the Valvettithurai massacre memorial meeting held Monday evening.
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Jaffna commemorates "Valvettithurai massacre"

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 August 2004, 10:38 GMT]
People of Jaffna district and residents of Valvettithurai town Monday commemorated the fifteenth anniversary of Valvettithurai massacre of 63 innocent Tamil people the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) which took place on August 2, 1989, civil groups said.


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Seven Tigers remanded in Akkaraipattu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 August 2004, 16:07 GMT]
Akkaraipattu magistrate Sunday remanded seven Liberation Tigers and three of their civilian supporters until 13 August. Police said Special Task Force commandos arrested the group Saturday afternoon after two T- 56 rifle rounds and two vials of cyanide were found in the bag of an LTTE cadre. Akkaraipattu is 64 kilometres south of Batticaloa.
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Death at noon creates crack in Sri Lanka's defences

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 August 2004, 02:31 GMT]
Mr. Kandaiah Yoharasa alias PLOTE Mohan was the most dreaded Tamil paramilitary operative that ever worked with the Sri Lankan armed forces in their war against the Liberation Tigers. His name once evoked terror among the people of Batticaloa. He was an invaluable if not indispensable part of Sri Lanka's intelligence and counter insurgency operations against the LTTE.
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USAID Director opens Festival for Disabled in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 July 2004, 12:12 GMT]
USAID Mission Director Carol Becker lit the ceremonial lamp during the opening ceremony of a sport, music and dance Festival for the Disabled held in Jaffna Saturday in celebration of the 17th Anniversary of the Jaffna Jaipur Centre for Disability Rehabilitation (JJCDR), sources said.
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Jaffna to hold sportsmeet for disabled

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 July 2004, 16:59 GMT]
USAID Mission Director Carlo Becker will attend a sport, music and dance Festival for Disabled Individuals in Jaffna. The Festival will be convened on July 24, to celebrate the 17th Anniversary of the Jaffna Jaipur Centre for Disability Rehabilitation (JJCDR), sources said.


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Journalists thwart Police attempt to stop demo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 July 2004, 10:11 GMT]
Journalists Wednesday thwarted an attempt to prevent them from holding a demonstration against Sri Lanka Police brutality in Kosgoda, a town in Sri Lanka’s southern coast. Several media organisations led by the Free Media Movement protested in front of the Kosgoda Police station Wednesday afternoon for brutally assaulting four journalists who were covering a public protest against the Police in the southern town last week.
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