Police attack injures fifteen anti-EPDP picketers

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 December 2002, 11:56 GMT]
At least fifteen civilians were injured Tuesday afternoon in Nelliady, 30km northeast of Jaffna, when Police used tear gas and opened fire with rubber bullets on the picketers in front of the local office of Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP). In a subsequent grenade attack eight persons, were seriously wounded including journalist Mr.V.Thavachelvan. All have been warded in the Point Pedro base hospital, medical sources said.


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Varathan Group attack injures two civilians

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 December 2002, 11:42 GMT]
Ex-militants of Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) currently part of Varathan Group working closely with the Special Task Force (STF) in Araiyampathi, Batticaloa district, attacked and seriously injured two civilians near Mariamman Kovil road Sunday 6.45 pm sources in Batticaloa said.
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SLN expands Thiriyai naval base

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 December 2002, 20:14 GMT]
Thiriyai Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) main base, relocated to a new location one mile from the Thiriyai Tamil Vidyalayam in May this year, is now being strengthened as a permanent base, a group of civilians told the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader and the district parliamentarian Mr.R.Sampanthan when he paid a visit Saturday evening to see if any progress has been made by recently resettled farmers, sources said.
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Nedunthivu mother of four sexually assaulted

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 December 2002, 17:23 GMT]
A Tamil young mother of four children is alleged to have been sexually assaulted by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) personnel at Nedunthivu (Delft island) in the Jaffna district Saturday afternoon around 3 p.m.while she was praying in a church, according to a complaint lodged at the Police Station in the islet, sources in the island said.


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Picketing against EPDP spreads to other areas in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 December 2002, 20:06 GMT]
Hundreds of people Thursday picketed several offices and camps of the para military Eelam Peoples Democratic party (EPDP) in the Jaffna district in support of the protest by the Neduntheivu civilian families which entered twentieth day Thursday.
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LTTE, GOSL reach exploratory agreement

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 December 2002, 12:04 GMT]
The government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam reached an exploratory agreement Thursday to “explore a solution to end the island’s conflict founded on the principle of internal self determination in areas of historical habitation of the Tamil speaking peoples, based on a federal structure within a united Sri Lanka”. “Sri Lanka needs a new constitution that would radically transform its polity," said Chief negotiator of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. Anton Balasingham, addressing a joint press conference Thursday morning at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Oslo.
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Road blocks remain in Batticaloa district

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 December 2002, 21:32 GMT]
Speed barriers and road blocks in Batticaloa district roads are still obstructing traffic in many roads in Batticaloa causing severe hardship to residents in several areas of Batticaloa, sources in the east said. Assurance given by the Sri Lanka military chiefs during the meeting of the Sub-Committee on De-escalation and Normalization held in Vavunathivi 20 October that efforts will be taken to remove these barriers still remains to be fulfilled, sources said.
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Children in Armed Conflict and the United Nations

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 November 2002, 03:21 GMT]
It is estimated that 300,000 children are currently participating in fighting in more than 35 countries. 25 million are uprooted from their homes, while millions more have their lives severely affected by the deprivations of war. Dealing with 'impact of war on children' is high on United Nation's agenda, with an annual Security Council debate, several resolutions addressing the problem and an office of the Secretary General devoted to the topic. Sri Lanka does not figure prominently in the deliberations of the UN, but the outcome of UN decisions has been felt in Sri Lanka.
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LTTE leader calls for autonomy and self-government for Tamil homeland

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 November 2002, 12:17 GMT]
In a radical move to clarify the policy orientation of his organisation, Mr Velupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) declared that he would favourably consider a political framework that offers substantial regional autonomy and self-government to the Tamil people on the basis of their right to internal self-determination. The text of Mr. Pirapaharan’s annual Heroes’ Day address was released to the media in an official statement.
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SLA dismantles Maveerar Naal decorations in Point Pedro

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 November 2002, 16:23 GMT]
Students of Hartley College, Point Pedro, in the Jaffna district Tuesday boycotted classes in protest of the removal by the Sri Lankan Army of cutouts and other decorations made in celebration of the Maveerar Naal (Heros' Day).
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Batticaloa Chapel Road opens after 12 years

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 November 2002, 05:31 GMT]
Chapel Road in Batticaloa district which was closed for traffic last twelve years was opened yesterday morning by soldiers from the SriLanka Army (SLA), sources said.
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'We are sincerely and firmly committed to peace' - Balasingham

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 November 2002, 18:26 GMT]
"We urge the international governments to offer substantial financial assistance for the resettlement and rehabilitation of the war affected people in the northeast..On our part, we can assure the international community that our organisation is sincerely and firmly committed to peace and negotiated political settlement..we will not resort to war or violence. We fervently hope that the Sri Lankan armed forces will also abide by that commitment," said Mr. Anton Balasingham, the advisor and theoretician to Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in his address to the Oslo aid conference 25 November.
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All Sinhala jury acquits Mylanthanai accused

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 November 2002, 16:29 GMT]
All the eighteen accused in the Mylanthanai massacre case were acquitted by the High Court Judge Mr.S.Sriskandarajah when the Sinhalese speaking Jury brought a unanimous verdict of not guilty Monday around eight thirty p.m. In this case the Attorney General had indicted eighteen Sinhala soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army with the murder of thirty-five Tamil civilians including fourteen children in the Mylanthanai village in Batticaloa district on August 9 1992.
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'Donor community must respond to LTTE, GOSL's pragmatism' - Jan Peterson

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 November 2002, 14:17 GMT]
While announcing increased funding support to assist Sri Lanka's peace process, Norwegian Foreign Minister Mr. Jan Petersen, said "The parties are showing a high degree of pragmatism and innovation in the peace negotiations. They are showing courage and political leadership in taking a gradual approach. It is incumbent upon donor governments to respond likewise," urging the international community to financially support NorthEast development in his Opening speech at Oslo 25 November 2002.
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Mylanthanai massacre case verdict on Monday

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 November 2002, 18:59 GMT]
The verdict in the Mylanthanai massacre case is to be delivered after the High Court Judge Mr.Sriskandarajah concludes his charge to the Sinhala speaking Jury Monday (25.11.2002). The case is being heard in the Colombo High Court since October 2 daily excluding weekend and public holidays, court sources said.
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Tamil Eelam Courts opened in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 November 2002, 18:03 GMT]
"We open our police stations and law courts in our areas only and not in areas held by the government to maintain law and order as mandated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leadership," said the head of the Tamil Eelam Judicial Service Mr.Para addressing gathering after he declared open the law courts for the Batticaloa-Ampara district in Arasadithivu Saturday.
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TNA wants EPDP disarmed

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 November 2002, 07:49 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Wednesday appealed to the United National Front government to take immediate steps to ensure that no one engaged in political activity in Neduntheivu and Kayts in Jaffna district is armed. "The UNF government should take appropriate action to diffuse the situation and to assure the people of Neduntheivu and Kayts that they will not be subjected in the future to the violent and undemocratic actions of the Eelam Peoples Democratic party (EPDP)," said in a press release issued by the parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance Wednesday.
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Muslim youth shot dead in Galle

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 November 2002, 18:06 GMT]
Karzi Mohammed Rameez,a 22 year old Muslim youth was shot dead and three other Mulims and four police officers were injured when police opened fire to quell disturbance in Galle-Katugoda area 18 November night, sources said. Curfew has been imposed in Galle municipal area according to sources.
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Palugamam police records 135 complaints

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 November 2002, 15:25 GMT]
Recently opened Police station by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Palugamam has recorded 135 complaints from the residentsof the surrounding villages in the last two weeks, sources close the security division of the LTTE said.
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TULF commends Norway, International Community

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 November 2002, 19:21 GMT]
The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), main constituent of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), while commending Norway and International Community for their support to the peace process, made an appeal to Tamils from making statements that will have adverse impact on the peace process. People who have rarely stood up for the human rights or democratic rights of the Tamil people cannot make any honest contribution to the Tamil question, said the Secretary General of the TULF Mr.R.Sampanthan in a press release at the conclusion of the central committee meeting held Sunday in Colombo.
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